Macedonia

Macedonia (Bulgarian, Makedoniya, Greek, Makedonia, Macedonian Makedonija), historical region in the south-central part of the Balkan Peninsula, in south-eastern Europe. Macedonia covers approximately 66,000 sq km (25,500 sq mi). Slightly more than half of the region lies in north and north-east Greece, in the Greek province of Macedonia. The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and a small portion of Bulgaria make up the remainder of the region. Macedonia spans a diverse geographic area. Though mostly mountainous, the region also encompasses the valleys of the Aliákmon, Axios, Nestos, and Strimon rivers, all of which drain into the Aegean Sea.

Agriculture is the primary occupation in the region. Tobacco, cereals, cotton, and fruit are the leading crops. Much of the rugged terrain is also used for raising sheep and goats. The timber production industry employs many inhabitants in the south-west part of the region.

It was settled by migrating peoples in the neolithic period (about 6200 bc; see Stone Age:The Neolithic Period). After 3000 bc, a Greek-speaking people settled first in the mountainous regions between Mounts Olympus and Pindus. Perdiccas I established a kingdom in the rich alluvial plain of the Aliákmon and Axios rivers. In the 4th century bc Philip II led the kingdom into a period of growth and expansion. He conquered the Greeks in 338 bc and unified the Greek city-states and Macedonians into one empire (see Ancient Greece:The Rise of the Macedonian Empire).

Philip's son, who became known as Alexander the Great, took command of the empire following the former's assassination in 336 bc. Alexander pursued his father's objectives and created a vast empire which stretched south into Egypt and across Persia (modern Iran) to modern north-western India. Culture and art flourished under Alexander's rule.

Alexander died in 323 bc, leaving the empire with no clear successor. The vacuum created by Alexander's death led to conflicts within the empire and eventually to its dissolution. Generals in the Macedonian army divided the empire into smaller kingdoms. These kingdoms continued to fight with each other for several decades until 215 bc. Macedonia was assailed by the Romans in a series of three wars which lasted from 215 bc to 168 bc. In 148 bc the region became a Roman province. During the early Christian period the region was an important field for the missionary activities of St Paul the Apostle, who visited Philippi and Salonica.

In ad 395 Macedonia became part of the eastern half of the Roman Empire, or Byzantine Empire. In the 6th and 7th centuries large numbers of Slavs from other parts of eastern Europe settled in Macedonia, gradually becoming the dominant group. From the 9th century onwards parts of the region were variously ruled by the Bulgarian, Byzantine, and Serbian empires. In 1371 Macedonia fell under the sway of the Ottoman Empire and during the long demise of this empire, Macedonia was the scene of territorial battles between the Greeks, Serbs, and Bulgarians. Following the Balkan Wars (1912-1913), as a result of which the region was wrested from Ottoman control, Macedonia was divided between Greece, Bulgaria, and Serbia.