Skopje, << SKOP yeh >> (pop. 503,449), is the capital of North Macedonia, a country in southeastern Europe. Skopje lies in the northern part of the country, along the Vardar River. Most of the city was destroyed or damaged by an earthquake in 1963. The city was rebuilt with earthquake-resistant construction. Historic structures that remain include an ancient fortress, a Turkish bath, a bridge over the Vardar, and a Muslim mosque.
Products made in Skopje include agricultural machinery, beer, bricks, cement, chemicals, glass, steel, and tobacco products. Other industries include fruit and vegetable processing, leather processing, and woodworking.
The city, originally known as Scupi, became an important settlement in the kingdom of Illyria about 3,000 years ago. From the A.D. 300’s to the 500’s, it was an economic, political, and religious center of a Roman district. After occupation by Slavs in 695, the city received the name Skopje.
