Xiotis
10-31-2007, 06:01 PM
During the past centuries there have been a vast number of maps published by numerous European cartographers that do not depict Macedonia as our nationalist friends from FYROM define Macedonia.
It was not until the 19th century that cartographers seemed to commonly define "Macedonia" by a combination of 3 Ottoman Villayetes (administrative units). This definition of Macedonia was promoted by Bulgarian foreign policy with the aim of creating a fictitious country that could be later incorporated into Bulgaria propper. It is this same definition of Macedonia that is still being promoted by FYROM's institutions and organizations with the implication that this definition of "Macedonia" has existed with roughly the same boundaries since ancient times.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/unitedmak.gif
Children in FYROM have been taught that this definition of Macedonia has existed with roughly the same boundaries since ancient times while being populated in the vast majority by a 'Macedonian' ethnos. This map, taken from a FYROM school text book, shows how Macedonia was defined and populated circa the period of the slavic Migrations:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/Copyofexample2.jpg
Taken from: Grade 7 History, Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Skopje 1992, page 155
These boundaries as well as the notion of a "Macedonian" ethnicity were unknown at the time! Of course the implication of this propaganda is that we now have a whole generation of people in FYROM thinking that Macedonia existed as an ethno/social entity defined by borders that have remained roughly the same for millenia! From this they conclude that Greece and Bulgaria are occupying territory that rightfully belongs to a "Macedonian" nation. In reality a consensus on their definition of "Macedonia" was only established in the 19th century. Even academics from Skopje concede this fact in their publication "Macedonia and its Relations With Greece" published in 1993:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/scholars2.jpg
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/scholars3.jpg
The geographic region of Macedonia has never belonged to a "Macedonian" nation or ethnos, has never been part of a "Macedonian" state and did not have any ethnic signficance until certain Balkan states manufactured and promoted a "Macedonian" identity in the late 19th century. As a matter of fact, prior to the 19th century there were a vast number of depictions of Macedonia produced that did not even include most of the geography FYROM is located on today.
Example 1: 1747 DG. De L'Isle. Nova et accurata Regni Hungariae Tabula, ad usum Serenissimi Burgundiae Ducis.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/map1747.jpg
Notice how "Macedoine" is depicted as part of the geography of "Grece"
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/macedoine-greece.jpg
Example 2: 1651 - A depiction of "GRAECIA" (Greece) by the cartographer J. Janssonius.
This depiction of Macedonia hardly coincides with the version being peddled by FYROM's institutions today:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/gracia1651.jpg
Example 3: This is the Byzantine theme of Macedonia. FYROM's geography is located in what was the Byzantine theme of BULGARIA!
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/byzantinemacedonia.gif
As usual, claims from official FYROM sources have no basis in fact or reality. Macedonia surely did not have static boundaries for centuries on end. Macedonia surely was not populated in the majority by "ethnic Macedonians" for centuries on end. For centuries most of FYROM's geography was not included in depictions of Macedonia. A quagmire of races resided in Macedonia until the early 20th century. The "Macedonian" ethnic identity did not gain any significant following until the early 20th century. What makes these people think that they are the official representatives of their definition of Macedonia and every major historical figure and event related to the region?
It was not until the 19th century that cartographers seemed to commonly define "Macedonia" by a combination of 3 Ottoman Villayetes (administrative units). This definition of Macedonia was promoted by Bulgarian foreign policy with the aim of creating a fictitious country that could be later incorporated into Bulgaria propper. It is this same definition of Macedonia that is still being promoted by FYROM's institutions and organizations with the implication that this definition of "Macedonia" has existed with roughly the same boundaries since ancient times.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/unitedmak.gif
Children in FYROM have been taught that this definition of Macedonia has existed with roughly the same boundaries since ancient times while being populated in the vast majority by a 'Macedonian' ethnos. This map, taken from a FYROM school text book, shows how Macedonia was defined and populated circa the period of the slavic Migrations:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/Copyofexample2.jpg
Taken from: Grade 7 History, Natural Sciences and Mathematics. Skopje 1992, page 155
These boundaries as well as the notion of a "Macedonian" ethnicity were unknown at the time! Of course the implication of this propaganda is that we now have a whole generation of people in FYROM thinking that Macedonia existed as an ethno/social entity defined by borders that have remained roughly the same for millenia! From this they conclude that Greece and Bulgaria are occupying territory that rightfully belongs to a "Macedonian" nation. In reality a consensus on their definition of "Macedonia" was only established in the 19th century. Even academics from Skopje concede this fact in their publication "Macedonia and its Relations With Greece" published in 1993:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/scholars2.jpg
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/scholars3.jpg
The geographic region of Macedonia has never belonged to a "Macedonian" nation or ethnos, has never been part of a "Macedonian" state and did not have any ethnic signficance until certain Balkan states manufactured and promoted a "Macedonian" identity in the late 19th century. As a matter of fact, prior to the 19th century there were a vast number of depictions of Macedonia produced that did not even include most of the geography FYROM is located on today.
Example 1: 1747 DG. De L'Isle. Nova et accurata Regni Hungariae Tabula, ad usum Serenissimi Burgundiae Ducis.
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/map1747.jpg
Notice how "Macedoine" is depicted as part of the geography of "Grece"
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/macedoine-greece.jpg
Example 2: 1651 - A depiction of "GRAECIA" (Greece) by the cartographer J. Janssonius.
This depiction of Macedonia hardly coincides with the version being peddled by FYROM's institutions today:
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/gracia1651.jpg
Example 3: This is the Byzantine theme of Macedonia. FYROM's geography is located in what was the Byzantine theme of BULGARIA!
http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/xiotis38/byzantinemacedonia.gif
As usual, claims from official FYROM sources have no basis in fact or reality. Macedonia surely did not have static boundaries for centuries on end. Macedonia surely was not populated in the majority by "ethnic Macedonians" for centuries on end. For centuries most of FYROM's geography was not included in depictions of Macedonia. A quagmire of races resided in Macedonia until the early 20th century. The "Macedonian" ethnic identity did not gain any significant following until the early 20th century. What makes these people think that they are the official representatives of their definition of Macedonia and every major historical figure and event related to the region?