Pirin Macedonia (region)
It covers an area of about 6,798 km2 which is 10.18% of the geographical region Macedonia. One of the regional centers is Blagoevgrad, also known as Gorna Dzumaya, the old name of the city. The region is bordering with Kyustendil Province and Sofia Province on the north, Pazardzhik Province and Smolyan Province on the east, Greece on the south and Republic of Macedonia on the west. The population is estimated around 325.000 people.
Geography of the Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia, like most countries in Eastern Europe, has a developing economy. Under Yugoslavia, Macedonia saw the establishment of many factories and the significant modernisation of the country, especially after the devastating Skopje earthquake of 1963. Since independence in 1991, Macedonia has suffered the transition to market economy. Greece, which believes that the republic is monopolising the cultural and historical heritage of Macedonia, imposed an embargo in 1993 and has prevented the country's accession to organisations like the European Union and NATO.