A Turbulent Past

As a valuable territory at the crossroads of nations, Macedonia has a history of turmoil and conquest. Part of the ancient Kingdom of Macedonia, the region was at one time a province of Rome. A thousand years of Byzantine influence followed. Turkey then assumed control and remained in possession for five hundred years.

After 1878, Macedonia was tugged back and forth by such countries as Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece-sometimes with each country ending up with a fragment of Macedonian territory. In 1914 the Serbian portion of Macedonia joined with Croatia, Slovenia, and Montenegro to form a country that would eventually be called Yugoslavia. During World War II, Bulgaria occupied the Macedonian portion of Yugoslavia, encountering fierce resistance from Macedonian freedom fighters. The republic of Yugoslavia survived the war, and in 1946, Macedonia became an autonomous region. In 1992 the country declared independence from Yugoslavia, and in 1993 became a member of the United Nations.

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A Timeline of Macedonian History