Macedonia

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Macedonia
By Tamara La Martina
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Overview

• Total area is 25,713 km2 (slightly larger than
  state of Vermont)
• Bordered by Albania, Serbia/Kosovo, Bulgaria, and
  Greece
• Completely landlocked since partitioned after the
  First Balkan War by Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia
  closest open water port is in Thessalonica
  (Greece)

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Environment

• Wide range of topographic, climatic, and
  vegetation regions highest elevation is 2753m,
  lowest is 50m
• Sub-Mediterranean to alpine conditions
• 4 principle bodies of water Vardar R, Lake
  Ohrid, Lake Prespa, and Lake Dojran
• 37 covered by forest
• Natural resources chromium, lead, zinc,
  manganese, tungsten, low grade iron ore,
  asbestos, sulfur and arable
  land
• Area of high seismic
  activity
• Water shortage problems
  esp. in east

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Topography of Macedonia
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Population

• Population is approx. 2.1 million
• West most highly populated 39 of pop. Lives in
  area, which makes up 43 of total land area
  18.5 of pop. lives in east
• Largest cities are Skopje (capital) Bitola,
  Tetovo, Kumanovo, Veles, Prilep, Stip, Strumica,
  Ohrid

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Ethnicity and Religion

• Titular majority is 67 of total population
• Large ethnic Albanian minority is approx. 23
• Also small Turkish, Roma, and Serbian minorities
• Languages Macedonian 70, Albanian 21, Turkish
  3, Serbo-Croatian 3, other 3
• 2/3 of pop. are Orthodox, 30 Muslims (Albanians
  and Turks), 0.5 Catholic, and 2.8 other

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Economy and Industry

• One of the poorest and most underdeveloped
  countries in Europe forced industrialization
  during communist era
• Instability and conflict caused the economy to
  shrink after independence
• Primary exports food, beverages, tobacco, misc.
  manufactured items, iron and steel
• Agriculture and tourism also important to economy

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Macedonian Question
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History of the Macedonian Question

• Question came to the forefront in the 19th
  century as the Ottoman Empire was crumbling and
  nationalism in the Balkans was growing
• One of the greatest diplomatic concerns facing
  the Great Powers in the 19th c.
• The Question was Who are the Macedonians
  ethnically? and Who has the strongest claim to
  the territory?
• Bulgarians claimed that Macedonians were
  ethnically Bulgarian and the land should be
  theirs since it was the site of the first
  independent Bulgarian Orthodox Church
• Serbians claimed that Skopje was the capital of
  Stefan Dusans medieval empire and therefore the
  heartland of their ethnic territory
• Greeks made the claim that Macedonians were
  Slavic-speaking Greeks and that Philip II and
  Alexander the Great were Greeks
• Question became pertinent again after the breakup
  of Yugoslavia

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Ancient History of Macedonia

• Philip II (359-336 B.C.) expanded Macedonian
  territory to include Greece assassinated in 336
  B.C.
• Alexander IIIotherwise known as The Great
  (336-323 B.C.) expanded Macedonian empire to
  include territories to the Indus R. in India,
  Egypt, and along the western coast of Black Sea
• Macedonias big (and maybe only) claim to fame!
• Modern Greeks try to say Alexander and
  Macedonians were Greeks, but ancients thought
  they were barbarians

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Medieval Empires

• Byzantine, Bulgarian, and Serbian Empires
• Brought Orthodoxy, Cyrillic alphabet, and feudal
  society
• Feudalism caused tribal clans to lose
  independence and turned them into serfs feudal
  lords mostly of Greek and Armenian descent
• Autonomous Bulgarian Orthodox Church established
  in Ohrid (free from Greek patriarch) and the
  capital of the Western Bulgarian Kingdom under
  Samuil

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Ottoman Rule

• Turks began rule in 1394 which continued until
  1912
• Change in Demographics and religion
• Incursion of Ottoman army caused many Slavs to
  flee Ottomans settled Turks, Albanians, and
  Ladino Jews in place of Slavs
• Albanians used as landlords and administrators
  part of origin of modern hostility between
  Macedonians and Albanians
• Macedonian (Bulgarian) Orthodox Church placed
  under Greek patriarch and Hellenization

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1800s

• Some Balkan countries gain autonomy or
  independence, but not Macedonia
• After Russo-Turkish War (1878), Treaty of San
  Stefano gave most of Macedonia to Bulgaria
• Great Powers disagreed with this decision and
  Macedonia was given back to Turks by Congress of
  Berlin
• During late 1800s Bulgaria, Greece, and Serbia
  try to gain influence in Macedonia through
  schools, religion, and language. Leads to what
  is called the Macedonian Question

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Balkan Wars 1912-1913

• First Balkan War Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro,
  and Serbia fight Ottomans for Balkan areas
  remaining under Turkish rule and succeed in their
  effort
• Second Balkan War Former allies fight over the
  gained territory Serbia gets Vardar (Modern)
  Macedonia, Greece gets Aegean Macedonia, and
  Bulgaria left with small Pirin area

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World War II

• Bulgaria for the third time since First Balkan
  War gains control almost all of Macedonia by
  joining the Germans and kicked out again after
  their side loses again.
• Josip Tito, attracted many Macedonians with
  promises of reuniting the three areas of
  Macedonia after the war never accomplished but
  Communists continue to fight to regain Aegean and
  Perin Macedonia until defeated in 1950

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Yugoslavia 1944-1990

• Tito failed to unite regions of Macedonia, but
• Created a Macedonian republic in the Vardar
  Macedonia region
• First to recognize Macedonians as a distinct
  ethnic and political entity standard language
  adopted history of area reinterpreted, and
  autonomous Macedonian Orthodox Church was
  established in 1958
• Encouragement of Macedonian Nationalism as a tool
  against the Bulgarians and Greeks claims on the
  territory
• Poured money into the area for educational and
  economic advancement

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Independence

• In 1990 Communism collapsed in Yugoslavia
• Sept. 8, 1991, Yugoslav Macedonia held a
  referendum in which 95 voted for independence
  (Serbian and Albanian minorities boycotted the
  referendum) seceded in November
• New country led by Kiro Gligorov (1991-1999)
• Power divided between the Macedonian majority
  party the Internal Macedonian Revolutionary
  Organization and the Ethnic Albanian-Democratic
  Party for Macedonia (VMRO-DPMNE) and Democratic
  Party of Albanians (DPA)
• Greatest challenge to the new state
  has been the
  transition and
  stabilization of its economy,
  gaining
  recognition from its
  neighbors, and ethnic conflicts

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The Modern Question

• Greece is upset because of the use of the name
  Macedonia, several clauses in its constitution,
  and because of its flag thought the new govt
  had irredentist ambitions on Greek Aegean
  Macedonian province
• August 1991 Greece closed its border to Macedonia
  and imposed an oil embargo, which crippled the
  Macedonian economy

Old Flag
Current Flag
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Recognition by EU and UN

• Macedonia changed several clauses in its
  constitution on Dec. 26 to fit EUs criteria for
  recognition no territorial claims on other
  countries and renounced meddling in other
  countries affairs
• On Jan. 15 Germany recognized Slovenia and
  Croatia, but not Macedonia or Bosnia
• Why? Internal tensions w/ ethnic Albanians high
  and Greece had blocked recognition of Macedonia
  because Macedonians govt wouldnt change name
  and flag

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Recognition contd.

• Dec. 10, 1992 Greek demonstration in Athens
  against recognition of Macedonia, million people
  participated
• Dec. 11 UN Security Council sent a peacekeeping
  force to Macedonia, fearing the spread of Balkan
  War
• April 8, 1993 Macedonia was admitted to UN
  against the wishes of Greece and Yugoslavia, but
  had to use the provisional name The Former
  Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia EU also extended
  recognition 300 American and 150 Canadian troops
  protected the borders
• Decision on name still pending.

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Macedonian Protests
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Propaganda From Both Sides

• Both sides of the Question began a propaganda
  campaign
• Greeks have picked up where they left off in the
  19th c.
• Macedonians Slavs defending their distinct
  ethnicity and history
• Historians of Ancient Greece have also picked up
  the unsolvable question of who are the
  Macedonians? answer still in limbo.

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Hellenized Macedonian History
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The Macedonian Viewpoint
Pirin
Vardar
Aegean

• Macedonia before and after the partitions of the
  Balkan Wars

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Macedonian-Albanian Conflict
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Origins Of The Conflict

• Hostilities going back to Ottoman Empire, when
  Albanian Muslims were the overlords
• Ethnic Albanian minority calling for a greater
  rights
• Some call for secession of Albanian majority
  areas
• Possibility of Macedonias leaders starting
  conflict to hide theft of state-owned enterprises
  and assets

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The Conflict

• Feb. 2001 armed ethnic Albanians took Tetovo
  said they were members of the National Liberation
  Army (NLA) said they wanted more political and
  economic rights govt said they were trying to
  divide the country along ethnic lines
• Struggle between NLA and govt lasted for seven
  months 200 killed, 180 000 displaced
• US and Europe sent diplomats who helped forge a
  peace agreement at Ohrid on August 13

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National Liberation Army

• Many of core members were part of the disbanded
  Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA)
• Searching for Greater Albania (Kosovo) led by
  Ali Ahmeti
• Also sought to get rid of the corrupt DPA

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NLA/ANA Propaganda

• Population stats according to ANA
• -8 mill. Albanians and 800,000
  Macedonian Slavs
• -actual world-wide of Albanians 5 mill.
• ROM census and CIA
• -2 mill. Citizens
• 66.6 (1,378,687) Macedonians
• 22.7 (478,967) Albanians

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A Tentative Peace

• Sept. 24, 2001 Framework Agreement ratified in
  Ohrid removed distinction of Macedonians as
  countrys constituent nation from constitutions
  preamble
• Ohrid Agreement, adopted by ROMs legislature
  Nov.16, 2001 provided for equal representation
  of minorities in administration, language rights,
  strengthening of local govt, reintegration of
  territory captured by NLA, return of refugees,
  and an internationally supervised census
• Slow in being implemented by there are some signs
  of hope

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2003

• European Union is taking over for NATO
  Peacekeeping forces by the end of April
• 320 troops, if successful in Macedonia, will take
  over in Bosnia next year

Small protest in Skopje
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