It is not advisable to refer to the country as FYROM (fee-ROM) while you are visiting the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Republic of Macedonia is directly transliterated from the Cyrillic as Republika Makedonija, and is pronounced roughly how it would appear to an English speaker: "re-PU-bli-ka mak-e-DON-yʝa".
Touchy topics are Macedonian-Bulgarian, Macedonian-Albanian, and Macedonian-Greek relations. Most Macedonians can hold strong political opinions regarding their neighbours and won't shy away from expressing their views in most cases. Politics often finds its way into conversation over a cup of coffee. To keep from upsetting your hosts or new-found friends avoid topics such as the 2001 war against the KLA, Macedonia's partition during the Balkan wars and Macedonia's pending membership into the European Union or Nato. Don't worry about talking about the Communist period or about Josip Tito; most Macedonians are proud of being part of Yugoslavia, having a leader that defied Stalin's hegemony and are often very nostalgic over it.
With the current situation in Kosovo, be very careful when talking about politics, as there is also a significant Albanian minority here. Ask as many questions as you'd like (within reason), but don't make any statements. Best to keep in mind that roughly one in four people you see on the street are likely to be Albanian and tensions are high between the Macedonian and Albanian communities. In short, keep your political opinions to yourself.
Link: Wikitravel about Macedonia.
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