Today, the Republic of North Macedonia celebrates the 34th anniversary of its independence from the former Yugoslav Federation, declared through a popular referendum on September 8, 1991.
At that time, the referendum was largely boycotted by the Albanian population, who demanded greater autonomy and were dissatisfied with their position in the new Constitution.
According to official figures, over 95% of participating voters supported the referendum question: “Are you in favor of an independent Macedonia with the right to join a future alliance of sovereign states of Yugoslavia?”
- The state gained monetary independence on April 26, 1992 with the introduction of the denar.
- It established its own Army on August 18, 1992.
- On April 8, 1993, Macedonia was admitted as the 181st member of the United Nations, though under the temporary reference Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) due to Greece’s objections over the name.
The long-standing dispute with Greece was resolved with the Prespa Agreement on June 17, 2018, under which the country officially became North Macedonia.
To date, North Macedonia has established diplomatic relations with 170 states, and with its constitutional name has been recognized by 135 countries, including China, Russia, and the United States.
Despite challenges over the decades, the country achieved a major milestone by becoming the 30th member of NATO.
