What is the capital of North Macedonia?

The capital of North Macedonia is Skopje. The country’s largest city lies in a broad valley along the Vardar River in the northern part of the country, near routes leading toward Kosovo and Serbia.

Skopje has a long history under several empires and states. It was known in antiquity as Scupi, a name associated with the region’s Roman past, and later became an important Byzantine and Ottoman city. The Kale fortress and the Old Bazaar reflect parts of that layered history, while the Stone Bridge connects the old central area across the Vardar.

Skopje became the capital of the independent Republic of Macedonia in 1991, when the country declared independence from Yugoslavia. The modern constitutional name became North Macedonia in 2019 after the Prespa Agreement with Greece. Tirana is the capital of neighbouring Albania, while Ohrid and Bitola are important North Macedonian cities but are not the national capital. A major earthquake in 1963 destroyed much of Skopje and led to an internationally supported rebuilding effort.