Macedonia – ethno-historical and geopolitical territory in the central part of the Balkans. The name Macedonia inherited the name of the ancient state of Philip ⅱ and Alexander ⅲ Macedonian. Originally, this name was to a small province in the Thessaloniki field, west of Vardar. On that terrain, the Macedonian state was formed with the capital in the Pella. Historian Herodotus (ⅴ c. BC) states that with Macedonia, the territory between the rivers Vardar and Bistrica is marked. Later, as the Macedonian kingdom spread, the name Macedonia was spread, absorbing the peripheral areas in its only name. Thus, under the name Macedonia, in the old age, there was mainly the space between the mountains Pind and Olympus to the south, Shar Planina in the north, the river places in the east and Albanian mountain chains in the west. For the origin of the name Macedonia, there are more opinions. One think that the name was received by his first mythical king Macedon. This opinion is represented by the geographer Strabon. According to others, the name Macedonia stems from ancient Macedonian words Makos – “large, high, mountain”, and Don – “country”, which in a literal translation would mean a “big, high, mountainous country”. This name Macedonia is marked throughout its history. Macedonia, geographical – mountain-based territory of the Balkan Peninsula. It covers the central part of the peninsula and widely exits the Aegean Sea and the Thessaloniki Bay. In the north is enclosed with Shar Planina, Skopska Crna Gora, Kozjak, Osogovo and Rila, and south with the Bistrica River and the shores of the Aegean Sea to the mouth of the river places. In the West border leads after the bours of the mountains: Korab, Deshat, Krchin, Jablanica, Gramos and Pind, and the east along the river and western slopes of Mount Rhodopi. In these natural and ethnic boundaries, it covers an area of 68,451 km. These Bucharest Peace Accord (1913) This territory was divided among the victorious forces in the Balkan Wars Serbia, Greece and Bulgaria. Most of the territory belonged to Greece 34,411 km or 50.3%, a smaller part of Serbia 26,440 km or 38.6% and the smallest part of Bulgaria 6,798 km or 9.9%, and separate areas were awarded to Albania, as small Prespa, Golo Brdo, part of the mountain, etc., with an area of 802 km or 1.2%. In fact, the Vardar part of Macedonia was occupied by Serbia, the Aegean part of Greece and the Pirin part of Bulgaria. Macedonia has a very favorable geographical position. The central plant of the Balkan Peninsula made it to become a crossroads of important roads and magistrates. Even in Roman times, the famous map of geographical Macedonia passed a transverse magistrate Via Egnatia (Via Epathy), which from Durres through Elbasan, Ohrid and Bitola lead to Thessaloniki and Constantinople. Later, the main international roads connecting Macedonia with the world are built along the valleys of the rivers Vardar and Struma. Thessaloniki, however, has always been the most important port for the whole Macedonian territory. Macedonia is characterized by a very complex relief structure. In her relief, large mountain massifs – Shar Planina (2,747), Pirin Mountain, Osogovo (2,252), Jakupica (2,540), grandmother (2,601), Bistra (2,163), etc. With spacious and closed valleys (Pelagonia, Polog, Skopje valley, Ovce Pole, Strumica valley, SERZA valley, Blagoevgrad valley, etc.). For the flat bottom of the valleys are characteristic alluvial soils and hoops, after their edges of the diluvial land, and the mountains brown soils. The crystalous shale, magmatic and metamorphic rocks, most of which was built the relief of Macedonia, are the bearers of more important minerals, such as lead-zinc ore in the Osogovo massif, the Iron ores of Bistra, the copper ore in Radovish, Chromine ore in the Ljomotene Massif Both Halkidick, etc. In Macedonia, which in the south with a long coast comes to the Aegean Sea, the Mediterranean climate occurs, and from the north through the Vardar-Moravian valley is exposed to the continental climate. The high mountains, however, the mountain climate is ruled. The hydrographic network in Macedonia consists of rivers: Vardar, Struma, Places, Bistrica and Black Drim with its tributaries, as well as lakes – Ohrid, Prespa, Dojran, Kostur, Legadin, Russian, etc. Vegetation in Primorska Macedonia is Mediterranean with the characteristic forests – Maki, and from cultural plants – with the vine and olive. Moreover from the Mediterranean plant area are the deciduous oaks and beech forests, which are arranged Katovski, and above them are highly mountain pastures. The animal world is composed of Mediterranean and Central European Fauna. Lit.: Aleksandar Stojmilov, Physical Geography of the Republic of Macedonia, PMF, Skopje, 2002. Al. ST.
Original article in Macedonian language Cyrillic alphabet
Кириличен напис МАКЕДОНИЈА етно-историска и геополитичка територија во централниот дел на Балканот