01 July 2010, 7am

Skopje is the capital city of the Republic of Macedonia, and home to about 600,000 inhabitants. It is located at an altitude of 245 meters, and is an important transit centre in the Balkans, rich in its historic past. The site of modern Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000BC. On 26 July 1963 Skopje was destroyed in a devastating earthquake, but thanks to international solidarity Skopje has emerged as a modern European city.