North Macedonia, country of the south-central Balkans. It is bordered to the north by Kosovo and Serbia, to the east by Bulgaria, to the south by Greece, and to the west by Albania. The capital is Skopje. The Republic of North Macedonia is located in the northern part of the area traditionally known as Macedonia, a geographical region bounded to the south by the Aegean Sea and the Aliákmon River; to the west by Lakes Prespa and Ohrid, the watershed west of the Crni Drim River, and the Šar Mountains; and to the north by the mountains of the Skopska Crna Gora and the watershed between the Morava and Vardar river basins. The Pirin Mountains mark its eastern edge. The Republic of North Macedonia occupies about two-fifths of the entire geographical region of Macedonia. The rest of the region belongs to Greece and Bulgaria. North Macedonia is a multi cultural country, an Eastern orthodox country, but with sizeable numbers of Albanians, Turks, Vlachs (Aromani), and Roma (Gypsies).

Ottoman control was brought to an end by the Balkan Wars (1912–13), after which Macedonia was divided among Greece, Bulgaria, and Serbia. Following World War I, the Serbian segment was incorporated into the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (renamed Yugoslavia in 1929). After World War II the Serbian part of Macedonia became a constituent republic within the Federal People’s Republic of Yugoslavia (later Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia). The collapse of Yugoslavia led the Republic of Macedonia to declare its independence on September 17, 1991.

The two major problems facing the newly independent Republic of Macedonia were ensuring for its large Albanian minority the rights of full citizenship and gaining international recognition under its constitutional name and membership in international organizations in the face of strong opposition from Greece, which claimed a monopoly on the use of the term Macedonia.  In June 2018 Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras announced that an agreement had been reached via the Prespa Agreement Macedonian republic would be known both domestically and internationally as the Republic of North Macedonia which following ratification by both national assemblies of the new formal name in February 2019.

A unitary parliamentary constitutional republic, North Macedonia is a member of the UN, NATO, the Council of Europe, the World Bank, OSCE, CEFTA, BSEC and the WTO. Since 2005, it has also been a candidate for joining the European Union. North Macedonia is an upper-middle-income country according to the World Bank’s definitions and has undergone considerable economic reform since its independence in developing an open economy. It is a developing country, ranked 82nd on the Human Development Index; and provides social security, a universal health care system, and free primary and secondary education to its citizens.

Border Facts

North Macedonia – Bulgaria border is 148 km long. The frontier with North Macedonia runs from the Tumba Peak BGGRMK in the south through the mountains of Ograzhden, Maleshevo, Vlahina and Osogovo up to Шуплив Камен BGMKRS. There are three border crossings near the town of Petrich and at the villages of Logodazh and Gyueshevo.

North Macedonia – Greece border is 228 km to the south of the country. The border runs from the Tumba Peak BGGRMK in the east, transecting Lake Dojran and ending the wet tripoint ALGRMK in Lake Prespa.

North Macedonia – Albania border is 151 km to the west of the country. The border runs broadly north from the wet tripoint ALGRMK in Lake Prespa transecting Lake Ohrid. The border cuts across Albania’s highest peak, Mount Korab (2752m) on its way to the tripoint ALKVMK at the peak of Maja Ksulje e Priftit (2092 m).

North Macedonia – Kosovo border is 159 km long. There are 3 border crossings.

North Macedonia – Serbia border is 62 km long in the north of the country. The border was made after World War II, between SR Macedonia and SR Serbia. This border was sub divided when Kosovo gained independence in 2008.

North Macedonia Registration Plates

North Macedonia Tripoints

Number	NAME	COUNTRIES	Coordinates	TYPE	Links
1	ALGRMK	Albania – Greece – Macedonia	40°51’06″N 20°59’00″E	Wet	The tripoint is located in Lake Prespa, a protected ecological area. The tripoint maybe marked with a buoy.  Approx. 1300m SSW of Golem Island.
2	ALKVMK	Albania – Kosovo – Macedonia	41°52’39″N 20°35’40″E	Dry	The tripoint of Albania, Kosovo, and Montenegro is located at the summit of Trekufiri, a mountain in the Albanian Alps. There is a tall stone cairn at the summit and several border markers (BM#b28 ALYU 1925). The area is part of the Nacionalni park Prokletije.
3	BGGRMK	Bulgaria – Greece – Macedonia	41°20’19″N 22°55’39″E	Dry	The tripoint on Mount Tumba (1880m) and is remote. Most hikers begin in the Bulgarian town of Zlatarevo and walk (approx 19 km) via a series of waterfalls onto the border ridge and then on to the tripoint (and then back again). This tripoint is unusual in terms of the border configuration of the Bulgarian – Greece border and the Bulgarian -North Macedonia border which form a salient or narrow corridor of Bulgarian territory that terminates at the tripoint. The borders are well demarcated and the summit monument impressive.
4	BGMKRS	Bulgaria – Macedonia – Serbia	42°18’40″N 22°21’37″E	Dry	The tripoint is located on Shulep Kamak Peak (1337) and marked by a monument with Cyrillic lettering on all sides. Access via  Žeravino, a remote Bulgarian hamlet. A trek to the top. The border between Bulgaria and Serbia was well demarcated, with main and intermediate border markers. The border between Bulgaria and North Macedonia was less well demarcated with main border markers some distance apart.
5	KVMKRS	Kosovo – Macedonia – Serbia	42°49’58″N 20°21’28″E	Dry	The tripoint is located west of the Belanovtse-Stancic border crossing, it appears to be remote. On google maps there is an indication of a clearing and possible border marker MKRS which might now coincidently be the tripoint.

Tripoint Gallery

Please click on the images below to access the tripoint visit reports.