North Macedonia is landlocked and mountainous — roughly 80% of the country sits above 600 metres in elevation, which is a large part of why a country smaller than Belgium manages to fit canyons, ski resorts, and three separate lake systems within a few hours' drive of each other.
Size and borders
At about 25,700 square kilometres, North Macedonia is comparable in size to Belgium or the U.S. state of Vermont. It borders Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Kosovo and Serbia to the north, and Bulgaria to the east.
Mountains
The country is dominated by several mountain ranges, including the Šar Mountains in the northwest (home to some of the highest peaks) and the ranges around Pelister and Mavrovo National Parks — the backbone of the ski and hiking destinations covered elsewhere on this site.
The three lake systems
North Macedonia shares three major lakes with its neighbors: Ohrid and Prespa (both shared with Albania, with Prespa also touching Greece) in the southwest, and Dojran (shared with Greece) in the southeast — each geologically and ecologically distinct despite their relative proximity.
Rivers
The Vardar River, the country's longest, runs roughly north to south through Skopje on its way to the Aegean Sea in Greece — it's the river you'll cross repeatedly walking through the capital.
Climate zones
The south and lake regions have a Mediterranean-influenced climate with hot, dry summers; the mountainous interior and north have a more continental climate with colder winters and heavier snowfall — explaining why Tikveš can be harvesting grapes in warm September sun while Mavrovo is already preparing for ski season.