What's in a name? A lot, if you're Macedonia.

...is the fact that many Bulgarians refuse to recognize Macedonian as a distinct ethnic or linguistic group, but rather claim that their Bulgarian. You've got to feel for this little country.

The idea that Macedonia has 'irredentist demands' on Greece is absurd. The Macedonians are far more preoccupied by the existence of a newly liberated Kosovo than they are by anything their grumpy neighbors to the south might be doing. What does Greece mean for Macedonians? A nice place to go the beach and a source of economic investment as much of the retail reality of Skopje originates in Greece.
This is an absurd situation that originates in the well of hurt Greek pride.....a well that seems to be bottomless.
Macedonia is a multi-ethnic,multi-religious and generally peaceful little republic that wants everyone to like it so that it can get into the EU as fast as possible. The only thing it longs for is for people to come and visit. People should not believe everything they read on the internet.

The issue of the ethnicity of the ancient Macedonians is peripheral to the diplomatic discussion.

The geographical region of Macedonia is split between Greece, fYROM, Bulgaria, and a small part of Albania. Thus, it is inaccurate to call fYROM Republic of Macedonia, since it does not encompass the entire region of Macedonia (not even most of it).

The geographical region of Macedonia, and fYROM itself are also not inhabited uniquely by Slav Macedonians. Indeed, the single biggest ethnic group in the geographical region of Macedonia is Greek, followed by self-defined "Macedonians" (Slav Macedonians); there are also Bulgarians, Albanians, Aromuns (Vlachs), and Roma (Gypsies) in the geographical region of Macedonia.

The main problem is that the dominant ethnic group of fYROM (Slav Macedonians) claims for themselves the name "Macedonian" without qualification, as well as the territorial name "Macedonia", again without qualification, even though both as an ethnic group and as territory they are only a part of Macedonia, and indeed not even the greater part.

Greece has taken the completely reasonable position that fYROM should be called by a name that disambiguates "Macedonia", in order to make clear that Macedonia is not limited to fYROM or the Slav Macedonian ethnic group. A name such as Republic of Upper Macedonia, or Republic of Slav Macedonia would be acceptable to the Greek government and to both major Greek political parties.

And you will find:

The situation in which Macedonia finds itself today can be traced back to the Balkan Wars of 1912-13. As a result of the Treaty of Bucharest, Macedonia was partitioned among Serbia, Greece, and Bulgaria. These regions are known as the Republic of Macedonia (independent since 1991), Aegean Macedonia (presently within the borders of Greece), and Pirin Macedonia (within the borders of Bulgaria). A small part of Macedonia was given to Albania in 1919 (known as Mala Prespa and Golo Brdo).
Upon annexation of Macedonia's territory, each country began terrorist campaigns aimed at expelling or forcibly assimilating the indigenous Macedonian population. Greece, in particular, began an intense campaign in order to eradicate the existence of Macedonia through a horrific policy of cultural genocide and ethnic cleansing. They outlawed the term Macedonia and proceeded to rename this region "Northern Greece". They changed the names of Macedonian people, villages, and landmarks from Macedonian to Greek. Bulgaria and Greece continue to deny the existence of their large Macedonian minorities to this day and refuse to grant them human rights. The human rights violations have been well-documented. Albania offers its Macedonian minority limited human rights but the situation does not compare to the human rights and freedoms enjoyed by the Albanian minority in the Republic of Macedonia

Interested to know the problems of the unrecognized Macedonian minority in Greece: www.florina.org

Macedonia is a small country only of 2 mil compared to today's Greece of about 10 mil and it is ridiculous to point at us that we have irridentist propaganda or territorial claims.
We would be happy if the refugees from the Civil war 1945-48 could return to their homes, they are still alive and are witnessing all their lives what Greece has done to the Macedonians.Basic human rights, the people there to be able learn and speak Macedonian language.

nt

As T.E. Lawrence said to the Arabs "you were great once and could be great once again"... I think we should all say to the Greeks. But it will never happen until they decide that the way you lead is with ideas and not with recidivistic sabre-rattling over the heads of the defenseless...Greece seems to be stuck in some jingoistic generalissimo time warp....but at least their business people are far ahead of their loopy politicians....In the end though, as the "Macedonians" are really Bulgarians (which is why Bulgaria will give any Macedonia who asks for one, a passport) so the modern "Greeks" are really Albanians (check the DNA records if you don't believe me)....It's Chinatown, Jake....no, er, I mean the Balkans.
fade to black

The fact is that Skopje's airport carries the name of Alexander the Great, and that the official flag is the modified (only after Greek protests, before that it was just different in background colour) flag of the northern Greek region of Macedonia. Why falsify history? FYROM has nothing to do with Alexander the Great, and yet they keep insisting on it.

I am Greek and I believe that Greece has
right in this case but Greek politicians
have really screwed up.

My points of view:

1) the people that leave presently in FYROM
are mainly Slavs that historically came to the
region in the 6th century AD, much after the ancient
Macedonia. They do not speak the same language
as the ancient Macedonians. However, I recognize
that having lived so many years in this region,
it is natural to consider the ancient Macedonia
part of their culture/inheritance. You can easily
verify the above in wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Macedonia

2) The ancient Macedonia covered a much larger
geographical area the largest part of which
is presently within the geographic borders
of Greece.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macedonia_naming_dispute

3) To me calling FYROM Macedonia is kind of a
history hijacking of Greek culture. This is the
main reason Greeks are complaining about the
name. Alexander and Aristotle, for example, were
Greeks, spoke the Greek language, wrote in Greek,
and followed the Greek culture. Tomorrow, that
FYROM will probably stay in history as Macedonia,
the American or Australian child will never learn that the
ancient Macedonia had nothing to do with the modern
country Macedonia, but was mainly Greek. This
is the reason Greeks are not happy with the issue
and what I call history hijacking :).

4) Though, I second the arguments about the right
of self-determination and for picking your own
name, I dont see why FYROM does not accept a name
like North Macedonia, which 1) would respect their
linkage to the Macedonian region, name, history, and
culture, 2) would be geographically-wise historically accurate; and 3) would also leave Greece happy.

What percentage of today's Greek population are immigrants from Anatolia? They are closer to Turks and population of Asia Minor than to Europeans. Macedonians were not Greeks, how ever, being outnumbered by Greeks, they with the time and superior Greek culture became Helenized. The same thing was with the Slavs in the southern part of Greece. Northern part was dominated by Slav population and with the time Macedonians become Slavenized. Greeks have one leverage and at present it works. As a members of EU they have a veto power. Eventually EU is going to accept rightful name Republic of Macedonia.It is not the name which bothers them, it is the fact they do know that northern part of Greece is populated with people who has been forcefully Helenized, and they are afraid to sooner or later loose territory they never owed.

Macedonia is a young state that became independent in 1991 and its roots run deep in the history. The name "Macedonia" is in fact the oldest surviving name of a country, in the continent of Europe. Archaeological evidence shows that old European civilization flourished in Macedonia, between 7000 and 3500 BC.
Macedonia is located in the centre of the Southern Balkans, north of ancient Greece, east of Illyria, and west of Thrace. The ancient Macedonians were a distinct nation, ethnically, linguistically, and culturally different from their neighbours. The origins of the Macedonians are in the ancient Brygian substratum (a language which influences another language), which occupied the whole of Macedonian territory, and in Indo-European super stratum, which settled here at the end of the second millennium.
History of the names Macedonia and Macedonians
The names "Macedonia" and "Macedonians" have been in existence, survived throughout the history, and at the same time negated. The struggle concerning the legitimacy over the territory of Macedonia is in close connection with these names.
The Macedonian people have been formed, within the frames of geographic and historical ground of Macedonia, in a continuity of developing process (tribe, people, nation). It has acquired the legitimacy over the territory of Macedonia and became the inheritor of all historical and cultural traditions and values. The region has carrying out the name of Macedonia through centuries, as its ethnic and historically legitimate name...
People are coming and going, sytems are changing, civilizations are changing,blogs are opened and closed but the name stays.
Is it a democratic vaue to impose on some nation how to be called?No, it is totaly absurd and could never make sense.Greece has to be preoccupied with their internal matters, how to make the life better there for their people.
In Romania also there is a region Moldova, same as the name of the country Moldova.Applying the logics of Greeks they should create a conflict where it doesn't exist.

I think Serbia's claim to Kosovo is the fact that it has been apart of the country FOR THE LAST 80 YEARS and up until a few weeks ago and not because they lost a battle in 1389 there!!!

Greece's problem with FYROMacedonia is more than a "historic cultural claim" or territorial claims. The issue of Macedonia has been used by the Soviets and Yugoslavs and now the "Macedonian" Slavs as a way of blackmailing Greece, distorting history and laying claim to its territory since the 1940s. Not that this half-wit blogger would care to actually research the issue and isntead likes to make an article out of his own "witty" commentary.

And can someone tell this blogger, or his editor, that the word "historic" cannot be used in that sense. The word he's looking for is historical!!