Macedonia, as a country located in the central part of the Balkans – a place where identity
and language issues and conflicts are very common, with its specific internal ethnic
composed population, has developed a unique model of a language policy. Starting with the
definition of the concept of language policy, this short paper aims to inform about the model
of the language policy in Macedonia and its characteristics and at the same time to expose
its impacts thus far. In briefly informing briefly about the languages and linguistic groups of
Macedonia, the paper starts with a historical overview of development of the language
policies in Macedonia from the mid 19th century, through the socialist period, and the
process of independence until the constitutional changes according to the Ohrid Framework
Agreement of 2001. In its central part, the paper comprehensively outlines and shows the
characteristics of the current language policy of Macedonia developed and designed
according to the amendments of the Ohrid Framework Agreement. The model of language
policy is described on a legal, institutional and practical level, namely by examples and data
about the usage of the minority languages on certain levels and areas such as central
government, local-self government, education system and public sphere of life as well as
the supportive policies for the Macedonian language. In describing the situation, the paper
concludes with an opinion about the impact and consequences of the model of the language
policy of Macedonia.