Skopje

Skopje is the capital and largest city of <a href="/facts/North_Macedonia/YpfcC5DA">North Macedonia</a>. It lies in the northern part of the country, in the <a href="/facts/Skopje_Basin/nnKB4hBC">Skopje Valley</a> along the <a href="/facts/Vardar/B055d413">Vardar</a> River, and is the political, economic, and cultural center of the country. As of the <a href="/facts/2021_North_Macedonia_census/BQMJ1zs4">2021 census</a>, the city had a population of 526,502. Skopje covers 571.46 km² and includes both urban and rural areas, bordered by several <a href="/facts/Municipalities_of_North_Macedonia/I7VWz9IV">municipalities</a> and close to the borders of <a href="/facts/Kosovo/lbyzI6UW">Kosovo</a> and <a href="/facts/Serbia/U0LVzPdI">Serbia</a>.
The area of Skopje has been continuously inhabited since at least the <a href="/facts/Chalcolithic/asevzSXh">Chalcolithic</a> period. The city — known as <a href="/facts/Scupi/Pfvhm4vp">Scupi</a> at the time — was founded in the late 1st century during the rule of <a href="/facts/Domitian/tR00gRmQ">Domitian</a>, and abandoned in 518 after an earthquake destroyed the city. It was rebuilt under <a href="/facts/Justinian_I/6wl5Ivh7">Justinian I</a>. It became a significant settlement under the <a href="/facts/First_Bulgarian_Empire/3RCq0kUp">First Bulgarian Empire</a>, the <a href="/facts/Serbian_Empire/HwX5KX0Y">Serbian Empire</a> (when it served briefly as a capital), and later under the <a href="/facts/Ottoman_Empire/6QvfTRsg">Ottoman Empire</a>, which ruled the city for over five centuries. In 1912, following the <a href="/facts/Balkan_Wars/NzG0UlCm">Balkan Wars</a>, Skopje was annexed by the <a href="/facts/Kingdom_of_Serbia/2HSIwdv9">Kingdom of Serbia</a>. It became part of <a href="/facts/Yugoslavia/rK14hYmb">Yugoslavia</a> after <a href="/facts/World_War_I/vITTUanQ">World War I</a> and, following <a href="/facts/World_War_II/2efV5L1U">World War II</a>, became the capital of the <a href="/facts/Socialist_Republic_of_Macedonia/oAU4f9mI">Socialist Republic of Macedonia</a>, one of its constituent republics. In 1963, a <a href="/facts/1963_Skopje_earthquake/jcIdll6F">major earthquake</a> devastated the city, after which it was largely rebuilt with international assistance. Skopje became the capital of independent North Macedonia in 1991.
The city has a diverse population, with ethnic <a href="/facts/Macedonians_(ethnic_group)/uA0KNDPA">Macedonians</a> forming a majority and <a href="/facts/Albanians_in_North_Macedonia/EDmnLYV4">Albanians</a> a significant minority, alongside <a href="/facts/Romani_people_in_North_Macedonia/twzTSkd2">Roma</a>, <a href="/facts/Turks_in_North_Macedonia/3u7Y1Dqu">Turks</a>, <a href="/facts/Serbs_in_North_Macedonia/yN1t2ok7">Serbs</a>, and others. It is also religiously diverse, with <a href="/facts/Eastern_Orthodox_Church/5n20Akh5">Orthodox Christianity</a> and <a href="/facts/Islam_in_North_Macedonia/aTWaWEWk">Islam</a> being the most widely practiced faiths. Skopje is the site of major educational and cultural institutions, including the <a href="/facts/Ss._Cyril_and_Methodius_University_of_Skopje/CHgAW1lj">Ss. Cyril and Methodius University</a>, the <a href="/facts/Macedonian_Academy_of_Sciences_and_Arts/zgAhPVlw">Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts</a>, and the National Theatre.
Skopje is the country's center of government and business and produces a significant share of the national GDP. Its <a href="/facts/Economy_of_North_Macedonia/DxRrE02V">economy</a> is based on industry, trade, services, and finance. The city has undergone major transformations in recent decades, notably through the controversial <a href="/facts/Skopje_2014/t88uaMHp">Skopje 2014</a> project, which aimed to reshape the city center with <a href="/facts/Neoclassical_architecture/tKdIuJwx">neoclassical</a> buildings and monuments.

Skopje open-in-new

Skopje