Geography

The Republic of Macedonia is a landlocked country that is geographically clearly defined by a central valley formed by the Vardar River and framed along its borders by mountain ranges.

With a land area of 25,333 sq km, the Republic of Macedonia is a country in Southeastern Europe with geographic coordinates 41°50'N, 22°00'E. The Republic has some 748 km of boundaries, shared with Serbia (221 km) to the north, Bulgaria (148 km) to the east, Greece (228 km) to the south and Albania (151 km) to the west. The country represents a major transportation corridor from Western and Central Europe to Aegean Sea and Southern Europe to Western Europe.

The country is part of the wider region of Macedonia, from which carries its own name. It is a landlocked country, but has three natural lakes: Ohrid Lake, Prespa Lake and Dojran Lake.

Terrain

The Republic's terrain is mostly rugged, located between the Sara and Rhodope, which frame the valley of the Vardar River. Three large lakes - Lake Ohrid, Lake Prespa and Dojran Lake - lie on the southern borders of the Republic, bisected by the frontiers with Albania and Greece. Ohrid is considered to be one of the oldest lakes and biotopes in the world. The region is seismically active and has been the site of destructive earthquakes in the past, most recently in 1963 when Skopje was heavily damaged by a major earthquake, killing over 1,000.

Mountains

The Republic of Macedonia also has scenic mountains. They belong to two different ranges: Dinarska and Rodopska. The Dinarska range is the oldest with subsequent erosion; the Rodopska range is younger offering rugged, alpine sceneries. The ten highest mountains in the Republic of Macedonia are shown in the table below.