The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Executive Board approved the change following a historic deal which came into force last month.

The Greek Government and Skopje agreed to change the country's name from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to North Macedonia.

Under the deal, Athens dropped its objections to use of the term "Macedonian". 

The country's NOC will now be officially known as the "Olympic Committee of North Macedonia".

It had previously been called the Olympic Committee of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

"The IOC EB noted that the name change of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the Republic of North Macedonia formally took effect at United Nations level as of 14 February 2019," IOC spokesman Mark Adams said here.

"As a result, the National Olympic Committee's name will be updated accordingly from Olympic Committee of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to Olympic Committee of North Macedonia."

Since 1991, when Macedonia declared its independence from the former Yugoslavia, Athens has objected to its name, blocking its NATO and European Union integration and briefly imposing a trade embargo in 1994 because of an historical claim on the country. 

At the United Nations, the Balkan country had been known until now as the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

But more than 140 countries, including the United States, had recognised it as the Republic of Macedonia, ignoring Greece's objections.

Last June, an agreement was reached between Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and his Macedonian counterpart Zoran Zaev, whereby the name "Republic of North Macedonia" would be adopted.

The decision was endorsed in North Macedonia in September following a referendum. 

North Macedonia made its debut in the Olympic Games at Atlanta in 1996.

They have competed in every Summer and Winter Games since.

Their only medal came at Sydney 2000 when Magomed Ibragimov won a bronze in the men's freestyle 85 kilograms wrestling.