North Macedonia

North Macedonia is a landlocked country in the south-central Balkans. It forms about the northern third of the geographical region of Macedonia. It covers 25 713 square kilometers in the center of the Balkan Peninsula, centered around the Vardar River valley, with mountain ranges marking the borders. The varied landscape creates a diverse local climate, which can be divided into eight biomes. The country's varied habitats, both natural and man-made, can be split into 28 broad types. North Macedonia's flora is made up of about 210 families, 920 genera and some 3700 plant species. Flowering plants are the most widespread group with about 3200 species, followed by mosses with 350 species and ferns with 42. 318 bird species have been confirmed, but none are endemic, and 215 species nests in the country. Native forest wildlife is abundant, including bears, wild boars, wolves, foxes, squirrels, chamois and deer. Lynx, although very rare, are found in the mountains of Western Macedonia, and deer in the Demir Kapija region. At least 85 species of mammals live in North Macedonia, four of which are endemic to the Balkans, these are the Western Broad-Toothed Field Mouse, the Balkan Snow Vole, the Felten's Vole and the Balkan Mole. The Eurasian Otter is found in most watercourses, although it is absent from some especially polluted areas. There are 32 reptile species living in the country, of which 16 are snakes, 12 lizards and 4 tortoises. One of the snake species present in North Macedonia is the Caspian Whipsnake, the largest snake in Europe.