Macedonia: At the Crossroads of History, Culture, and Identity

Macedonia is located at the center of the Southern Balkans, the northern part of ancient Hellas (Greece), west of Thrace, and east of Illyria. It is one of the oldest names in Europe still in use today. The people of Macedonia have a distinct linguistic, ethnic, and cultural identity that sets them apart from neighboring nations.

Independence and Modern Statehood

As federal Yugoslavia began disintegrating in the early 1990s, Macedonia took a historic step toward sovereignty. On September 8, 1991, in a national referendum, over 95% of eligible voters approved independence and the formation of a sovereign Republic of Macedonia.

Kiro Gligorov was elected the first president of independent Macedonia. The newly adopted constitution declared Macedonia a sovereign, independent, civil, and democratic state, recognizing the full equality of Macedonians and ethnic minorities. It affirmed:

Macedonia is constituted as a national country of the Macedonian people which guarantees complete civil equality and permanent mutual living of the Macedonian people with the Albanians, Turks, Vlachs, Roma, and the other nationalities living in the Republic of Macedonia.

International Recognition and Diplomatic Challenges

Although the European Community (EC) acknowledged Macedonia met all criteria for recognition, Greece—already an EC member—objected. Fearing potential claims over Aegean Macedonia and disputes over the name and flag, Greece opposed the recognition.

In July 1992, 100,000 Macedonians protested in Skopje over the delay in international recognition. Despite opposition, Macedonia was admitted to the United Nations in 1993 under the temporary name: “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM)”.

Soon after, countries like Russia, China, Turkey, and Bulgaria recognized Macedonia under its constitutional name, “Republic of Macedonia,” bypassing Greece’s objections.

In 2019, after a long-standing dispute with Greece, the country officially changed its name to the Republic of North Macedonia following the Prespa Agreement signed in June 2018. This agreement resolved the name dispute between the two countries, which had been a major diplomatic issue for decades.

The change to North Macedonia was part of the compromise that allowed the country to join NATO and move closer to European Union membership. The agreement was ratified by both the Macedonian parliament and Greece, leading to the official name change

A Timeline Through Macedonian History

• WWII Era: Yugoslavia granted Macedonia the federal status of the “People’s Republic of Macedonia.”

• Post-WWI: Macedonian Slavs in Serbia were labeled southern Serbs, adopting a dialect similar to Serbian.

• 1912–1914: During the First Balkan War, Macedonia was conquered by Serbia.

• Ottoman Rule: Macedonia was under the Ottoman Empire for approximately 500 years.

• 13th–14th Century: Byzantine rule ended, succeeded by Serbian and Bulgarian rule.

• 10th Century: Macedonia became the political and cultural center of the First Bulgarian Empire under Tsar Samuil.

• 7th Century: Justinian II captured and relocated 110,100 Macedonian Slavs to Asia Minor, enforcing Byzantine authority.

• Ancient Times: Once part of Paeonia, the region was conquered in 336 BC by Philip II of Macedon, including parts of Upper Macedonia and Paeonia. His son, Alexander the Great, expanded the empire further, north to the Danube.