cavolin: Republic of Macedonia

Macedonia is a country in the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. It shares borders with Serbia to the north, Albania to the west, Greece and Bulgaria to the south east. Skopje is the capital with over 600,000 inhabitants. It has several smaller towns like Bitola, Prilep, Tetovo, Kumanovo, Ohrid, Veles, Stip and Strumica. Republic of Macedonia is a country often referred as a country of lakes and mountains.

There are more than 50 natural and artificial lakes and sixteen mountain ranges with a height of over 2000 meters. The country is a member of the United Nations, Council of Europe, an associate member of La Francophonie, World Trade Organization, the OSCE, a candidate for EU membership, and a NATO member.

Macedonia has transitional climate from the Mediterranean to the mainland. Summers are hot and dry and winters are mild. Annual average rainfall varies from 1700 mm in mountainous areas of west and 500 mm in the east. The country has three main climate zones: temperate Mediterranean, mountainous and temperate continental. Along the Vardar and Strumica river valleys, regions Gevgelija Valandovo, Dojran, Strumica and Radovis, the climate is temperate Mediterranean.

The warmest areas are Kapija Demir and Gevgelija, where temperatures in July and August often exceed 40 degrees. Mountainous climate is present in the mountainous regions of the country, characterized by long and snowy winters and short and cool summers. Spring is colder than autumn. For the most part, Macedonia has a temperate continental climate with hot, dry summers and cold winters and wet. There are 30 main meteorological stations in the country.

From the phyto-geographical point of view, Macedonia is a part of the Illyrian Circumboreale Region within the Boreal Kingdom. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature and Digital Map of European Ecological Regions, conducted by the European Environment Agency, the Republic can be divided into four eco-regions: the Pindus Mountains – mixed forests, Balkan – mixed forests, Rodopes – Aegean mixed forests – mixed foresta and sclerophyllous.

Republic of Macedonia has a rich cultural heritage in terms of art, architecture, poetry and music. It has many ancient religious sites which are protected by law. It has annual festivals of poetry, cinema and music. Macedonian music styles developed under the influence of Byzantine religious music. Macedonia is one of the world’s best-preserved Byzantine frescoes, particularly during XI-XVI centuries.

They kept a few thousand square meters of frescoes, generally in good condition. They are masterpieces of the Macedonian School of ecclesiastical painting. In Macedonia there is a fusion of the past with the present. Its old architecture and monasteries creates an interesting contrast with the new architecture, super-modern. Most of the Macedonian monasteries, built in different periods, especially during the XI-XVI centuries were preserved intact until today.

Macedonian collection of icons, especially those of Ohrid, is among the most valuable in the world. After the Sinai and the one at Moscow, is the third in importance in the Orthodox world. From the point of view of scientists it is unique. The country’s most important cultural events are the Ohrid Summer Festival, classical music and drama, the Struga poetry evenings, bringing together poets from over 50 countries worldwide, the Opera Evenings Skopje in May International Festival of Luggage in Bitola, Youth Theatre outdoor Jazz Festival in Skopje and others.