(North Macedonia)Macedonia, formerly a republic in Yugoslavia, declared its intention to leave the Yugoslavia federation and gained its independence peacefully in 1991 (recognized by the UN under the name FYRO Macedonia, now recognized as North Macedonia). The three principal ethnic groups (Slavic Macedonian, Albanian, and Turkish) have common and specific cultural roots with strong connections to Greek, Slavonic, Albanian and Ottoman cultures.

The country has three mountainous landscapes (the Dinaric/Pindus Alps, the Šar Planina, and the Rila/Rhodopes), two major Lakes (Ohrid and Prespa) and the Vardar River as important factors in the development of the country's history and the different types of vernacular architecture still found.