The landlocked and mostly mountainous country of Macedonia, in southeastern Europe, proclaimed independence from Yugoslavia in September 1991. The UN officially calls the country "The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia"—due to Greece's fear that use of "Macedonia" might imply territorial ambitions toward the Greek region of Macedonia. The democratic government faced a 2001 rebellion launched by ethnic Albanians, who make up 25 percent of the population. Negotiations led to laws making Albanian an official language and providing other minority rights.