MACEDONIA

Capital: Skopje  |  Population: 2.1 million

Country Overview

Welcome to Macedonia, home to rugged mountains in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula.

Covered in ancient religious sites and architectural wonders, Macedonia has a rich cultural landscape. Its arts scene is alive and vibrant, with classical music, theater, poetry festivals and musical festivals filling its calendar. Rimmed by mountains around a large valley, Macedonia provides a scenic backdrop for citizens and tourists alike.

Macedonia is a parliamentary democracy with a president elected every five years. The official language is Macedonian, a Slavic language close to Bulgarian, but several others are spoken as a reflection of its ethnic diversity.


Daily Life

Both men and women work outside the home in Macedonia, though women generally take on most of the domestic responsibilities. Daily life and traditions vary greatly by a Macedonian’s ethnicity and religion.

The arts make up a great deal of Macedonian daily life – despite its small size, it is host to thirteen professional theater groups.  

Macedonian cuisine has similarities to Greek, with a wealth of fruits, vegetables and herbs. Beef and chicken are common meats, with pork rarely used because of the large Muslim population. Youth and adults alike enjoy cups of Turkish coffee during the day.

Zdravo!

School

Macedonia provides free and compulsory school for students in both primary and secondary school. 

Secondary (high school) school in Macedonia is made up of vocational, classical and art education for students. 


Teenagers

Many Macedonian teens enjoy watching TV, going shopping or to the movies with friends and playing computer games. After school activities and clubs are popular, especially basketball, soccer, dance and martial arts. 

Dating customs can be rather traditional, and most young adults get married, rather than stay single.