Greek-Macedonian name dispute

For 27 years, Greece and Macedonia have been bedevilled by one of the oddest disputes in international diplomacy – what the smaller, younger and landlocked country of 2.1 million people should be called

5th to 19th centuries CE Slavic and Turkish invasions muddle ethnicity of population, but name of Macedonia endures in area now including Republic of Macedonia, parts of Greece – whose northern region of Macedonia includes heart of ancient kingdom – and Bulgaria

1991: Ex-Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia declares independence. Greece says name implies territorial claim to its own region and amounts to appropriation of Greek heritage

1993: Macedonia joins UN under provisional reference of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia c. 2,300 years ago Greek-speaking kingdom of Macedonia subjugates southern city-states now comprising Greece. Subsequent all-Greek military expedition under Alexander the Great establishes empire reaching as far as India Greatest extent of Alexander’s Macedonian empire, 334-323 BC Boundary of modern geographical Macedonia 2008: Macedonia expresses readiness to accept name Republic of Macedonia (Skopje) in exchange for joining NATO. Greece refuses 2017: Macedonian government under Zoran Zaev pledges to work for compromise to enable country’s NATO and EU accession

June 2018: Greece agrees to recognise Macedonia under name Republic of North Macedonia, but hopes of swift end to dispute evaporate as deal faces barrage of criticism in both countries. Accord must be passed by both parliaments and referendum in Macedonia