Good to know - Macedonia travel info

WHAT SHOULD EVERY FOREIGNER KNOW ABOUT MACEDONIA

Official Name: Republic of Macedonia
Official Language: Macedonian (based on the Cyrillic script)
Territory Coverage: 25,713 sq km
Population: 2,038,000 (2003)
Ethnic Groups: Macedonians (65%), Albanians (25%), Turks (2%), Serbs (2%), Vlachs (1%) & other
Religion: Macedonian Orthodox (70%), Muslim, Roman Catholic
Position: South-eastern Europe, at the heart of the Balkan Peninsula. The climate is predominately continental (hot, dry summers & cold winters). In higher regions summers are cool & winters are cold, with a lot of snow.
Time Zone: Central European Time (GMT +1). Daylight saving time (one hour ahead) is used in spring and autumn

NATIONAL HOLIDAYS

1^st & 2^nd of January - New Year
7^th January - Christmas Eve
April - Easter
1^st & 2^nd of May - Labor Days
2^nd of August - National Holiday of Ilinden (in honor if the Ilinden's Uprising in 1903)
8^th of September - Independence Day of the Republic of Macedonia
11^th of October - Celebration of the Rebellion of the Macedonian people (in honor of the Antifacshist uprising from the Second World War)

The abovementioned days and each Sunday in the week, are holidays. Nevertheless, as well as most of the restaurants of bars, work even during the holidays. In all working days, the shops are opened from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm. Only in Saturdays they work from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm (there are usually extended working hours in tourist areas during the season.

Institutions and offices: Monday to Friday 8:00 am, Saturday 9 am to 5 pm.
Banks: Monday to Friday 8am to 7 pm, Saturday 8 am to 12 am (you can expect extended working hours at the airports).

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CURRENCY AND BANKING

The monetary unit in the Republic of Macedonia is the denar, since April 26^th, 1992. Foreign visitors may convert foreign funds into local currency in all banks or private exchange offices, which abide by the exchanges rates recommended by the National Bank of the Republic of Macedonia. Upon entering Macedonia you should declare the amount of money you are carrying if you intend to take all or part of it out of the country. EUROs, Franks, Pounds and other foreign currencies are exchanged in all exchange offices.

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CREDIT CARDS

You can use all established international credit cards (American Express, Visa, Dinners, MasterCard/EuroCard) as well as Eurocheques in most hotels, shops and restaurants.

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PLACES TO VISIT

The National parks

The lakes of

The ski-resort

The historical cities

Ohrid - the centre of the Slavonic literacy, the capital of the medieval Macedonian state
Kruševo where the Macedonians in 1903 held an uprising against the Ottomans

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DIALING NUMBERS

Macedonia - 389

Skopje - 02
Kumanovo - 031
Kratovo - 031
Kriva Palanka - 031
Štip - 032
Radoviš - 032
Sveti Nikole - 032
Kočani - 033
Delčevo - 033
Berovo - 033
Strumica - 034
Gevgelija - 034
Dojran - 034
Gostivar - 042
Mavrovo - 042
Veles - 043
Kavadarci - 043
Negotino - 043
Tetovo - 044
Kičevo - 045
Makedonski Brod - 045
Ohrid - 046
Struga - 046
Debar - 046
Bitola - 047
Resen - 047
Prilep - 048
Kruševo - 048

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Macedonia travel info

Macedonia Weather

MACEDONIA WEATHER