Why do earthquakes occur frequently in North Macedonia?

Earthquakes occur frequently in North Macedonia primarily because the country is traversed from north to south by a series of active fault lines. These seismic disturbances are a reflection of the ongoing tectonic compression between several European microplates.31

This regional instability is part of a broader geological context in which the Alpine orogeny—the mountain-building process that formed ranges across Europe—continues to be driven by the northward compression of the African plate into the Eurasian plate. This persistent tectonic stress results in frequent seismic activity throughout the Alpine system, including the region encompassing North Macedonia. Notable historical examples of this activity include the 1963 earthquake that largely destroyed Skopje and the 1967 earthquake at Debar.1234