Cerja

Cerje (definite Albanian form: Cerja, Macedonian: Церје, Bulgarian: Церие) is a village at the southeastern end of Pustec Municipality which is officially recognised as a Macedonian minority zone[1] located in the Korçë County of Albania,[2] near the border with Greece. The village is composed of ethnic Macedonians,[3] which form part of the larger Macedonian minority in Albania.[4] According to Bulgarian sources, including researches by a Bulgarian scientist from Albania, the local inhabitants are Bulgarians.[5][6]

Cerje

Церје
Village
Cerje
Coordinates: 40°44′58″N 20°58′32″E
Country Albania
CountyKorçë
MunicipalityPustec
Municipal unitPustec
Population
 (2000)
 • Total252
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)


Bilingual road sign directing to Cerje, written in both Macedonian and Albanian

History

In 1900, Vasil Kanchov gathered and compiled statistics on demographics in the area and reported that the village of Cerja (Церя) was inhabited by about 120 Bulgarian Christians.[7] In 1904, following the Ilinden Uprising, Cerja came under the Bulgarian Exarchate.

In 1911, the village was recorded by Georgi Trajčev as a Bulgarian village having six houses and 54 inhabitants.[8]

In 1939, on behalf of 15 Bulgarian houses in Cerja Fote Fotev signed a request by the local Bulgarians to the Bulgarian tsaritsa Giovanna requesting her intervention for the protection of the Bulgarian people in Albania - at that time an Italian protectorate.[9]

Demographics

According to a 2007 source, Cerja is the least populous village in Pustec Municipality, having only a small amount of elderly residents.[10]

Year Population[11]
1900 120
1926 98
1945 175
1960 250
1969 308
1979 308
1989 297
2000 252

References
  1. https://minorityrights.org/minorities/macedonians/
  2. "Law nr. 115/2014" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2015-06-29.
  3. Xhaxho, Manjola (2007). Minority Rights and the Republic of Albania: Missing the Implementation (Thesis). Faculty of Law, Lund University.
  4. "Census 2011 Data: Resident population by ethnic and cultural affiliation". The Institute of Statistics of Republic of Albania. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
  5. Бело Раки (Belo, Raki). Селищни имена в Мала Преспа - Албания, в: Македонски преглед, ХХХ, № 3, с. 134.
  6. Българите в района на Корча и Мала Преспа (Албания) - съвременна картина, Балканистичен Форум, 2005, №1-3, с. 113-129 (Pashova, Anastasija. Bulgarians in the region of Korcha and Mala Prespa (Albania) nowadays, Balcanistic forum, 2005, issue No: 1-3, pp. 113-129.)
  7. Vasil Kanchov (1901). Васил Кънчов. „Македония. Етнография и статистика“. София, 1900, стр. 241. (Macedonia: Ethnography and Statistics, p. 242 Archived 2017-11-07 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 13 May 2018 (in Bulgarian)
  8. Трайчев, Георги. Български селища в днешна Албания, в: Отецъ Паисий, 15-31 юли 1929 година, стр. 212.
  9. Елдъров, Светозар. Българите в Албания 1913-1939. Изследване и документи, София, 2000, стр. 324-326.(in Bulgarian)
  10. Бело, Раки. Селищни имена в Мала Преска - Албания, в: Македонски преглед, ХХХ, №3, стр.135.
  11. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-02-11. Retrieved 2008-04-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)


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