Rankovce (Macedonian: ) is a municipality in the northeastern region of the Republic of North Macedonia. Rankovce is also the name of the town where the municipal seat is found. Rankovce Municipality is part of the Northeastern statistical region.
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Geography and location
Rankovce municipality is located in the northeastern part of North Macedonia. It covers an area of 242 km2.
The municipality borders Serbia to the north, Kriva Palanka Municipality to the east, Kratovo Municipality to the south and Staro Nagoričane Municipality to the west.
It has a significant geostrategic position because it borders Serbia to the north and Bulgaria indirectly, through Kriva Palanka municipality, to the east. An important road passes through it connecting the southern Balkans to Istanbul and Asia Minor, today known as the east–west corridor.
The municipality is connected through the south-west highway with Kumanovo (50 km) and Skopje (80 km). It is 20 km east to Kriva Palanka, 60 km to the Bulgarian border crossing Kjustendil and 25 km south to Kratovo.
It lies on the Slavishko Pole, a large plain that was a former lake in the Pliocene age, and to the north and south is surrounded by mountains. The climate is moderate-continental driven by the mountain ranges and the influence of the Aegean Sea through the river of Kriva Reka. The average temperature is 10.2 °C. Through the year, the warmest month is July with average temperature of 20.0 °C, while the coldest month is January with average temperature of 0.3 °C.
The soil of this area is very heterogeneous. There are many springs, rivers and streams due to the relatively high altitude and soil makeup. The most powerful is the Turanic spring at an altitude of 1,800m. Other notable springs are Carev Vrv (Kriva Reka), Bela Voda and Kalin Kamen.
The whole territory is a drainage-basin for the river Kriva Reka. Other smaller rivers (Kiselichka, Kriljanska and Durachka) pour into the Kriva Reka.
Cultural and natural sights
The municipality has eight churches:
Church of St Nicholas in Ginovci - dating from the 17th century, restored in the 19th century.
Church of St Nicholas in Opila - originating from the 13th or 14th century. The church is noted for the entrance stairs, one of the only churches in the region with an elevated entrance.
Church of St Jovan in Otoshnica - built in the 19th century.
Church of St George in Petralica - church dating from the 17th century, renovated in the 19th century. The church is noted for the royal gates which are now located in the guest room of the Institute for Protection of Monuments and Culture.
Monastery of St Nicholas in Psacha - monastery dating from the 14th century and was built by Vlatko Paskačić, a nobleman during the time of King Dusan. The monastery choir is noted for The Bronze Horos which is exhibited in the Museum of Macedonia and is of great historical significance.
Church of St Paraskeva in Radibush - dating from the 19th century.
Church of the Virgin in Rankovce - dating from the 19th century.
Church of the Trinity in German - unknown date of origin.
Some of the natural or tourist sites in the municipality include:
Ezerce, a picnic site in the village of Petralica popular with tourists in the summer. It has a pond, traditional restaurant and is surrounded by forest.
Dam Otoshnica - a dam with a picnic spot by the reservoir.
Social institutions
The Municipality of Rankovce contains an elementary school, Hristijan Todorovski - Karpos, in the town of Rankovce. The school been open since 1956. It is currently in a renovated school building that opened in 2000. The number of students in this school year is 417 students. The total school staff is 50 employees of which 42 are teachers. The school teaches many subjects including literature, sciences, maths, geography, history, English and Spanish. Students prepare a school newspaper that traditionally comes out once a year in May.
Inhabited places
Settlements
Baratlija (Баратлија) - specific data is not available for this village because it is considered to be part of Petralica. The village is ritsko mountain - scattered neighborhood type.
Vetunica (Ветуница) - settlement located in the southwest part of the territory of the municipality, on the right side of the Kriva River with a smaller river passing through the village. The village is scattered neighborhood type, populated since late antiquity, it has an archaeological site. The settlement lies directly on the road to Kumanovo The municipality bus station is located about 600 meters from the village center.
Vržogrnci (Вржогрнци) - village is located in the western part of the municipality, its surroundings bordering Kratovo Municipality and Klechovce. The municipal center is 7 km distance from the main road. The settlement is scattered neighborhood type and has been populated since late antiquity, as reflected in the archaeological sites of this period: Blidezh and Lutavchina.
German (Герман) - is located in the northern part of the territory. It is in the area bordering Serbia on one side and the other side the border with the Municipality of Old Nagoricane. This village is at a high altitude and of dispersed type with a municipal center a distance of about 20 km from the road. The village has asphalt local road.
Ginovci (Гиновци) - settlement is located on the southern Slavishko Pole not far from the highway to Kumanovo. The municipal center is 4 km from the road. 500m from the village is the river. The village is on flat ground and it is suitable for agricultural production. The village has 311 residents of whom 304 are Macedonians, 2 declared as Serbs, 4 as Roma and 1 other.
Gulinci (Гулинци) - village is located in the western part of the municipality in the area bounded by the Municipality of Old Nagoricane. The village is of the scattered neighborhood type. From the municipal center it is 7 km to the road.
Krivi kamen (Криви Камен) - village is located on the northern part of the municipality. This mountain village's municipal center is 9 km distance from the road. The villages water is not in good condition and that is one of the reasons for the depopulation of the village. In 1961 there were 237 people living there but now there are only 23 inhabitants (all of the Macedonian Orthodox religion and ethnicity).
Government
Ivica Toševski an Independent was mayor until October 31, 2021, when new elections took place and Borce Spasovski was elected for VMRO-DPMNE.
Mayor
Borce Spasovski, a candidate of VMRO-DPMNE was elected mayor for a four-year term in the second round of local elections on October 31, 2021.
Council of the Municipality (2021-2025)
Aleksandra Stamboliska Jovanovska
Daniel Pavlovski
Aneta Cvetkovska
Marjan Dodevski
Mome Spasovski
Goran Mladenovski
Darko Spasovski
Marina Simonovska
Ljube Micevski
Symbols of the municipality
Flag
The main color of the flag is red. The flag has triangles around the edges that form an ancient Macedonian heraldic braid. In the upper left corner of the flag is the coat of arms.
Coat of arms
The coat of arms is a shield - it is yellow outlined with a thin black line. In the centre are two bird goddesses that watch over the symbol of a monastery. The birds are said to have discovered the monastery site, named Shtrkovica, in the village of Opila (Опила). The original version can be seen in the form of engraved in stone at the ends of the front wall of the monastery in the village of Psača (Псача).
Demographics
According to the 2021 North Macedonia census, the Rankovce Municipality has 3,465 residents. Ethnic groups in the municipality: