Kayaking to North Macedonia
Put some Mediterranean and some Balkan…What do you get?
You are getting the perfect blend of some extraordinary kingdoms turned into today’s North Macedonia! 🤗
Not just the forts and palaces, North Macedonia has a lot to offer- starting from the most hospitable cultures, nature’s beauty, and some really good views!🏕
So, without giving you more snapshots…let’s just start exploring the facts about the country!!
Со среќа!!!🤞
Amazing Facts about North Macedonia
A living example of how history speaks: The rise of North Macedonia
Did you know? Humans first appeared on the land of what is now Macedonia 7,000 years ago!
Over the course of history, Macedonia saw the rise and fall of Europe’s mightiest empires. (Witnessing the great ruins!)
This little country was a part of the empires of Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and Yugoslavia… before it got independence in 1991!🛕
True Cross: The cross that crucified Jesus!
Macedonia is a deeply Orthodox Christian nation with over 1,000 churches!
You will be surprised to know… the True Cross has been discovered in this country! Holy Christ!✝️
The cross pieces were utilized in the foundations of all three churches…all three are excellent examples of medieval construction.
St. Bogodorica Prechista in Kichevo is the first, St. Jovan Bigorski near Gostivar is the second, and St. Georgji Pobedonosec in Debar is the third.
Ohrid: The city of Churches!
Ohrid is a little town in Macedonia’s southwest that has 365 churches!
But, why?
One for each day of the year!
Some of these churches have been abandoned, but Ohrid has the most churches per square meter in the world!
OBVIOUSLY! It got a place on the UNESCO world heritage site list!
It is also one of just 28 locations in the world to be listed on both the cultural and heritage sites lists of UNESCO🌸! (NO WONDERS!)
The Lake with two records: The Ohrid Lake!
Ohrid Lake…288 meters deep, is not only Europe’s deepest lake but also one of the world’s oldest!
The lake is thought to be around 4 million years old!
(If this amazing fact about Macedonia comes up in a pub quiz, you’ll surely be able to amaze your club-mates…)
Furthermore, Ohrid Lake is home to over 200 endemic species…so it’s no surprise that it’s on UNESCO’s World Heritage List!♀️
A reply from the SPACE?: The Kokino Observatory!
According to NASA, Kokino is one of the world’s oldest space observatories!
The location dated back to the Bronze Age and was used to study space as early as the nineteenth century B.C.
The site covers 30 hectares … located around 30 kilometers from Kumanovo. 🚀
(It was found in 2001 by a Macedonian expert)
Kokino is already on UNESCO’s tentative list, and it’s only a matter of time before it’s added to the World Heritage List!!
Mother Teresa’s birthplace: Skopje!
When we talk about Mother Teresa, we only remember Calcutta…where she performed the majority of her humanitarian work.
Many people, however, forget that she was born in Skopje in 1910!
Today, in Skopje’s center, near Macedonia Square, there is a memorial house museum devoted to Mother Teresa’s life and achievements.
A mother for the millions! 💕
Vevcani: Want citizenship? Drink wine!
After Macedonia gained independence in 1991, the small village of Vevcani…in the hills north of Ohrid Lake declared itself the first micronation on the Balkan Peninsula!!
Everyone who lived there was (and still is) ethnically Macedonian!
Vevcani had its own flag and currency!
(but the republic didn’t last long)
It was quickly absorbed into the neighboring municipality, Struga.
Despite this, people continue to utilize the “Republic of Vevcani” to attract tourists. They will even grant “citizenship” if you consume enough local wine!!
A cave looks almost identical to the one from LOTR
Cave Peshna…located in the country’s west…is one of the most magnificent caverns on the Balkan Peninsula!
According to the New York Times, it’s the closest thing our world has to Lord of the Rings Helm’s Deep!
The cave entrance is also 30 meters high…making it the largest on the Balkan Peninsula… not just that also one of the largest in Europe!
The fifth-largest cross: The Millennium Cross!
The Millennium Cross of Vodno Mountain…visible from practically every location in Macedonia’s capital!
It is the second-biggest cross in Europe ….also the fifth-largest in the world!
It is 66 meters tall and was constructed in 2000 to celebrate 2,000 years of Christianity in Macedonia!!
Memorable!
Fairytale got real here: Cave Vrelo!
Cave Vrelo…located in the Canyon of Matka, is one of the world’s largest underwater caves! 🪵
Several attempts have been made to fully explore the cave, but no one knows how deep it is!
The latest expedition reached a depth of 77 meters…. Although the cave is much deeper!
North Macedonia: The first wireless broadband!
One of the most unexpected things about Macedonia on this list could be this:
Macedonia was the first nation in the world to have complete access to a wireless broadband connection in 2006!
The U.S. Agency for International Development was the sponsor of the “Macedonia Connects” initiative!
The Cyrillic alphabet was developed in Macedonia!
St. Cyril and St. Methodius, brothers who lived in Macedonia, created the Cyrillic script that most people connect with Russia!
After that, the script was taught by their students!
Clement and Naum were among the earliest colleges in Europe to be located in the city of Ohrid…from which point it spread across the Slavic world!
EU’s Only Ruby mine: It’s in Macedonia
The only ruby mine in Europe is located in Macedonia!
The only nation in Europe to contain naturally occurring rubies!
In actuality, the ruby mine in Prilep provided many of the valuable stones that you see in renowned luxury publications!!💎
Only Thalium mine: That too in Macedonia!
The only mine in the world where thallium is actively mined is Alshar… situated on Mount Kozhuv!
One of them is lorandite, a mineral that has the potential to provide environmentally friendly energy! (Sad that no one really cares to study enough on it!
According to some historians, the lorandite of Alshar was used to coat the army’s shields… it generated a sun reflection so potent that it might blind and incapacitate their adversaries!
You know what, this is why Alexander the Great conducted the majority of his battles during the day!
One nation with two flags: Macedonian flags!
The flag used when Macedonia first gained its independence was different from the one used now!
But why did they change it? Let me tell you the facts-
Both featured a yellow sun on a red background and the same combination of colors!
The sun emblem, which was found on old tombstones in the town of Virginia in the Greek portion of Macedonia, was nonetheless utilized on the first flag….
This led to a disagreement with Greece that ended in a trade boycott!
Even though it didn’t make much sense legally….Macedonia was compelled to change its flag
Now, the new one is flying since 1995!
Now, it’s the Republic of North Macedonia!
Macedonia officially changed its name from the Republic of Macedonia to the Republic of North Macedonia in February 2019!
The main purpose of the adjustment was to appease Greece and prevent it from once again blocking Macedonia’s admission to the EU.
What’s fascinating is that the name change took place following a referendum that was rejected by close to 65% of the nation’s residents, meaning that only 35% of voters genuinely supported altering the nation’s name!
The most powerful Opium: Macedonian Opium!
For many years, people in Macedonia have been growing the opium poppy flower!
The country produces the most powerful opium in the whole globe!
On average, the opium grown in Macedonia contains 14 morphine units.
That amounts to almost twice as much morphine as the opium grown in China (8), India (7), and Turkey (6).
Summing up
The Republic of North Macedonia …. bounded to the south by the Aegean Sea ….to the west by Lakes Prespa and Ohrid….and to the north by the Skopska Crna Gora mountains and the watershed between the Morava and Vardar river basins.
Well, the list still continues! 🇲🇰
It is not just a country of land and rivers…but a nation with the most accommodating people and culture!
I’m a former teacher (and mother of Two Childs) with a background in child development. Here to help you with play-based learning activities for kids. ( Check my Next startup Cledemy.Com)
