The Republic of Macedonia is a country.
Macedonia -LRB- Република Македонија , tr .. Republika Makedonija -RRB- , is a country in the Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe .. Balkan peninsula. Balkans. Southeast Europe. Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia , from which it declared independence in 1991 .. successor states. succession of states. Yugoslavia. Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It became a member of the United Nations in 1993 , but , as a result of an ongoing dispute with Greece over the use of the name `` Macedonia '' , was admitted under the provisional description the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia -LRB- sometimes abbreviated as FYROM and FYR Macedonia -RRB- , a term that is also used by international organizations such as the European Union , the Council of Europe and NATO .. United Nations. United Nations. dispute with Greece. Macedonia naming dispute. European Union. European Union. Council of Europe. Council of Europe. NATO. NATO. Greece. Greece. A landlocked country , the Republic of Macedonia has borders with Kosovo to the northwest , Serbia to the north , Bulgaria to the east , Greece to the south , and Albania to the west .. landlocked country. landlocked country. Kosovo. Kosovo. Serbia. Serbia. Bulgaria. Bulgaria. Greece. Greece. Albania. Albania. It constitutes approximately the northwestern third of the larger geographical region of Macedonia , which also comprises the neighbouring parts of northern Greece and smaller portions of southwestern Bulgaria and southeastern Albania .. Bulgaria. Bulgaria. Greece. Greece. Albania. Albania. region of Macedonia. Macedonia ( region ). The country 's geography is defined primarily by mountains , valleys , and rivers .. The capital and largest city , Skopje , is home to roughly a quarter of the nation 's 2.06 million inhabitants .. Skopje. Skopje. The majority of the residents are ethnic Macedonians , a South Slavic people .. Macedonians. Macedonians ( ethnic group ). South Slavic. South Slavs. Albanians form a significant minority at around 25 percent , followed by Turks , Romani , Serbs , and others .. Romani. Romani people in the Republic of Macedonia. Albanians. Albanians. Turks. Turks in the Republic of Macedonia. Serbs. Serbs in Macedonia. Macedonia 's history dates back to antiquity , beginning with the kingdom of Paeonia , a Thracian polity .. antiquity. Ancient history. kingdom of Paeonia. Paeonia ( kingdom ). Thracian. Thracian. In the late sixth century BCE the area was incorporated into the Persian Achaemenid Empire , then annexed by the Kingdom of Macedonia in the fourth century BCE .. Persian Achaemenid Empire. Persian Achaemenid Empire. Kingdom of Macedonia. Macedonia ( ancient kingdom ). The Romans conquered the region in the second century BCE and made it part of the much larger province of Macedonia .. province of Macedonia. Macedonia ( Roman province ). Macedonia remained part of the Byzantine -LRB- Eastern Roman -RRB- Empire , and was often raided and settled by Slavic peoples beginning in the sixth century CE .. Following centuries of contention between the Bulgarian and Byzantine empires , it gradually came under Ottoman dominion from the 14th century .. centuries of contention. Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars. Ottoman dominion. Ottoman Empire. Between the late 19th and early 20th century , a distinct Macedonian identity emerged , although following the Balkan Wars of 1912 and 1913 , the modern territory of Macedonia came under Serbian rule .. Macedonian. Macedonians ( ethnic group ). Serbian. Serbian language. Macedonian identity. Macedonian nationalism. Balkan Wars. Balkan Wars. In the aftermath of the First World War -LRB- 1914 -- 1918 -RRB- it became incorporated into the Serb-dominated Kingdom of Yugoslavia , which after the Second World War was re-established as a republic -LRB- 1945 -RRB- and which became the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in 1963 .. Yugoslavia. Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. First World War. First World War. Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Second World War. Second World War. Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Macedonia remained a constituent socialist republic within Yugoslavia until its peaceful secession in 1991 .. Yugoslavia. Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. constituent socialist republic. Socialist Republic of Macedonia. Macedonia is a member of the UN and of the Council of Europe .. Council of Europe. Council of Europe. Since 2005 it has also been a candidate for joining the European Union and has applied for NATO membership .. European Union. European Union. NATO. NATO. candidate for joining the European Union. Accession of Macedonia to the European Union. applied for NATO membership. Accession of Macedonia to NATO. Although one of the poorest countries in Europe , Macedonia has made significant progress in developing an open , market based economy .