Municipality of Rankovce
Agricultural Serbian-border municipality on the ancient east-west corridor, covered by EU cross-border cooperation programs.
Rankovce exists on the ancient road connecting the southern Balkans to Istanbul and Asia Minor—today's east-west corridor passing through 242 square kilometers of northeastern Macedonia. This municipality of 3,465 residents borders Serbia to the north, creating geostrategic significance that exceeds its small population and agricultural economy.
The formation era positioned Rankovce along trade routes that determined settlement patterns across centuries of Ottoman, Serbian, and Yugoslav rule. The connection through Kumanovo (50 km) and Skopje (80 km) to the southwest linked the municipality to national networks, while Serbian proximity created cross-border relationships now formalized through EU-funded cooperation programs.
Today Rankovce operates primarily through agriculture, particularly in flat areas like Ginovci village suited to cultivation. The EU's Cross-Border Cooperation (CBC) program between Serbia and North Macedonia covers Rankovce alongside Kratovo, Lipkovo, Kumanovo, Staro Nagoričane, and Kriva Palanka, enabling joint development initiatives. The Northeastern Statistical Region transitioned to independence-era governance after 1991, but corridor positioning remained relevant: unreliable transit through Serbia continues affecting Macedonian exports, notably the early vegetable trade to Germany.
By 2026, Rankovce's position on the east-west corridor could generate development if regional transit improves. The Serbian border crossing enables trade relationships that cross-border programs formalize. But the small population and agricultural base limit autonomous development capacity; the municipality's future depends on broader regional dynamics more than internal resources.