Learn the geography of the Balkans: where is Macedonia

The region where Macedonia is located today is difficultcall politically stable. News about crises and conflicts come from the Balkan peninsula regularly. However, the long and eventful history of the Balkans makes it possible to hope that this unfavorable period will soon end.

Ancient History of Macedonia

History of the Ethnogeographic Region of Macedoniais rooted in antiquity, at the time that preceded the well-known Trojan War. In that legendary era, the kingdom, located in the central part of the Balkan Peninsula, was an ally of the warlike city-state of Troy.

Later the region was under heavy authoritydynasty of Achaemenides, which was established in Persia. And two centuries later, in the 15th century BC, the Romans invaded the Macedonian lands, which annexed the region to their empire, making it part of an extensive province, which they also called Macedonia.

After the collapse of the Roman Empire and the establishment of itsfragments of two new states - the Eastern Roman Empire, known as Byzantium, and the Western Roman Empire - the province remained under the control of the Byzantines. However, the new sovereign could not provide complete security to the people who lived on this territory, and he was under the pressure of the Slavic tribes, which in especially large numbers began to reside in the Balkans in the XlV century.

origin of name

The region where Macedonia is located, since ancient timeswas at the crossroads of various cultures, far from always being friendly to each other. Neighboring peoples tried to conquer the ancient tribes living in Macedonia, but the greatest glory of the country was brought by the conqueror born in Macedonia - Alexander, nicknamed Macedonian - the great descendant of the legendary kings of Macedonia, who are building their genealogy for the Quran, who ruled in this country in the Vlll century before ad.

Most modern linguists converge onthe opinion that it is impossible to reliably interpret the origin of the name of the country, since it goes back to the ancient layers of the local language, of which so far little is known. However, some attempts are still being made.

In ancient Greek there was a word"makednos", which meant supposedly "tall, cone-shaped." Competing in witty interpretations, philological scholars came to the conclusion that the word can point to people who lived in the mountains, which really are the hallmark of the local landscape.

Geography and a complex history

To understand where Macedonia is,it is enough, looking at the map, to find Greece, to the north of which the former Yugoslav Republic is located, as it is called by the Greeks. The thing is that the Greek Republic has its own Macedonia - an extensive province in the mountains bordering Bulgaria, Albania and the Republic of Macedonia. And it is not surprising that the Greeks react morbidly to this name, seeking to defend the right to own a historically priceless territory. There is an opinion that it was the dispute over the name that caused the protracted entry of the Republic of Macedonia into the European Union.

The Greek region of Macedonia, where the mountain range is located, which includes, among other things, Mount Olympus, is rightly considered one of the most interesting European provinces.

Where is Macedonia?

In Greece, as mentioned above, do not rush to givethe primacy in the possession of the historical province, however, the Macedonians do not want to give in to their persistence. This persistence is worthy of telling a little proud republic a little more.

To show where Macedonia is, it's worthfind on the map of its more visible neighbors - Bulgaria and Greece, between them and is a country that has no access to the sea. In addition to these two states, Macedonia borders also with Serbia, Kosovo and Albania.

For the geographical region where theMacedonia, characterized by a mountain landscape with clearly delineated plains, numerous lakes and not too deep rivers. Quite often in the country earthquakes occur, some of which leave considerable destruction.

However, in general, the climate is considered favorable, although transitional from continental to Mediterranean, which makes the Macedonian winters long, but soft and snowy.</ span </ p>