The Republic of Macedonia has well developed infrastructure with road and railway links running north-south, connecting Serbia and Greece, and construction improving the east-west corridor, connecting Albania and Bulgaria. The backbone of the country’s road network consists of the two Pan-European corridors VIII and X. It has two international airports, Skopje and Ohrid.

Macedonia’s modern digital telecommunication network is the most liberalised in the region and it has a good supply of low-costgrid electricity.

Macedonia’s mining sector is a significant contributor to its GDP, with new improved laws attracting more companies to operate in the country. The country has a number of operating mines, as well as exploration projects, including Ilovica and the Bucim mine. KPMG recently stated that the mining sector was essential in Macedonia as it is a significant contributor to the economy.

In the December 2016 election, the centre-right VMRO-DPMNE party, which had governed since 2006, won a majority but it failed to secure the required 62 seats for a majority and to form a government. Five months after elections took place, a new government in The Republic of Macedonia was announced in May 2017, led by Zoran Zaev of the centre-left Social Democrats. Zaev vowed to step up economic reforms and pledged to speed up the country’s bid to join the EU and NATO. In August 2017, Bulgaria and the Republic of Macedoniasigned a bilateral treaty, removing some obstacles to Skopje’s bid to join both organisations.

FACTS ABOUT MACEDONIA

1. The Republic of Macedoniais ranked 10th out of 190 countries (5th in Europe) for “Ease of doing business” in the World Bank’s 2017 “Doing Business” report
2. Macedonia was the first country in world to have full access to wireless broadband.
3. Corporate and income tax in Macedonia is 10%.
4. The country is a member of the UN
5. The Republic of Macedoniais a candidate for accession to the EU.
6. The Republic of Macedoniabecame independent from Yugoslavia peacefully in 1991.
7. The Cyrillic alphabet, official in The Republic of Macedonia, is based on the alphabet developed in the 9th century by two Macedonian brothers, St. Cyril (thus – Cyrillic) and St. Methodius. It was taught by their disciples at a monastery in Ohrid, from where it spread across the eastern Slavic world.
8. Mother Theresa of Calcutta was born in Skopje.
9. Alexander the Great, who was king of the former Kingdom of Macedonia, was the first conqueror who extended his empire across Greece and Persia to India and Egypt. During his time, the Kingdom of Macedonia was the most powerful state in the world; but after his death, the empire fell apart and it became the first Roman province in 146 BC.