Resumen de In place of a foreword: facts about the Republic of Macedonia and the Macedonian language

Zuzanna Topolinjska

• This introduction embraces two complexes of facts: those about the Republic of Macedonia and those about the Macedonian language.

  In thefirstpart I present basic facts about the contemporary Republic of Macedonia: its main topographic and demographic characteristics, its frontiers äs opposed to the borders ofthe geographical region known under the name of Macedonia. I also gave here some basic facts pertaining to the political and cultural history of the Macedonian ethnos. Finally, brief Information about the actual policy ofthe Macedonian state is presented.

  The second pari of my foreword is dedicated to the present-day Status and the history of the Macedonian language. I discuss here the genetic affiliation ofthe Macedonian dialectal complex, the borders ofthe territory where Macedonian dialects are spoken today, andafew basic facts concerning the dialectal differentiation ofthe Macedonian linguistic territory. Then I give an outline of the history of the Macedonian diasystem and briefly discuss processes that have led to the formation of Modern Standard Macedonian.