This word has often been employed as an epithet in Eastern European legends ( Sabya Damaskinya or Sablja Dimiskija meaning " Damascene saber "), including the Serbian and Bulgarian legends of Prince Marko, a historical figure of the late 14th century in what is currently the Republic of Macedonia.

The similarity between this epistle and that to the Romans has led to the conclusion that they were both written at roughly the same time, during Paul's stay in Macedonia in roughly 56-57.

The modern territory of Albania has no counterpart in antiquity, comprising parts of the Roman provinces of Dalmatia ( southern Illyricum ), Macedonia ( particularly Epirus Nova ), and Moesia Superior.

Standard Macedonian was implemented as the official language of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia in 1945 and has since developed a thriving literary tradition.

The Macedonian language has the status of official language only in the Republic of Macedonia, and is a recognised minority and official language in parts of Albania ( Municipality of Pustec ), Romania, and Serbia ( Municipalities of Jabuka and Plandište ).

From the middle of the 4th century BC, the Kingdom of Macedon became the dominant power in Greece and the neighbouring regions ; since then Macedonia has had a diverse history.

The definition of Macedonia has changed several times throughout history.

During medieval and modern times, Macedonia has been known as a Balkan region inhabited by ethnic Greeks, Albanians, Vlachs, Serbs, Bulgarians, Jews, and Turks.

Today, as a frontier region where several very different cultures meet, Macedonia has an extremely diverse demographic profile.

Bulgaria has proposed to sign a treaty ( based on that 1999 Joint Declaration ) guaranteeing the good neighbourly relations between the two countries, to enable Bulgarian support for the accession of the Republic of Macedonia to the European Union.

Macedonia is a landlocked country but has three major natural lakes: Lake Ohrid, Lake Prespa and Lake Dojran.

Macedonia has unique climate explained by its location and topography.

Macedonia has four seasons weather, but the lengths of the seasons varies based on geography.

Since then, Macedonia has maintained macroeconomic stability with low inflation, but it has so far lagged the region in attracting foreign investment and creating jobs, despite making extensive fiscal and business sector reforms.

In the wake of the global economic downturn, Macedonia has experienced decreased foreign direct investment, lowered credit availability, and a large trade deficit.

Macedonia has the best economic freedom in the region, according to the 2012 Index of Economic Freedom, released in January, 2012 by the conservative U. S. think tank Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal.

Fossil Olea pollen has been found in Macedonia, Greece, and other places around Mediterranean, indicating that this genus is an original element of the Mediterranean flora.

It has done much – contributing to the success of IFOR, SFOR, efforts in Albania, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and elsewhere – and has continued to expand actively its constructive regional engagement.

* Slovenia has observer status, like the United States, in ( the Turkish proposed ) Multinational Peacekeeping Force Southeast European ( MPFSEE ), with other participants being Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy, the Republic of Macedonia, Romania, and Turkey ;

Since the out break of the Syrian civil war, the Syrian economy has been hit by massive economic sanctions restricting trade with the Arab League, Australia, Canada, the European Union, ( as well as the European countries of Albania, Croatia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Serbia, and Switzerland ) Georgia, Japan, Turkey, and the United States.

The UNCCD has 194 country Parties: Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, The Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burma, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, the People's Republic of China, Colombia, Comoros, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Côte d ' Ivoire, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Union, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, The Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, the Republic of Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Federated States of Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Thailand, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe

* After a recent shooting of an Albanian youth crossing the border with Macedonia there has been calls for autonomy for Albanians in the Presevo region, having international troops put as borderguards, and making of more border crossings.

Livy states that Hannibal deployed 4000 Macedonians in the second line, which is normally rejected as Roman propaganda, though T Dorey suggested that there might have been a seed of truth in the story if the Carthaginians had recruited a trivial number of mercenaries from Macedonia who had gone without official blessing.

After the collapse of the Warsaw Pact, V Corps soldiers deployed both units and individuals to Saudi Arabia for the Gulf War ; and to other operations in Kuwait, northern Iraq, Croatia, Somalia, Republic of Macedonia, Rwanda, and Zaire.

Against Bulgaria in south-eastern Macedonia, two divisions forming the Struma Corps ( 14th Infantry and Serez Redif divisions, plus the Nevrekop Detachment ) were deployed.

The German ambassador Hans Baron von Wangenheim, one of the most influential people in the Ottoman capital, had reported to Berlin on 21 October that the Ottoman forces believed that the bulk of the Bulgarian army would be deployed in Macedonia with the Serbs.

In 1994, the 2d Battalion deployed to Macedonia to deter Serbian aggression.

In February 2001, a company from the ' Dukes ' deployed to Kosovo, with the objective of preventing arms and munitions being transported from Albania into Kosovo, then onto the Former Yugolav Republic Of Macedonia, now known as the Republic of Macedonia.

Members of the group have been deployed operationally in Bosnia, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, East Timor, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Members of the battalion have been deployed to Bosnia ; Macedonia ; Africa and Afghanistan.

Some elements of this Brigade, organized as TF 1-6 Infantry, deployed to Macedonia to perform peacekeeping operations in 1994.

Since 1995, 22nd Signaleers have been continuously deployed in support of both the 1st Infantry Division and 1st Armored Division in Bosnia, US EUCOM's national support element in Hungary and NATO's Task Force Able Sentry in Macedonia.

The Dagger Brigade deployed to the Balkans twice in 1999, first as part of Task Force Sabre in Macedonia, then in Kosovo as part of Task Force Falcon.

In 2001, 2 / 502 deployed to Kosovo and Macedonia where they participated in a highly successful Kosovo Forces rotation.

From March 1997 to September 1997, the 2nd Battalion deployed to the Republic of Macedonia in support of the UN peacekeeping mission, Operation Able Sentry.

In 2003 troops being deployed to support NATO operations in the Republic of Macedonia during the Kosovo conflict.

Rejecting the advice of some army officers to take refuge with the troops in Macedonia, he sailed to Italia to ascertain if he had any potential political fortunes or security.

On 5 November, Major Spyros Spyromilios led a revolt in the coastal area of Himarë and expelled the Ottoman garrison without facing significant resistance, while on 20 November Greek troops from western Macedonia entered Korçë.

* July 3 – Young Turk Revolution in the Ottoman Empire: Major Ahmed Niyazi, with 200 followers ( Ottoman troops and civilians ), begins an open revolution by defecting from the 3rd Army Corps in Macedonia, decamping into the hill country.

* February 27 – The Sultan of Turkey orders 50, 000 troops to the Bulgarian frontier because of unrest in Macedonia

* 1043: the Byzantine General George Maniaces, who had served in Sicily back in 1038, was proclaimed emperor by his troops while he was catepan of Italy ; he led an unsuccessful rebellion against Constantine IX Monomachos and was killed in battle in Macedonia during his march towards Constantinople.

* Thanks to the efforts of Eumenes II of Pergamum while in Rome, the Romans declare war on Macedonia and send troops to Thessaly, thus beginning the Third Macedonian War.

* Lucius Postumius Albinus is sent by Rome as an ambassador to King Masinissa of Numidia, and to the Carthaginians in order to raise troops for the war against Perseus of Macedonia.

Antigonus ' troops desert him and Pyrrhus is declared King of Macedonia.

Later on Mihailo sent his troops, led by his son Bodin, in 1072 to assist the uprising of Slavs in Macedonia.

During the First Balkan War, after Greek troops had occupied much of Greek Macedonia, George was assassinated in Thessaloniki.

Having quelled a mutiny of his troops and commissioned Antigonus to continue the war against Eumenes and the other partisans of Perdiccas, Antipater returned to Macedonia, arriving there in 320 BC ( Justin xiii.

On 5 November, Major Spyros Spyromilios led a revolt in the coastal area of Himarë and expelled the Ottoman garrison without facing significant resistance, while on 20 November Greek troops from western Macedonia entered Korçë.

As skirmishing continued in Macedonia, mainly between Serbian and Bulgarian troops, Tsar Nicholas II of Russia tried to stop the upcoming conflict, since Russia didn't wish to lose either of its Slavic allies in the Balkans.

Informed of the Bulgarian offensive, the surprised Leo sent an army consisting of guardsmen and other military units from the capital to halt Simeon, but his troops were routed somewhere in the theme of Macedonia.

An additional 12, 000 troops joined the force of 5, 400 already stationed in the Republic of Macedonia.

Four years before this milestone however, JNA troops and remnants of Belgrade's central government had peacefully and voluntarily left Macedonia.

According to Khadziev, the main goal of the uprising in Thrace was to give support to the uprisings further west, by engaging Turkish troops and preventing them from moving into Macedonia.

Unfortunately, Bulgaria was unable to send troops to the rescue of the rebelling fellow Bulgarians in Macedonia and Adrianopol Thrace.

Bulgarian troops also occupied the Greek province of Eastern Macedonia and much of eastern Serbia, where the so-called Vardar Banovina was divided between Bulgaria and the Italians.

These provincial troops included kataphraktoi cavalry from Macedonia, Thessaly and Thrace, and various other provincial forces such as Trebizond Archers from the Black Sea coast of Anatolia.

Meanwhile two other countries, Poland and Republic of Macedonia offer to provide troops.

The first deployment of European troops under the ESDP, following the 1999 declaration of intent, was in March 2003 in the Republic of Macedonia.

This led to the decision to send more guerrilla troops in order to thwart Bulgarian efforts to bring all of the Slavic-speaking majority population of Macedonia on their side.