h: MK

Type: emerging democracy

Capital: Skopje

Administrative divisions: 34 counties (opstinas, singular - opstina)
Berovo, Bitola, Brod, Debar, Delcevo, Gevgelija, Gostivar, Kavadarci,
Kicevo, Kocani, Kratovo, Kriva Palanka, Krusevo, Kumanovo, Murgasevo,
Negotino, Ohrid, Prilep, Probistip, Radovis, Resen, Skopje-Centar,
Skopje-Cair, Skopje-Karpos, Skopje-Kisela Voda, Skopje-Gazi Baba,
Stip, Struga, Strumica, Sveti Nikole, Tetovo, Titov Veles, Valandovo,
Vinica

Independence: 17 September 1991 (from Yugoslavia)

National holiday: 8 September

Constitution: adopted 17 November 1991, effective 20 November 1991

Legal system: based on civil law system; judicial review of
legislative acts

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Kiro GLIGOROV (since 27 January 1991);
election last held 16 October 1994 (next to be held NA 1997); results
- Kiro GLIGOROV was elected by the Assembly in 1991; reelected by
popular vote in 1994
head of government: Prime Minister Branko CRVENKOVSKI (since 4
September 1992)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; elected by the majority vote of all the
deputies in the Sobranje

Legislative branch: unicameral
Assembly (Sobranje): elections last held 16 and 30 October 1994 (next
to be held November 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (120 total) seats by party NA

Judicial branch: Constitutional Court, Judicial Court of the Republic

Political parties and leaders: Social-Democratic Alliance of Macedonia
(SDSM; former Communist Party), Branko CRVENKOVSKI, president; Party
for Democratic Prosperity (PDP); note - two factions competing for
party name; one faction is led by Abdurahman HALITI and the other
faction is led by Arber XHAFFERI; National Democratic Party (NDP),
Ilijas HALINI, president; Alliance of Reform Forces of Macedonia -
Liberal Party (SRSM-LP), Stojan ANDOV, president; Socialist Party of
Macedonia (SPM), Kiro POPOVSKI, president; Internal Macedonian
Revolutionary Organization - Democratic Party for Macedonian National
Unity (VMRO-DPMNE), Ljupco GEORGIEVSKI, president; Party of Yugoslavs
in Macedonia (SJM), Milan DURCINOV, president; Democratic Party (DP),
Petar GOSEV, president

Other political or pressure groups: Movement for All Macedonian Action
(MAAK); Democratic Party of Serbs; Democratic Party of Turks; Party
for Democratic Action (Slavic Muslim)

Member of: CCC,