Geopolitički problemi međunarodnog položaja makedonskog etnikuma i SR Makedonije
Contemporary Characteristics of the Geopolitical Position of the SR of Macedonia and Macedonian Ethnicum

Summary/Abstract: The task of the essay is to try to explain some historical and contemporary aspects of the geopolitical position of the SR of Macedonia and the division of the Macedonian ethnicum. Although it is most natural to observe the position of a country in total, some partial approachments are also possible, and it depends on the achieved stage of democratization of the life and specific features of the boundary contacts and problems with neighbours. In the first part of the essay some general problems are emphasized — before all, the Macedonian ethnicum is characterized by three geopolitically very important facts — except in some older periods it was always territorially divided because of which fact it did not as a whole touch the fact is that today the Macedonians are the only nation in Europe who are not recognized as a nation — according to the Bulgarian statements in the SR of Macedonia two thirds of inhabitants have the Bulgarian national consciousness; special problem are boundaries with neighbours, disputable territories and territorial chopping, which are usual characteristics of the »Balkanization« of area; surrounding states are very specific by their alliances, where from particular problems may result — Albania is of pro-Chinese orientation, Greece belongs to the NATO, and Bulgaria belongs to the Warsaw treaty — such a contract being in all Europe; across the SR of Macedonia it leads towards Albania and the Otrant Gate, i. e. towards Mediterranean, the most convenient connection of the Warsaw treaty countries with the open sea — and the importance of the Gate is not necessary to emphasize: from the other side. Macedonia is the part of the sector which would be of great importance for the NATO strategy in the case of the surrounding of socialist countries. Further in the essay the role of the Macedonian ethnicum is emphasized as a corridor either for historical connections towards Turkey or as a way out for Serbia and Bulgaria towards the sea. Aspirations of Serbia were traditionally directed towards the south and southwest (the way out to the Solun and Medow bay); Bulgaria aspired after the Solun bay by means of Great Bulgaria of the San Stefano treaty. Those territorial expansions ere important also as a formation of a lock against German penetration towards the south-east — Serbia and Montengro ought to be the first obstacle and Great Bulgaria and Albania the second one in that case. Ethnical problems are specially emphasized in the essay — historical arrogations of the Macedonian nationality by Serbia are today substituted by the PR of Bulgaria. There has been taken into consideration also one of the best known elder geographers and a very good expert of conditions on the Balkan Peninsula — Jovan Cvijić — whose understandings were very ambivalent, sometimes reactionary, but concerning the Macedonians they were exceptional! progressive. After that there are some problems of the division of the Macedonian ethnicum between Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Greece and Albania, as well as the appreciation of the relations of strength and congruity of the division with the natural-geographical foundation. New state boundaries made after the Balkan wars and world war I essentially changed some economic characteristics, interrupted the curses of the cattle-breeding moving, changed the gravitation zones, substituting the gravitation towards Salonica by a new gravitation towards Skopje, etc. At the end there are the problems of the nucleus gatherings, then the position of the SR of Macedonia in the so called »Surrounding«, ethnical variety and the boundary distribution of national minorities as well as the contemporary communication - geographical position of the SR of Macedonia which is important in tourist valorization. A short survey has been made also to the changed importance of the Salonica port and generally Vardar-Aegean economic-political orientation.

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