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Macedonia to North Macedonia

When Yugoslavia broke up, its southern republic became independent as the Republic of Macedonia. Greece, whose own northern region is also called Macedonia, objected for 27 years, blocking the new state from international bodies until it agreed in 2018 to add a single word: North.

Written from cited sourcesLast checked 28 September 2026Suggest a correction

  1. Republic of Macedoniaits own name 1991–2019; at the UN, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” from 1993
  2. Republic of North Macedonia2019–

One region, three countries

Macedonia is a historic region of the Balkans. After the Balkan Wars of 1912–13 it was divided among Greece, Bulgaria and Serbia; Serbia’s part became a republic of Yugoslavia after the Second World War, and declared independence as the Republic of Macedonia on 17 September 1991. It covers about two-fifths of the whole region; the rest lies in Greece and Bulgaria.[1]

Greece objects

Greece, whose own northern region is Macedonia, claimed a monopoly on the name, and fought the new state’s recognition under it.[1][2] The republic was admitted to the UN in 1993 only under a provisional name, “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”. In 1994 Greece imposed an economic blockade, lifted under an Interim Accord of 1995 in which Macedonia took the Vergina sun, a symbol of the ancient Macedonian royal house that Greece claimed, off its flag.[2]

UN-mediated talks began in 1993 and dragged on for 25 years.[3] In 2008 Greece blocked Macedonia’s invitation to join NATO, again over the name.[2]

North

In June 2018 the prime ministers, Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras, agreed that the country would be known at home and abroad as the Republic of North Macedonia.[1] They signed the Prespa Agreement on 17 June 2018.[3] A consultative referendum in Macedonia that September drew more than 90% support, but the opposition called a boycott and only about 37% of voters took part, short of the 50% needed to make it valid; parliament went ahead anyway.[2]

The Greek parliament approved the deal 153–146 in January 2019, and the new name took effect on 12 February 2019.[2][1] The UN called it the settlement of a near 30-year dispute, and North Macedonia joined NATO in March 2020.[3][2]

“even seemingly intractable issues can be resolved through dialogue and political will”[3]

António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, on the Prespa Agreement, February 2019

Timeline

  1. 199117 September 1991

    Independence

    The Republic of Macedonia declares independence from Yugoslavia.[1]

  2. 1993

    UN membership

    Admitted as “the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”.[2]

  3. 1995

    Interim Accord

    Greece lifts its embargo; the Vergina sun leaves the flag.[2]

  4. 2008

    NATO veto

    Greece blocks an invitation to join NATO.[2]

  5. 201817 June 2018

    Prespa Agreement

    Greece and Macedonia sign the name deal.[3]

  6. 201912 February 2019

    North Macedonia

    The new name comes into effect.[1]

Sources

  1. [1]
    North Macedonia · Encyclopaedia Britannica
  2. [2]
    North Macedonia: Independence · Encyclopaedia Britannica
  3. [3]

Map geometry from Natural Earth via world-atlas. See credits.

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