Macedonia (disambiguation)

Macedonia (also spelled Macedoniya) is a historical name used to describe a broad region in south-eastern Europe, particularly in the eastern Balkans. The same name refers to a geographic area, a former kingdom, an administrative region of Greece, and an independent state. For this reason, use of the term requires clarification of what is meant.

The name dispute has been the subject of prolonged political conflict between Greece and the state recently renamed North Macedonia. The dispute concerns who has the right to use the name and the historical and cultural heritage associated with it.

Geographic region

The historical region of Macedonia is today divided among several countries, including Greece, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria. The boundaries of the region have never been formally defined and vary depending on whether they are determined by geography, history, or culture.

States and administrations

North Macedonia is a Balkan state with its capital at Skopje. It gained independence from Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, initially under the name Republic of Macedonia. Following an agreement with Greece, the official name was amended to include the word 'North'. Greece, for its part, has administrative regions whose names include Macedonia, such as East Macedonia, Central Macedonia, and West Macedonia.

Ancient kingdom

The ancient kingdom of Macedonia was a Greek state that became renowned during the time of Philip and his son Alexander. When 'Macedonia' is used in a historical sense, it refers to this kingdom and the military campaigns that extended its power eastward.