a landlocked republic in SE Europe, comprising the NW half of ancient Macedon: it became part of the kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (subsequently Yugoslavia) in 1913; it declared independence in 1991, but Greece objected to the use of the historical name Macedonia; in 1993 it was recognized by the UN. Official language: Macedonian. Religion: Orthodox Christian majority, Muslim minority. Currency: denar. Capital: Skopje. Pop: 2 083 160 (2017 est). Area: 25 713 sq km (10 028 sq miles)