A Matter of Names and Flags

The dispute between Greece and Macedonia centers largely on Greek demands that the former Yugoslav republic change its name and stop using certain national symbols claimed exclusively by Greece. Among those symbols is the Macedonian flag, which features a yellow sunburst on a field of red.

Athens maintains that Macedonia’s refusal to comply with its demands reflects Slavic claims to parts of historic Macedonia, a large portion of which is now the northern Greek province of Macedonia. Fearing future claims on its territory, Greece has sought to further the distinction between its province and its new neighbor, which declared its independence in September of 1991.

In an effort to resolve the dispute, the European Union suggested the country adopt the name “Slavic Republic of Macedonia,” a suggestion both countries quickly rejected. The United Nations, meanwhile, has admitted Macedonia under the provisional name “Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia,” or FYROM.