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The various terms used to describe the different (and frequently overlapping) geographical, political and historical areas of the region traditionally referred to as Macedonia are often a source of confusion for people from other parts of the world, and seemingly for the inhabitants of the region themselves. The purpose of this article is to explain the meanings of and inter-relationships among those terms.

The term "Macedonia" itself can have one of many meanings depending on context.

• Macedonia (as a current geographical term) refers to a region of the Balkan peninsula in south-eastern Europe. The territory corresponds to the basins of (from west to east) the Haliacmon (Aliákmon, Bistritsa) Vardar (Axios) and Struma (Strymónas) rivers, and the plains around Thessaloniki (Solun) and Serres (Serez).
• Macedonia (as an ancient kingdom) refers to a kingdom in the northern-most part of ancient Greece, bordering the kingdom of Epirus on the west and the region of Thrace to the east.
• Macedonia (as a province in the Roman Empire) lasted from 146 BCE to 395 CE. It incorporated Epirus vetus Thessaly, and parts of Illyria and Thrace.
• Macedonia (as a sovereign state) refers to the Republic of Macedonia.
• Macedonia (as a region of Greece) refers to one of the three regions of Northern Greece.

There are many other terms which include "Macedonia", the terms with technical meanings are:

In geography

• Macedonia
  • Aegean Macedonia is an area in the south of the Macedonia region. The borders of the area approximately coincide with Greek Macedonia.
  • Pirin Macedonia is an area in the east of the Macedonia region. The borders of the area approximately coincide with the Blagoevgrad Province in Bulgaria.
  • Vardar Macedonia is an area in the north of the Macedonia region. The borders of the area approximately coincide with the Republic of Macedonia.

In linguistics

• Macedonian (as a contemporary language) is a language in the South Slavic branch of the Indo-European family.
• Macedonian (as an extinct language of antiquity) was a language in the Indo-European family.
• Macedonian (as a dialect) is a dialect of Modern Greek, a language in the Indo-European family.

In politics

Μακεδονία (Macedonia)

Македонија (Macedonia)

• The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM - IPA /ˈfajˌro̞m/) is a term used to refer to the Republic of Macedonia by the United Nations, the European Union and all other international organisations. The term came to be used as the result of a naming dispute with Greece. Some countries use the term to refer to the Republic of Macedonia as a stop-gap measure before a full resolution of the naming dispute. Both the Republic of Macedonia and Greece consider this name a compromise, opposed by Greece for containing the term Macedonia (being a Greek self-identifying name), and by Republic of Macedonia (since it does not use the short self-identifying name, as insisted). Greece uses it in both the abbreviated (FYROM or ΠΓΔΜ) and spellout form (πρώην Γιουγκοσλαβική Δημοκρατία της Μακεδονίας). The appellation used unofficially by Greece internally is Republic of Skopje (from the country's capital Skopje).

• Greek Macedonia
  • West Macedonia
  • Central Macedonia
  • East Macedonia
• Republic of Macedonia is the name of the sovereign state which occupies part of the geographical region of Macedonia.

Names in the official languages of the region

Macedonia

Albanian: Maqedonia

Bulgarian: Македония (Makedonija)

Greek: Μακεδονία (Makedonia)

Macedonian: Македонија (Makedonija)

Aromanian: Machidunia

Turkish: Makedonya

Romany: Machedoniya

Terminology by group

Each group in Macedonia will use various terms in often conflicting ways. There follows a list of how each group generally uses the terms.

Bulgarian terminology

• Garkomani (Гъркомани) is a derogatory term used to refer to the portion of the Slavic-speaking minority of Greek Macedonia who self-identify as Greeks and form the largest group of Slavic speakers.

Greek terminology

• Macedonia (Μακεδονία) can refer to the region of Macedonia or Greek Macedonia depending on the context - usually the first being disambiguated.
• Macedonian (Μακεδόνας) refers to an inhabitant of Greek Macedonia.
• Macedonian Slav, Slavic Macedonian or Slavomacedonian (Σλαβομακεδόνας) refers to a member of the Macedonian ethnic group.
• Macedonian Slavic, Slavic Macedonian or Slavomacedonian (Σλαβομακεδονικά) refers to the Macedonian language.
• Republic of Skopje (Δημοκρατία των Σκοπίων) refers to the Republic of Macedonia.
• State of Skopje (Κράτος των Σκοπίων) refers to the Republic of Macedonia.
• Skopia (Σκόπια) refers to either the Republic of Macedonia or it's capital city of Skopje.
• Skopian (Σκοπιανός) refers to a member of the Macedonian ethnic group.
• Skopianika (Σκοπιανικά) refers to the Macedonian language.
• Slavophone (Σλαβόφωνος) refers to a member of the Slavic speaking minority in Greece, which consists of Bulgarians, ethnic Macedonians and Greek-identifying Slavic-speakers.
• Bulgaroskopian (Βουλγαροσκοπιανός) is a derogatory term used by Greeks to refer to ethnic Macedonians.

Macedonian terminology

• Grkomani (Гркомани) is a derogatory term used to refer to the portion of the Slavic-speaking minority of Greek Macedonia who identify as Greeks and form the largest group of Slavic speakers.
• Bugarashi (Бугараши) is derogatory term used to refer to people in the Republic of Macedonia self-identifying as Bulgarian, or having a pro-Bulgarian orientation.
• Macedonia can refer to either the region of Macedonia or the Republic of Macedonia.
• Aegean Macedonia (Егејска Македонија - Egeyska Makedoniya) refers to the Greek region of Macedonia.
• Pirin Macedonia (Пиринска Македонија - Pirinska Makedoniya) refers to the Blagoevgrad Province of Bulgaria.

Notes

1. The name Aegean Macedonia can be considered offensive when used to refer to the region in Northern Greece, as it can be used by irredentist organizations in the Republic of Macedonia who support a Unified Macedonia, which is contrary to the interests and desires of the people living in the area.
2. The abbreviated term fYRoM can be considered offensive when used to refer to the Republic of Macedonia. The spellout of the term (former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia) is not necessarily being considered offensive, but some ethnic Macedonians may still find it offensive due to their right of self-identification being ignored. The term can also be offensive for Greeks under certain contexts, since it contains the word Macedonia.
3. The constitutional name of the country Republic of Macedonia and the short name Macedonia when referring to the country, can be considered offensive by most Greeks and Greek Macedonians. The official reasons for this as described by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs are:

   The choice of the name Macedonia by FYROM directly raises the issue of usurpation of the cultural heritage of a neighbouring country. The name constitutes the basis for staking an exclusive rights claim over the entire geographical area of Macedonia. More specifically, to call only the Slavo-Macedonians Macedonians monopolizes the name for the Slavo-Macedonians and creates semiological confusion, whilst violating the human rights and the right to self-determination of Greek Macedonians. The use of the name by FYROM alone may also create problems in the trade area, and subsequently become a potential springboard for distorting reality, and a basis for activities far removed from the standards set by the European Union and more specifically the clause on good neighbourly relations. The best example of this is to be seen in the content of school textbooks in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

• Macedonia