Crnce

Crnce (Albanian: Cerrcë; Serbian: Црнце, Crnce) is a village in Kosovo^[a] , 2 km south of the town of Istok. ^[1]

Geography

This village of approximately 300 households is located in north-west Kosovo on the border^[a] with Serbia.

Economy

Crnce has approximately 766 residents of working age. Of these, 231 people describe themselves as having some sort of regular cash income. Construction work and public-sector jobs are the two greatest sources of income. The commercial agriculture and industrial sectors in Crnce have largely collapsed. Family farms are presently producing almost exclusively for their own consumption, and only two Crnce farmers report owning more than ten cows. Part of the agricultural decline is believed to be an effect of the former socialist cooperatives no longer supporting farmers with the purchase of inputs or the marketing of produce. There was a construction boom in the first few years after the war in 1999 when 90 percent of the houses in Crnce were destroyed. The largest local construction company, employing 12 people, was launched in 2000. The remainder of the private sector consists of family-run shops, taxis, and other micro-enterprises.^[2]

Notable natives

• Ibrahim Rugova, former President of Kosovo.
• Naser Rugova, Kosovo member of parliament

Notes and references

Notes:

a.	^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo. The latter declared independence on 17 February 2008, while Serbia claims it as part of its own sovereign territory. Its independence is recognised by 85 UN member states.

References:

1. ^ in OpenStreetMap
2. ^ Cutting the lifeline. Migration, Families and the Future of Kosovo