The Former Yugoslav Republic (FYR) of Macedonia is a landlocked country in
southeastern Europe with a surface area of 25,713 km2
. The country contains
heterogeneous natural conditions and land structures, with mainly hilly and mountainous
geography. Valleys comprise a relatively small part of the country’s total territory,
roughly one-third, whereas two-thirds are characterized by various sea levels
and exposures.
The Macedonian population has maintained positive natural growth. Currently the
country is inhabited by 2.05 million people. From 2000-2008, the population
grew by 1.12 %; total fertility shows a steady rate of around 1.46/per woman [12].
The largest ethnic group is Macedonians (1.3 million in 2002), followed by Albanians
(0.5 million in 2002). Minorities comprise 10 % of the total population,
mainly Turks (0.08 million), Roma (0.05 million), Serbs (0.04 million), Bosnians
(0.02 million), and Armenian/Vlachs (0.01 million).