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 Should not be confused with fruit salad

North Macedonia ​((mk)Северна Македонија (sq)Maqedonia e Veriu)
Ohrid lake
Flag
Information
Capital city	Skopje
Area	25 700 km²
Population	2 100 000 hab.
Density	81,71 inhab./km²
Form of State	parliamentary republic
Official languages	Macedonian, Albanian
Change	denar (MKD)
Electricity	230 V/50 Hz, European plug
Telephone prefix	389
Internet suffix	.mk
Flow direction	Right-hand drive
Spindle	UTC 1
Location
41 ° 39 ′ 0 ″ N 21 ° 43 ′ 0 ″ E
Official site
edit

The North Macedonia, in long form Republic of North Macedonia is a country in the region of Balkans in Europe.

The majority of the population is of Macedonian and Orthodox Christian descent, but there is also a sizable Albanian Muslim minority. One can expect a wonderful mix of architectural and ethnic heritage. The country represents the Balkans in the truest sense of the word, made up of a fascinating mix of Macedonian, Albanian, Turkish and Mediterranean influences.

Understand

Weather

North Macedonia experiences hot, dry summers and autumns, as well as relatively cold winters with snowfall.

Geography

North Macedonia is a mountainous territory marked by deep basins and valleys. There are three large lakes, all crossed by the Greek or Albanian border. The Vardar River crosses the country from north to south.

North Macedonia is blessed with outstanding natural beauty. Do not miss an excursion to one of the great lakes, the Pelister Mountains, Shar Planina in the west and the fascinating hills and mountains in the east with its rice fields.

Regions

Cities

• 41.98333321.4333331 Skopje (Скопје)  – the capital and largest city (last update August 2019)
• 41.11694420.8019442 Ohrid (Охрид)  – Holiday resort by a lake and site of the Unesco World Heritage, it is considered the jewel of North Macedonia (last update August 2019)
• 41.03194421.3347223 Bitola (Битола)  – The most "European" city in North Macedonia, with an ancient city, Ottoman monuments, a charming shopping promenade, vibrant nightlife and more (last update August 2019)
• 42.07864722.1783174 Kratovo (Кратово)  – A picturesque town located in an extinct volcano crater (last update August 2019)
• 41.36788721.2495865 Kruševo (Крушево)  – A city-museum nestled in the mountains of southwestern North West Macedonia; it is one of the most historically important destinations in the country, as it was the scene of a revolt against the Ottoman Empire (last update August 2019)
• 41.34580621.5545536 Prilep (Прилеп)  – Tobacco fields, medieval monasteries and strange rocks (last update August 2019)
• 41.437522.6430567 Strumica (Струмица)  – One of the highest concentrations of historic sites in North Eastern Macedonia (last update August 2019)
• 41.71580321.7844738 Veles (Велес)  – In the center of the country, a dense city on the hills on both sides of the Vardar river (last update August 2019)

Other destinations

• 40.98121.1911 Pelister National Park (Национален парк Пелистер) (in the south-west of Macedonia, at the gates of Bitola) – 171 km², includes Pelister Peak (2 601 m) (last update August 2019)
• 40.941720.80642 Galichitsa national park (Национален парк Галичица) (in southwestern Macedonia, between lakes Ohrid and Prespa) – 227 km² (last update August 2019)
• 41.720.6666673 Mavrovo National Park (Национален парк Маврово) (in the north-west of Macedonia, in the municipality of Mavrovo and Rostoucha) – 730 km² (last update August 2019)

To go

Formalities

By plane

The two international airports of the country are those of SKP Skopje Alexander the Great and of OHD Ohrid Saint Paul the Apostle

By train

By car

Driving licenses from European states as well as the international green insurance card for your vehicle are recognized in Macedonia.

Circulate

By plane

By train

Trains are very inexpensive in Macedonia, it is possible to take the same train that goes to Thessaloniki to visit the hundreds of small villages surrounding Skopje.

By car

Road signs comply with international standards except that prescription and danger signs are on a yellow background, highway signs are green and blue on ordinary roads. The Latin and Cyrillic alphabets are simultaneously used in the indication of cities.

The road and motorway network is in good condition but the dirt roads are only passable by all-terrain vehicles. Be wary of the conduct of the natives where the bans on overtaking as well as priority regimes are only rarely respected, despite a reinforced police presence in recent years.

A motorway named M-1 /E75 crosses the territory and two branches serve the capital, the main road is subject to toll and the prices in dinars are displayed on a panel (by class of vehicle ...) at the entrance of each lane. Service areas with fuel distribution 24 h/24 h along with a restaurant and a motel are located, a few shelters line the road but these are only intended for the shortest stops. Beware of the absence of an emergency lane on certain sections.

Petrol stations are well distributed throughout the road network, diesel as well as "unleaded" 95 and 98 are the most commonly distributed in Macedonia.

In the event of an accident, even a trivial one, do not move the vehicles before the arrival of the police who are responsible for drawing up the report. There is no road rescue service in Macedonia, so it is advisable to have the contact details of the embassy in your home country in case of a serious problem.

It is best not to drive at night.

Speed ​​limits:

• Highway: 120 km / h (80 km / h with trailer ...)
• Expressway : 100 km / h
• Route: 80 km / h
• City : 60 km / h (sometimes decreased to 50 km / h for vehicles with trailers ...)

The authorized blood alcohol level is 0.5 g / l of blood.

International car rental brands are present in the territory.

By taxi

In Skopje, although you can walk almost everywhere, taxis are very inexpensive and super convenient once in a while. The most recommendable company is Nase taxi (which means our taxi in Macedonian), they are usually honest, provide a receipt on request and their meters are still working. On the other hand, you need to know a little where you want to go since the drivers often do not know where the streets or lesser known attractions are.

Speak

The official language is Macedonian. It is a language belonging to the South Slavic group. It is written only in Cyrillic script, a writing invented in the IX^e century, in Ohrid, (R. of Macedonia) by Saint Clement, one of the disciples of the Saints Cyril and Method.

The Macedonian alphabet is made up of thirty-one letters, and pronunciation and writing are relatively straightforward since it is a phonetic language.

The Macedonian lexicon is close to Serbian and Bulgarian.

Specificities of the Macedonian language:

-disappearance of the declension in contact with other neighboring non-Slavic languages

- doubling of the object complement

-three types of defined article

-loss of the infinitive (replaced by the verb preposition structure)

-the letter „ѕ“ (which exists only in Macedonian)

About 2 million speakers speak Macedonian in Macedonia and many speak it outside the borders (the large diaspora in Australia, Canada).

Several ethnic communities coexist in Macedonia (Albanians, Turks, Aromanians, Serbs) and they can use their own languages, as cultural and linguistic diversity, as well as tolerance, are recognized as a social value.

Here are a few words from everyday life:

Здраво [zdravo] - Hi

Како се викаш [kako sƐ vikaʃ] - What's your name?

Добро утро [dobro utro] - Hello (in the morning)

Добар ден [dobar dƐn] - Hello

Добра вечер [dobra vƐtʃ Ɛr] - Good evening

Повелете [povƐlƐtƐ] - Please

Благодарам [blagodaram] - Thank you

Довидување [doviduvaɲƐ] - Goodbye

Buy

The currency of Macedonia is the Macedonian denar (MKD)

Eat

Macedonian cuisine, traditional from the Balkans, is similar to that found in Greece and Turkey, with influences from other European and Eastern countries as well. On the restaurant menus, there is indeed a wide choice of pizzas, pastas, risottos, meats and traditional Macedonian dishes.

Macedonia produces many fruits and vegetables, which are found on our plates and which are generally delicious. Here, they grow without pesticides (or almost), and we rediscover the true taste of tomatoes and cucumbers! In summer, we eat a lot of watermelons, melons, apricots and peaches.

Choose freshwater fish freshly caught from Macedonian lakes and rivers, delicious.

A brief overview of Macedonian cuisine

• The engraved tavče  – it is the national dish in Macedonia. This is a bean gratin flavored with onions and paprika. You can sometimes find meat there, like a cassoulet. This comfort food is served in a traditional terracotta oval dish. (last update March 2018)
• Turli tava  – Similar to tavče gravče, we find turli tava, an eggplant gratin with potatoes, meat and rice. It is also cooked in a traditional oval dish (last update March 2018)
• Polneti piperki  – They are peppers stuffed with rice, tomatoes and meat and flavored with onions, paprika, herbs… Macedonian restaurants also offer sarmas, that is, vine or cabbage leaves stuffed in the same way as peppers. (last update August 2018)

• Sarma  – it is a well-known dish in the Balkans. It is made with minced meat rolled in cabbage leaves or grape leaves. (last update March 2018)
• Selsko meso  – "Village meat," since that's what the name means in Macedonian, is another gratin cooked in an earthenware dish. This time it's pork or smoked beef with tomatoes, onions and mushrooms. (last update March 2018)
• Meat  – One of the most common dishes is grilled meat (skara), in the form of skewers in particular. There are also sausages in different regions. (last update August 2018)

• Pastrmajlija  – It’s like an elongated pita covered with meat. Depending on the recipe, it can be pork, chicken, or a mixture of several meats, sometimes with eggs. (last update March 2018)
• Gjomleze  – A kind of pancake that comes from the Lake Ohrid region is one of the national symbols of Macedonian cuisine. It is prepared in a “Vrshnik” (special oven). Gjomleze is made from a mixture of salt, water and flour. (last update August 2018)
• Burek  – Burek is a very common dish throughout the Balkans. It is a savory pastry made with filo leaves and filled with feta cheese, spinach or even minced meat. You can also try the zelnik, a kind of cabbage burek, also with leeks, cheese and egg. (last update March 2018)
• Trout  – The best known is Ohrid's, which is eaten in the southwest of the country, grilled or fried, accompanied by vegetables. (last update August 2018)

Condiments and accompaniment

• Ajvar and pindžur  – These two condiments are very common in Macedonia and they are served with salads and hot dishes. They often accompany aperitifs, spread on toast and accompanied by olives or feta cheese. Ajvar is made with roasted peppers, garlic and paprika, while pindžur is made with chili, eggplant, olive oil and onions. (last update March 2018)
• Shopska salata  – This salad is very easy to prepare, but it offers unexpected flavors, between salty, sour and bitter. It's made with tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onions covered in olive oil and grated feta cheese. (last update March 2018)

We eat a lot of salads in Macedonia, with raw vegetables often served as a starter (carrots and grated cabbage, tomatoes, cucumbers).

Desserts

There are typical Balkan pastries, such as the baklava or the halva, of Ottoman origin. On the Popova Kula side, we taste theblack halva, very sweet and compact, based on peanuts (produced in Macedonia). Do not hesitate to fall for the lokoums.

Have a drink / Go out

Skopsko "Скопско" is a good quality local beer that costs around 1,5 € (~ 1.66 Fr. - price of 04/27/2021) (~ C $ 2.25 - class on 04/27/2021) (~ $ 1.81 - class on 04/27/2021) (~ 983.41 F CFA - price of 04/27/2021)

Rakija is a grape-based brandy, which is drunk as an aperitif. It is considered the national drink of Macedonia.

Bar prices can be quite hit and miss. You should not always trust the appearances of establishments. There are also many breweries that offer surprisingly good beer, such as Skopje, Prilep and Bitola breweries. The most famous beers are: Skopsko, Krali Marko, Zlaten dab. There is a beer festival that takes place every year in July in the town of Prilep. Many tourists visit the city during this festival, to taste good quality beers.

Macedonians are proud of the largest winery in the Balkan region: the Tikveš (Tikvech) winery in Kavadartzi.

Red wines are generally better than whites. Try the "T'ga za Jug" (which means nostalgia for the south), made from a local grape variety called Vranec. Local white wines include Traminec and Temjanika.

The other best-known wineries are: Povardarie-Negotino with its Traminec, Riezling, Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc wines, as well as its red wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot, etc.

The most famous wines from the cellar Popova Kula are: Vranec Victory, Aristocrate, Perfect Choice, Rezerva, Stanusina, Classic, Demir Kapija.

Note: businesses cannot legally sell alcohol after 19 h 00 (off season, in winter) or 21 h 00 (high season, in summer). This ban includes spirits, wine and beer. It also applies to supermarkets. It is possible to buy a few cans of beer (wrapped in a brown paper bag) at smaller stores after curfew, but if you want to get alcoholic drinks, it is best to buy some before 19 h 00.

Housing

Several small Hostels are blooming at Skopje as well as Ohrid.

Learn

If you want to learn Macedonian, a very good school: L'INALCO in Paris, institute of oriental languages ​​... I recommend a very practical guide: EASTERN EUROPE from Lonely Planet, a chapter on Macedonian, very well done.

French Macedonian Dictionary: Popovski Alexa and Petar Atanasov, edition: Prosvetno Delo, Skopje 1999

To work

security

Advice on arrival at the airport.If you are staying at the hotel, ask your hotel to send you a taxi (service that your hotel can provide, approximately 15 € (~ 16.58 Fr. - price of 04/27/2021) (~ C $ 22.46 - class on 04/27/2021) (~ $ 18.11 - class on 04/27/2021) (~ 9 834.09 F CFA - price of 04/27/2021)) Be careful if you take a taxi when leaving the airport, dozens of very un-reassuring taximans are waiting for you ... If you choose one of theirs, make sure that the driver puts the meter correctly, and be sure to go behind as in Europe, if the driver asks you to pass in front, refuse !!! The ride from the airport to the center must cost you around 15 to 20 € (~ 22.1 Fr. - course of 04/27/2021) (~ C $ 29.95 - class on 04/27/2021) (~ $ 24.15 - class on 04/27/2021) (~ 13,112.12 F CFA - price of 04/27/2021) no more.

Refuse any digression from the driver, like, "I'm going to show you around this, or else, we just take a little detour, this monument is exceptional ... It is a trap-boob !!! He will ask you for it! money.

Government travel advice

• Belgium (Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation)  (last updated Apr 2018)
• Canada (Government of Canada)  (last updated Apr 2018)
• France (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)  (last updated Apr 2018)
• Swiss (Federal Department of Foreign Affairs)  (last updated Jan 2016)

Respect

Never use the official Macedonian name F.Y.R.O.M (Former Yugoslavian Republic Of Macedonia) or A.R.Y.M (Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia)! name of Macedonia.

Communicate