Should Greeks be allowed to dictate the names of other countries?

Question

Should the Greeks be able to ban the Macedonians and everybody else from calling Macedonia by it's proper name???

Is it fair to force FYROM..onto Macedonia... Isn't Macedonia an independent country with a right to choose it's own name???

Answer 1

AAaaaahhh so that's why people say FYROM! I had no idea. Yes, you choose your own name, as an individual or as a country. Simple as that. It gets trickier when there are a variety of different translations of the name, but I'm guessing most versions of "Macedonia" sound an awful lot like "Macedonia". So Macedonia it is then.

I bought an anniversary present for my folks from a Macedonian girl in Prague. She gave me a discount because I knew where Alexander The Great came from.

Answer 2

It does seem a bit petty, I guess the Greek government has some fears that Macedonia has ideas about annexing the Greek region called Macedonia. Also Greece has issues with FYRO Macedonia being called Macedonia because (I think) the country that was called Macedonia originally was only what is now in Greece, then Alexander the Great's father Philip conquered much the area that is now FYROM. Therefore Greeks probably regard FYROM's claim to the name Macedonia as suspect, but if the area has been known to it's inhabitants as Macedonia for hundreds of years it does seem a bit unfair to impose rules about the name of the country. And I do think it is unlikely that Macedonia will try to claim the Greek region of Macedonia.

Answer 3

Macedonia is Greek! There is a region called Macedonia in Greece, and there has been one for many, many years (Thessaloniki is the capital). Alexander the Great was from this region as well. Accept it or change your name if you don't like FYROM. Countries cannot choose whatever name they want. America can't decide to change it's name to Sweden! Or, at the time (1776), choose Spain! Why not choose a name that wouldn't cause such an issue? Why do you say that Macedonia is FYROM's "proper name?" Answer those questions.

Answer 4

No, Greeks should mind their own business! Macedonia was a separate country long before Hellenes came to the Balkans.
Greeks are arrogant pigs, who stole Macedonian lands and now want the name too... Northern Greece is Bulgarian Macedonia, not Greek land at all.

Answer 5

My Greek friends, I only identify myself as Macedonian from Republic of Macedonia. Do you mind anything?
As we can see people from everywhere are supporting us into question about. It is like that because it is really hard to anyone to understand what you are doing.
And about "idiotic nationalism"- you cannot say Skopje is Skopia as well as Vardar is Axios. Skopje is macedonian name of the city (the capital) and Skopia is the same, but in greek.Just like Thessaloniki is Solun in macedonian. Also for macedonian river Vardar is Axios in greek language. Even you have greek name Hellas, but it is Greece in english. So, into macedonian language we say Makedonija, but in english it is Macedonia - in comparison Makedonia in greek. You are the ones who are confusing and in the same time speaking of future. So, if we are talking about the future, let it be, stop yelling. And, by the way, it is not ancient history the problem. The real problem are two years in past century - 1913 (Balcan wars) and 1947( Greek civil war against Metaxas regime - half of the rebbelers was native Macedonians from Northern Greece who are not having any right on their civilian properties (robbed meanwhile) down there. Any Greek who can explain why anyone who likes to became Greek citizen should be ONLY native Greek (especialy not Macedonian from Northern Greece - the name Greece used for its Northern province until '70-s)?
For the people arround the world: Republic of Macedonia exists from 1945 under the name Socialist Republic of Macedonia (because of the former political system) as one of the federal states consists Yugoslavia - that official name of the state was never problematized by Greece with present "arguments". The truth is the Macedonians should be angry on that part of the history under Greek influence, not the opposite. But we are not .... and many of the Greek people knows it. I personaly discussed with many Greeks and they are not speaking as many discussioners here, at all.
So, again, let us make the future together without blackmales. It is worth as first neighbours.

Answer 6

Technically they are sovereign and can call it what they like. But Macedonia is a historic part of Greece, and the name for another country is not only confusing, but it makes them worry about territorial claims on the REAL Macedonia. Find a more appropriate name.

Answer 7

Dear Tabia,

This is one of the most serious Q that I ever answered here. As you maybe have seen in my Q&A page, I don't use to, I ignore this kind of provocative Q, because I believe that this is a forum of factual knowledge - as it has been caracterized - and for our pleasure as well, not a place for debates. It has no sense to do debates between us, and repeat again and again the same subject, unless the reason that you are posting them is different from that of this forum.
I did it because you have sent me the e-mail with the answer to my comments on your dress.

Use this forum for what it is designed to be, I don't think that it is so influencial to the politics of a country. So please stop this show of historical knowledge between you.
I am enclosing a link where I wrote some comments on this issue that reflect my opinion. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20060629104159AAB04ji&r=w&show_comments=true&pa=FZB6NWHjDG3N56z6v_2zW3wwdMYMevfoWjktAGj87EX3iEc7GY7y5g--#openions

I'll make a comparison between this question and another one refering to the hunting. The conclusion is the same in both of them. I am explaining better what I want to say at this point and I stop it here.
In the 1st case I had said that if there would not be any demand for hunting products, there wouldn't be any need for hunting either.
In this very case, the conclusion is that if you will not maintain the fire(adding woods=) asking this kind of questions you will not receive these answers anymore(and the fire will die, envy between the population will quit).
Believe me, nobody will take you seriously if you are not doing it in the proper place.

Regards

Katerina

Answer 8

well i know here is the US we pronounce names of countries differently then the country pronounces it. Other countries pronouce America differently then American's do, which makes it a whole different word. maybe that is the case with Macedonia.

Answer 9

The name of your country is Vardaria,look at an old map
Stop the idiotic nationalism,behave like Europeans and don t cry when you need us again.I just want you to know that the word Σκοπια of your capital is Greek.The future is in peace and Europe

Answer 10

NO, send them all out of the usa