THE ROAD TO MACEDONIA

Written by MOTORBIKE EUROPE Road Writers - Thursday, 24 March 2011 10:12

Macedonia is located in the southern Balkans, and is landlocked, to the north by Serbia and Kosovo, east by Bulgaria, to the south by Greece, and to the west by Albania. Two mountain systems cut through the region; The Pindus, a continuation of the Alps, and Ródope in the country's central and eastern parts. The climate is continental, and in the capital, average temperatures are 1º C in winter and 24º C in summer.

The Vardar Valley is the country's main agricultural area, and in the mountains, sheep and goats are all the rage. The subsoil contains deposits of copper, iron and lead.

In World War II, the country was occupied by Bulgaria, which, at that point, was Germany's ally. From 1945-1991, the country was a federal unit within Yugoslavia, when a long-desired independence was finally realized, though only in part of the original Macedonia.

Three lakes are located on the borders with neighboring countries: the Ohrid lake with Albania, Prespa Lake towards Greece and Albania, and Dojran Lake towards Greece. Besides these natural lakes, the country has a number of other artificial lakes formed by dams, such as the Matka Lake and the Prilep Lake.