Macedonia is waiting for YOU!

Dear Exchange Participant:

On behalf of AIESEC in Macedonia, We are glad to have you looking for a life changing experience in our country.

As AIESECers we want you to explore and live this experience the best way and we will do our best to help you enjoy it providing high quality internships and Impactful life stories for you to remember this exchange as one of the best times of your life.

Kind Regards,

AIESEC In Macedonia

Useful Information

General Information

Macedonia, officially the Republic of Macedonia, is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991. It became a member of the United Nations in 1993 but, as a result of a dispute with Greece over its name, it was admitted under the provisional reference of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, sometimes abbreviated as FYROM.���

A landlocked country, the Republic of Macedonia is bordered by Kosovo to the northwest, Serbia to the north, Bulgaria to the east, Greece to the south and Albania to the west. It constitutes approximately the northwestern half of the larger geographical region of Macedonia, which also comprises parts of Greece and Bulgaria. ���

The country's capital is Skopje, other cities include Bitola, Kumanovo, Prilep, Tetovo, Ohrid, Veles, Štip, Kočani, Gostivar, Kavadarci and Strumica. It has more than 50 lakes and sixteen mountains higher than 2,000 m (6,562 ft).���

Geography Macedonia has a total area of 25,713 km2 (9,928 sq mi). It lies between latitudes 40° and 43° N, and mostly between longitudes 20° and 23° E (a small area lies east of 23°). Macedonia has some 748 km (465 mi) of boundaries, shared with Serbia (62 km or 39 mi) to the North, Kosovo (159 km or 99 mi) to the northwest, Bulgaria (148 km or 92 mi) to the east, Greece (228 km or 142 mi) to the south, and Albania (151 km or 94 mi) to the west. ���

Climate Macedonia has a transitional climate from Mediterranean to continental. The summers are hot and dry and the winters are moderately cold. ���

There are three main climatic zones in the country: temperate Mediterranean, mountainous and mildly Continental. Along the valleys of the Vardar and Strumica rivers, in the regions of Gevgelija, Valandovo, Dojran, Strumica and Radoviš the cl imate is temperate Mediterranean. The warmest regions are Demir Kapija and Gevgelija, where the temperature in July and August frequently exceeds 40 °C (104 °F). The mountainous climate is present in the mountainous regions of the country and it is characterized by long and snowy winters and short and cold summers. The spring is colder than the fall. The majority of Macedonia has a moderate continental climate with warm and dry summers and relatively cold and wet winters. ���

Language The official and most widely spoken language is Macedonian, which belongs to the Eastern branch of the South Slavic language group. ���

Macedonian is closely related to and mutually intelligible with Standard Bulgarian. It also has some similarities with standard Serbian and the intermediate Torlakian and Shop dialects spoken mostly in southern Serbia and western Bulgaria (and by speakers in the north and east of Macedonia).���

A wide variety of languages are spoken in Macedonia, reflecting its ethnic diversity. Besides the official national language, Macedonian, minority languages with substantial numbers of speakers are: Albanian, Romani, Turkish (including Balkan Gagauz), Serbian/Bosnian and Aromanian (including Megleno-Romanian).���

Demography The last census data from 2002 shows a population of 2,022,547 inhabitants. The last official estimate from 2009, without significant change, gives a figure of 2,050,671. According to the last census data the largest ethnic group in the country are the Macedonians. The second largest group are the Albanians who dominated much of the northwestern part of the country. Some unofficial estimates indicate that in the Republic of Macedonia there are possibly up to 260,000 Roma.���

Religion Orthodox Christianity is the majority faith of the Republic of Macedonia making up 64.7% of the population, the vast majority of which belong to the Macedonian Orthodox Church. Various other Christian denominations account for 0.37% of the population. Muslims comprise 33.3% of the population; Macedonia has the fourth-highest proportion of Muslims in Europe.���

Altogether, there are 1,842 churches and 580 mosques in the country. The Orthodox and Islamic religious communities have secondary religion schools in Skopje. There is an Orthodox theological college in the capital. The Macedonian Orthodox Church has jurisdiction over 10 provinces (seven in the country and three abroad), has 10 bishops and about 350 priests. A total of 30,000 people are baptized in all the provinces every year.���

Electricity

Electricity in Macedonia is 230 Volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second. If you travel to Macedonia with a device that does not accept 230 Volts at 50 Hertz, you will need a voltage converter.���

Outlets in Macedonia generally accept 1 type of plug: Two round pins. If your appliances plug has a different shape, you may need a plug adapter.���

Economy Macedonia is a small economy, it is an open economy, highly integrated into international trade, agriculture and industry had been the two most important sectors of the economy in the past, but the services sector has gained the lead in the last few years.���The denar (MKD) is the currency of the Republic of Macedonia. It is subdivided into 100 deni.���

1 EUR = 62 MKD 1 USD = 51 MKD ���

Approximate cost of activities

Activity��� DEN��� EUR��� USD���

Movie ticket��� 150��� 2.40��� 2.97���

Bus ticket��� 35��� .57��� .69���

Cover at bar��� 120��� 1.92��� 2.37���

Beer at bar��� 70��� 1.12��� 1.38���

Soda in store��� 50��� .80��� .99���

Familiar size pizza��� 120��� 1.92��� 2.37���

Bottle of water��� 20��� .32��� .39���

Transport Airports Skopje –Alexander The Great Airport���Ohrid – St. Paul The Apostle Airport���

Rent-A-Car Hertz Macedonia���ACB Rent a car tours���Alamo & National Car Rental���

Public Transport – Bus Taxi Services Bus stations Train stations ���

Costums Vevcani Carnival���The carnival itself is actually a tradition under masks, which is called Sveti Vasilja (Vasilica). It is held on the 13th and 14th of January each year and is dedicated to St. Vasilius The Great. On that day the arrival of the New (orthodox) Year is awaited and the old year is sent away. This is actually a pagan tradition which is preserved here until today. The participants in it are called "vasilicari". The masks can be traditional or of modern day.���

In these two days, the people of Vevcani enjoy the magic and the mystic of the ceremony. Transformed into another character, through songs and dances they fulfill their wishes which they want in real life-to be happy and joyful.���

Strumica Carnival���The Strumica Carnival is one of the most important custom and tradition of such kind in the Republic, is traditionally held each year within the Trimeri days. The beginning of the fast or the first three days are called "Trimeri" days and they always begin on Sunday Eve of Forgiveness and last until Wednesday, within these days that is to say on Tuesday is the traditional carnival night, when masked groups stroll through the town and got to the homes where there are engaged girls and stay until the early morning hours.���

Galicnik Wedding���Held on 12th July every year and has a century-old tradition. This is an event to commemorate the traditional wedding customs and pay tribute to the Macedonian cultural heritage. The bride and the groom, as well as the wedding guests, are adorned in the beautiful Galicnik folk costumes, famous for being one of the most luxuriously ornamented.���

Tikves Grape Picking���A festival that officially began in 1964. Held to mark the beginning of the wine grape harvest as well as commemorating the liberation of Kavadarci. It takes place over several days (beginning of September) and is one the largest cultural manifestations of its kind in the Tikves region.���

The festival includes folk, pop and rock concerts, traditional dancing, seminars, presentations and exhibitions. This culminates in a carnival procession through the main streets of Kavadarci.���

Ohrid Summer Festival���The festival has been held annually from July 12th to August 20th, since 1961. Is one of the most prestigious international events of its kind. The Festival program has focused on classical music, ballet, opera and theatre. In recent years, the Festival has also opened its doors to alternative works and performances, keeping abreast o f contem ­porary Euro ­pean and international cultural developments. Takes place at the ancient Ohrid theatre.���

Beer Fest���An international beer and grill festival. The festival takes place on the streets of Prilep, usually in the beginning of July. Many renowned beer producers from the Balkans and beyond participate in this event. Sausages and burgers, endless streams of beer, and great music to everyone's taste contribute to the merry atmosphere of this three-day festival.���

Cuisine

Burek

Malidzano Shopska Salad Baklava

Sarma

Turli Tava Bean Bonanza

Tulumba

Tavce Gravce

History The Republic of Macedonia occupies the western half of the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia. Historic Macedonia was defeated by Rome and became a Roman province in 148 B.C. After the Roman Empire was divided in A.D. 395, Macedonia was intermittently ruled by the Byzantine Empire until Turkey took possession of the land in 1371. The Ottoman Turks dominated Macedonia for the next five centuries, until 1913. During the 19th and 20th centuries, there was a constant struggle by the Balkan powers to possess Macedonia for its economic wealth and its strategic military corridors. The Treaty of San Stefano in 1878, ending the Russo-Turkish War, gave the largest part of Macedonia to Bulgaria. Bulgaria lost much of its Macedonian territory when it was defeated by the Greeks and Serbs in the Second Balkan War of 1913. Most of Macedonia went to Serbia and the remainder was divided among Greece and Bulgaria.���

The Yugoslavian Federation���In 1918, Serbia, which included much of Macedonia, joined in union with Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro to form the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, which was renamed Yugoslavia in 1929. Bulgaria joined the Axis powers in World War II and occupied parts of Yugoslavia, including Macedonia, in 1941. During the occupation of their country, Macedonian resistance fighters fought a guerrilla war against the invading troops. The Yugoslavian federation was reestablished after the defeat of Germany in 1945, and in 1946, the government removed the Vardar territory of Macedonia from Serbian control and made it an autonomous Yugoslavian republic. Later, when President Tito recognized the Macedonian people as a separate nation, Macedonia's distinct culture and language were able to flourish, no longer suppressed by foreign rule.���

Establishing Independence���

On Sept. 8, 1991, Macedonia declared its independence from Yugoslavia and asked for recognition from the European Union nations. It became a member of the UN in 1993 under the provisional name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) because Greece vociferously protested Macedonia's right to the name, which is also the name of a large northern province of Greece. To Greece, the use of the name implies Macedonia's interest in territorial expansion into the Greek province. Greece has imposed two trade embargoes against the country as a result.���

Tensions Rise Between Albanians and Macedonians���

Long-simmering tensions between ethnic Albanians and Macedonians reached greater heights during the Kosovo crisis, during which more than 140,000 refugees streamed into the country from neighboring Kosovo. Most of the refugees returned to Kosovo in 2000.���

Violence between Albanians and Macedonians erupted in March 2001, prompting the government to send troops into the heavily Albanian western section of the country. The rebels sought greater autonomy within Macedonia. In Aug. 2001, after six months of fighting, the rebels and the Macedonian government signed a peace agreement that allowed a British-led NATO force to enter the country and disarm the guerrillas. In Nov. 2001, Macedonia's parliament agreed to constitutional amendments giving broader rights to its Albanian minority. Albanian became one of the country's two official languages.���

Touring around Macedonia

Skopje

S k o p j e i s thousands of years old city which bears the b u r d e n o f a t u r b u l e n t history. ���

S k o p j e , t h e capital of the R e p u b l i c o f Macedonia is an i m p o r t a n t , strategic centre in the Balkans because it links the east to the west, the north to the south. It is the seat of the M a c e d o n i a n G o v e r n m e n t and Parliament.���

More Information: http://www.skopjeonline.com.mk/

At the same time it’s a modern capital that offers rich cultural and natural attractions and an outstanding experience of the Balkan life.18���

Ohrid

Struga

One of the most beautiful cities on the Balkan and world wide. Located on the shores of the beautiful Ohrid Lake which will take your breath away with its beauty, once being home to 365 churches, one for every day in the year, city of light, city of history. ���

It has been listed as UNESCO World heritage site since 1980. Archaeological finds indicate that Ohrid is one of the oldest human settlements in all of Europe. Everybody who visited Ohrid loved the city immediately.���

More Information: http://www.ohrid-tourism.com/

Struga has a picturesque beauty, wonderful sighs and many of old monuments, like the clay chamber pots at the house o f the Mi l ad inov Brothers, the old Struga b a z a a r, t h e c e n t u r y o l d churches and mosques. Much of the Struga's meager income is through internal tourism. Struga's location on Lake Ohrid makes it a slightly quieter and more peaceful experience than the more bustling Ohrid.���

More Information: http://travel2macedonia.com.mk/destinations/struga/

Bitola

Prilep

More Information: http://www.bitolatourist.info/

Concealed in the bosom of the Pelister Mountain it waves and whispers its eternal, timeless story. Quietly as it caresses, speaks every single word without disturbing the moment of the eternal existence.���For many centuries created and destroyed, occupied but never really defeated. The times changed, the years and centuries, the millennia passed by, different events laid on top of each other, different people one after the other and yet always close one to the other.���

I s a c i t y i n t h e We s t e r n Macedonia, nicknamed "The city under Marko’s towers" (referring to the fortress). The city is the Macedonian tobacco capital. The population is 76,768 (Prilep municipality). The city was the capital of the medieval kingdom���

of Kings Volkasin and Marko which explains the large number of churches and monasteries in and around the city.���The city is nestled below a bare hill. On the top of the hill, ruins of a medieval fortress stand. All around the city are tobacco fields, and if one visits the city in late summer or fall, one will see tobacco drying everywhere he turns.��� More information:http://travel2macedonia.com.mk/destinations/prilep ���

More Information about

in MACEDONIA

AIESEC Macedonia��� AIESECMacedonia���

www.aiesec.org.mk���

Local Committee Skopje���

AIESEC Skopje��� AIESECskopje���

Local Committee Prilep���

AIESEC Prilep��� AIESECPrilep���