The Republic of North Macedonia is a small landlocked country located in the center of the Balkans. It stands as a testament to the complications of multi-ethnic coexistence and serves as an example of the effects that can be caused by the mismanagement of ethnic integration. Since it’s establishment as a nation it has been followed by many ethnic problems. The reasons for this being the very way it was formed and the history of its land area itself. These problems, however hidden they may be, continue in the form of deeply ingrained prejudice that the Albanian and Macedonian ethnic groups have toward each other.  
First, we must start with the early history of North Macedonia and go all the way back to antiquity. The first known country to have been established here was the country of Paeonia having a population of mixed Thraco-Illyrian origins and was located roughly in the region of North Macedonia. Important information to note is that the Albanians are considered to be descendants of Illyrians. Through the passing of time and many wars this territory changed hands many times and so did the ethnicities living in it. A significant event in the identity of the Macedonians was the migration of the Slavs into the Balkans during the 6th century which gave them their Slavic identity but also is said to have led to the immigration of many Albanians to the mountainous regions of western North Macedonia. The migration of the Albanian population continued during the ottoman rule and the Balkan wars because of constant threats to their safety. They went to Tetovo, Kumanovo, Gostivar, Debar and many other places where they still remain to this day. After world war I the borders of Albania were drawn incorrectly, and many Albanians ended up living in the Socialist Republic of Macedonia. The final notable change that the Albanian population in North Macedonia experienced was Yugoslavia allowing Muslim Albanians to immigrate to Turkey. But instead of going to Turkey many of them ended up staying in the Socialist Republic of Macedonia (“History of North Macedonia”).  
In 1991, the Republic of Macedonia seceded from the Yugoslav federation after a referendum in which two-thirds of the population voted in favor of independence. Up until this point, the two dominant ethnic groups Albanians and Macedonians had led “peaceful yet separate lives under Yugoslav rule” (Petroska-Beska and Najcevska 3). The Macedonians lived in urban area and dominated the industry while Albanians lived in less developed rural areas and usually had a lower level of education. However, the Republic of Macedonia being declared as an independent state, is when the ethnic tensions started rising. The new constitution promised “full equality as citizens and permanent co-existence with the Macedonian people,” (Petroska-Beska and Najcevska 3) but the disparity between the two ethnicities continued. The Kosovo Liberating Army who were previously involved in the liberation of Kosovo saw similarities in the ways that Albanians were being treated in Serbia and in Macedonia, so under the name of National Liberating Army, they launched a low intensity war with the Macedonian security forces. Macedonians began to worry when NLA guerrillas surrounded Aračinovo, a few kilometers away from the capital city Skopje. Until then, they were confined to the northwestern Albanian-majority region. Eventually the two parties signed the Ohrid Framework Agreement (Ibáñez). This agreement officially stated Albanian as one of the two national languages without making distinction to which is the first or the second.  
Still ethnic segregation exists in North Macedonia and has become a part of daily life. Skopje the capital is one of the cities where the segregation is most visible as the rich Macedonian neighborhoods are separated from the poorer Albanian ones by the Vardar River. According to an article by Miguel Fernández Ibáñez a local stated how ethnic divide was apparent in the community:    
“Macedonians and Albanians do not know each other beyond a standard greeting. Furthermore, some people move to live in mono-ethnic neighborhoods. Or there are bars, which despite being next to each other, are mono-ethnic. When I was a child, there was a square that Albanians occupied for a few hours, and then it was the turn of Macedonians. It was like a shift change at work.”  
However dystopian this may seem it is a reality for many citizens in North Macedonia. The ethnic segregation is also seen greatly effecting the education system where you can see students learning under the same roof but on different floors. They are taught subjects in their native language limiting the interaction between Albanian and Macedonian ethnicities. This has very much rooted an “us" versus “them” mentality deep in Macedonian society, (Petroska-Beska and Najcevska 4). where the new generations are surrounded by prejudices and don’t have any real interactions with the other ethnicity unfortunately leading to viewing them as their opponents   
In conclusion since the beginning of history the territory of North Macedonia has been subject to many immigrational movements, which had led to an ethnically diverse country. Throughout its history it has constantly changed hands from one empire to another, leaving the Macedonian people with an identity that has sparked many debates in the Balkan region. Past conflicts and tensions between the Macedonians and the Albanians have caused the unwillingness for multi-ethnic understanding and ethnic segregation in education and daily life which will continue to further instill the already deeply rooted prejudices in the Macedonian and Albanian societies.