Situated in the Balkan peninsula, Macedonia is rich in Roman, Ottoman, and Greek heritage.
Since Greece claimed the name ‘Macedonia’ for its northern regions, it was known as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Today, the landlocked country is known as ‘North Macedonia.’
Did you know that Macedonia was the first wireless country? Here are some fascinating fun facts about Macedonia.
1. Houses Oldest & Deepest Lake Of Europe
One of the deepest and oldest lakes in Europe, Lake Ohrid, is estimated to be three to five million years old. The lake’s depth is a minimum of 508ft with a maximum depth of 940ft.
Albania also shares the shoreline of the lake with over 200+ threatened and rare species such as ferruginous duck, Dalmatian pelican, and eastern imperial eagle.
If you ever plan to visit Macedonia, don’t forget to visit the enchanting lake. The Ohrid town is a puzzle of steep streets that tumble down to the lake.
2. Home To The Oldest Space Observatories In The World
The country of Macedonia is filled with little-known historical treasures. Just an hour’s ride from Skopje lies one of the popular sights of the country, the Bronze Age archaeological site on the outskirts of the Kokino village.
According to NASA, these patterns were once used to study the moon and the sun’s movements. This megalithic observatory is now considered one of the world’s oldest space observatories.
3. Macedonia Is An Old City And Dates Back to 808 BC.
The kingdom of Macedon has existed since 808 BC. The Argeads founding dynasty mainly ruled it in the mid-7th century BC. However, today it is known as the Macedonian region of Greece in the north.
Although it is not a famous tourist destination, it was once an ancient crossroad for travelers moving from West to East. It was also the largest empire in the world under Alexander the Great.
4. Macedonia Houses 1000 Church & Monasteries
Macedonians practiced Orthodox Christianity of the east, belonging to the country’s Orthodox Church. In 1967, the church declared its independence but was not recognized by Orthodox churches.
The second largest religious group is Muslims, with 1/3rd the population from the Turkish, Albanian, and Roma communities. Around 0.4% of the population is Protestants and Catholics.
5. Macedonia Was The First Wireless Country
Macedonia became the first wireless country in 2005. Within four years, the country changed from one of the developing countries to one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world.
The wireless network reached 95% of the country’s population breaking all records. Boris Trajkovski played a huge role in the scheme, which was crucial for the children to learn advanced IT skills.
6. Macedonians Developed the Cyrillic Alphabet Writing System
In the 9th century, St. Methodist and St. Cyril were two Macedonian brothers who developed the Cyrillic alphabet. The writing system is used as the national script in Turkic, Uralic, Slavic, Mongolic, and Iranic-speaking countries from Macedonia to Southeastern Europe.
7. Alexander The Great Was The King Of Ancient Macedonia
Alexander the Great ruled ancient Macedonia from 336 BC to 323 BC. He conquered a huge area from the Balkans to present-day Pakistan. Alexander’s triumphs in his days made him a legend and an inspiration for future generations.
8. Macedonia Houses Several Mountains
If you visit Macedonia, hold your head high and breathe the fresh air in the mountains. Macedonia has several mountain peaks, with the highest peak at 2764 meters, Mt Golem Korab. Macedonia is your go-to vacation if you are into boating, hiking, snowboarding, and skiing.
9. The Country Was Known As the Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia in the United Nations
Due to a long dispute between Greece and Macedonia regarding the history of the early Kingdom of Macedonian, the formal name of the country in the United Nations was known Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.
Although the country’s official name was FYROM in the United Nations, the government persuaded more than 135 countries, along with the United States, to recognize the country as the Republic of Macedonia. Today, the country is known as the Republic of North Macedonia.
10. Skopje City Was Rebuilt Several Times
Several earthquakes in Macedonia, especially in 1963, devastated the entire city of Skopje. In the 18th century, Piccolomini, the Austro-Hungarian General, ordered the city to burn.
11. Macedonia Has 3 National parks.
The natural beauty of Macedonia is home to three beautiful national parks. If you love nature, don’t forget to explore Pelister, Mavrovo, or Galicica national parks. The Pelister national park preserves the Balkans’ most beautiful protected mountain landscape.