The Republic of Macedonia is a small country, covering the area of 25 713 sq km, situated in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula.It is a natural bridge between East and West, North and South.
The Republic of Macedonia abounds in natural beauties and rarities. Many have named it “the pearl of the Balkans”. The numerous mountains, forests, rivers and lakes all present a great tourist attraction.
Its cultural map is exceptionally rich and varied. The cultural heritage is testified by valuable archaeological sites, large number of churches and monasteries with their icons, frescoes and woodcarvings.
Several international cultural events and festivals are held each year, such as the Ohrid Summer Festival in July and August, the Balkan Folklore Festival in July, as well as the Struga Poetry Evenings in August.
Macedonian national folklore and traditional arts and crafts are still cherished, most prominent among which is the spectacular Galicnik Wedding. The old town and village architecture is still attractive for tourists. A biblical country, one cannot possibly write about Macedonia's history only in a couple of lines. This is why all are welcome to Macedonia to explore its history. Not only that, but Macedonia is also a modern country with a modern way of living. So, one can have it all: knowledge, fun, sightseeing, visiting historical places, and enjoying the wonderful nature.
Time Zone: CET (Central European Time), GMT +01:00
Population: ca. 2.000.000 inhabitants: Macedonians, Albanians, Turks, Serbians, etc...
Capital: Skopje, 700.000 citizens
Other bigger cities: Bitola, Prilep, Kumanovo, Ohrid, Stip, Tetovo, Veles.
Languages: The official language is Macedonian. An Indo-European language, from the Slavic language family, it belongs to the South Slavic group.
Official alphabet is the Cyrilic. The phonetic principle is applied in the orthography, which means that each sound has corresponding letter, thus the Macedonian alphabet has 31 letters.
Other spoken languages: Albanian, Turkish, Serbian, Vlach, English.
Visa
If you are a citizen of one of these countries, no visa is required for you (for a period of 3 months): Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Italy, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Hungary, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Turkey, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, United Kingdom.
The citizens of the following countries can obtain the visa at our embassies in their respective countries or in the nearest country where we have one: Brazil, Canada, Thailand, Egypt, Estonia, Tunisia, Japan, Jordan, Greece, Russia, Syria, Slovenia, and the USA.
For more information regarding visa matters visit the web site of the Macedonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: www.mfa.gov.mk
Useful phones:
Police: 192
Fire service: 193
First Aid: 194
Information: 198
