Macedonia Naming Controversy Explained

In this video I attempted to explain the incredibly complex and surprisingly controversial topic of the naming dispute between Greece, and the country that wished to call itself the "Republic of Macedonia", claiming that the name implies territorial ambitions upon its region, also called Macedonia.

I look at the ancient kingdom of Macedonia, where the name comes from and briefly look at the history of the Balkans and how we arrived at this situation, which became an issue in 1991 when the country declared its independence. More than a quarter of a century later and this dispute remains unsolved.

MUSIC:
River Fire - Kevin MacLeod

[Kagemusha]

What's this? Two Balkan countries disagreeing with one another? I for one am shocked!

[kxz]

The Glorious South Slavic Un-Hellenic Non-Alexandrian Former Yugoslav Democratic Republic of Upper New Vardar Occupied Macedonia-Skopje

edit: nirad802 suggested adding New Vardar
edit 2: Haris Manou said that Macedonia isn't the best option to put in this name, so I'll change it to occupied Macedonia

[CS-srnt]

Short version:
Greece: copyright strike

[ThePeter]

I live in montreal Canada.
But I followed the "north Macedonian" trend and built a statue of Julius Caesar in my backyard 2 yrs ago. Now I consider myself roman, I live in rome and you must call me a roman .

[Alketasgr]

*Saying Alexandros was Macedonian and not Greek, is like saying Leonidas was Spartan and not Greek, Pericles was Athenian and not Greek, or that Oedipus was Corinthian and not Greek.* Back then there wasn't one united Hellas but many independent Greek City States that shared language, religion, beliefs, traditions and culture. That's basic history. But I guess in the world we live in, every nobody can claim something...

[federalfarmer]

i love how you tackle these controversial issues with a high degree of objectivity each and every time

[flioink]

It's hilarious to me as Bulgarian when I hear FYROM-ians claim ancient Greek history and pedigree while at the same time speaking a Bulgarian dialect and using the Cyrillic alphabet. They keep giving the Greeks high blood pressure.
You literally can't parody this shit - it's beyond ridiculous.

[lillyie]

legends say that saying "Macedonia is a country" 3 times in front of a mirror could make an angry Greek appear

[limnmark]

Hellas is another name of Greece. And The ancient Macedonian Kingdom was actually Hellinistic. Like the world that Alexander created

[purplepanda]

WonderWhy: *mentions balkans*
Balkans:

[costasdoctgr]

The video is quite accurate and well done BUT tha major issue is not the name but the fact that people from Skopia claim to be the true descentents of Alexander the Great and of ancient Macedonians. They claim that ancient Macedonias were not Greeks and that the language they spoke had no relation to ancient Greek!!! They simply claim parts of Greek history as their own and that is why Greece can't aggree with the use of the name Macedonia by them.

[aokiaoki]

It's almost 7th of March, Happy horse Easter to all the Turkicdonians !

[fmldominic]

didnt mention that Greece isnt actually called the official name of the country is the Hellenic Republic and macedonia in ancient time was a hellenic kingdom, not

[belstar]

The comment wars caused by this country are hilarious

[ЗонораСлатният]

the ''Vardar Republic'' - ' sounds good to me .

[xxnetherxx]

If the skopjeans (west bulgarians) were "right" about this argument, then why couldn't they ratio this video which CLEARLY states that Macedonia is Greek.

Which, Macedonia is Greek and will NEVER be slavic.

[geonet]

The name "Macedonia" comes from the combination of the ancient Greek linguistic root "mac" which in turn comes from the greek word "mecos/macros" which means "length" and the also ancient Greek word "έδος/'εδαφος" or "edos/edafos" which means "land". The reason for that combination of words (mac+edos) is the shape of the geographical area of the Greek Macedonia back in the time of Homer, who at some point in the Odyssey, mentioned a tribe of Greeks from the "long land", using the word "Macednos" to describe their origin. Thucydides, an ancient Greek historian and general, described the geographical area of Greek Macedonia as "the long land" using the word "Macedonia".
And that, lads, is the Greek origin of the word "Macedonia" and is one more reason why the geographical area that currently belongs to Greece, is the one true Macedonia.
Does the word "Macedonia" even HAVE origins from the language FYROM civilians speak? Does it even MEAN something in their language?

[Thessaloz]

Its really weird that we are speaking in 2018 about an ancient Kingdom that spoke Greek, belived in Greek gods, had the Greek culture etc etc.
Slavs has nothing to do with Macedonia, they have beautiful culture, glorious history and many things to be proud of.

[tasoslts]

It's not just a name. The people of FYROM claim the Greek history. They claim a part of the Greek civilization. They teach their kids in school and home (or brainwash one should say), that they are the true desendants of the ancient Macedonian Kingdom, that the ancient Macedonian Kingdom was not Greek, but ancient slavic and Albanian (all lies, it is undisputably Greek), and such... Their new generations the last 25 years have been raised with these lies due to their ethnicism. That's why we can't solve the problem. Because they claim our history, it is not the name, but behind the name lies a whole history... And just to know, Macedonia is linguistically a Greek word!!

[nikolaos]

Another name that could be really accurate is "Really far India"