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A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local
administrative division Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
found in
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
,
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...
and some of their former colonies, like
Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the cou ...
, and
Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
. The term is derived from the term ''marca'', meaning a "march, mark", plus the prefix ''co''-, meaning "together, jointly". The ''comarca'' is known in Aragonese as ''redolada'' () and in
Basque Basque may refer to: * Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France * Basque language, their language Places * Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France * Basque Country (autonomous co ...
as ''eskualde'' (). In addition, in Galician, ''comarcas'' are also called ''bisbarras'' (). Although the English word "
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
" and its near synonym "
shire Shire is a traditional term for an administrative division of land in Great Britain and some other English-speaking countries such as Australia and New Zealand. It is generally synonymous with county. It was first used in Wessex from the beginn ...
" have similar meanings, they are usually translated into Spanish and Portuguese as ''condado'', a term which in the Iberian peninsula only refers to regions historically ruled by a ''conde'' (
count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
or
earl Earl () is a rank of the nobility in the United Kingdom. The title originates in the Old English word ''eorl'', meaning "a man of noble birth or rank". The word is cognate with the Scandinavian form ''jarl'', and meant "chieftain", particular ...
). However, "comarca" is occasionally used, with examples including the Spanish Wikipedia entry for "comarca" and some translations of
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
(see below).


In the CPLP

In the
Community of Portuguese Language Countries The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (Portuguese: ''Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa''; abbreviated as the CPLP), also known as the Lusophone Commonwealth (''Comunidade Lusófona''), is an international organization and poli ...
(CPLP), ''comarcas'' are used as follows.


Historical

From the
Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
until the 16th century, the ''comarcas'' corresponded to the large administrative divisions of Portugal. There were six such traditional divisions:
Entre-Douro-e-Minho Entre Douro e Minho () is one of the historical provinces of Portugal which encompassed the country's northern Atlantic seaboard between the Douro and Minho rivers. Contemporaries often referred to the province as simply "Minho". It was one of ...
, Trás-os-Montes, Beira, Estremadura,
Alentejo Alentejo ( , ) is a geographical, historical, and cultural region of south–central and southern Portugal. In Portuguese, its name means "beyond () the Tagus river" (''Tejo''). Alentejo includes the regions of Alto Alentejo and Baixo Alent ...
and
Algarve The Algarve (, , ; from ) is the southernmost NUTS II region of continental Portugal. It has an area of with 467,495 permanent inhabitants and incorporates 16 municipalities ( ''concelhos'' or ''municípios'' in Portuguese). The region has it ...
, of which the last had the honorary title of "kingdom". In the 16th century, the ''comarcas'' started gradually to be referred to as "provinces". The name "''comarca''" was then applied to the new administrative and judicial subdivisions of the provinces, created in the 17th century. Each ''comarca'' corresponded to the territorial area of jurisdiction of a ''
corregedor The Corregedor (''Inspector-General'' or ''Magistrate'') was a position established by the Portuguese crown in the 14th-15th century, with the authority to "correct" acts of a local, administrative or judicial nature within the kingdom. Although c ...
'', a high-ranking administrative and judicial officer who represented the Crown in the district. In the 19th century, the ''comarcas'' were replaced by separate administrative and judicial divisions, reflecting the implementation of the separation of executive and judicial powers. The new administrative divisions became the
administrative districts Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
and the new judicial divisions kept the name ''comarca''.


Present

Nowadays, in Brazil, Portugal, and some other countries of the
Community of Portuguese Language Countries The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (Portuguese: ''Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa''; abbreviated as the CPLP), also known as the Lusophone Commonwealth (''Comunidade Lusófona''), is an international organization and poli ...
, the ''comarca'' is the basic territorial division in the
judicial The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudication, adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and app ...
system. It corresponds to the territorial area of jurisdiction of a
court A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...
of first instance. The ''comarca'' may correspond to a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
or group several small municipalities together. Presently, in Brazil, there are 2,680 ''comarcas''. A judiciary organization reform implemented in Portugal in 2014 reduced the number of ''comarcas'' from 231 to 23. According to the new judicial division of 2015,
Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...
will be again subdivided into 60 ''comarcas'', each with a court of first instance. The courts of ''comarca'' will replace the previous provincial and municipal courts. Comarca is also the name of a suburb of
Luanda Luanda () is the capital and largest city in Angola. It is Angola's primary port, and its major industrial, cultural and urban centre. Located on Angola's northern Atlantic coast, Luanda is Angola's administrative centre, its chief seaport ...
, the capital of Angola.


Mexico

The ninth-largest metropolitan area in
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
is known as the
Comarca Lagunera The Comarca Lagunera or La Comarca de la Laguna ("region of lagoons") is a region of northern Mexico occupying large portions of the states of Durango and Coahuila, with rich soils produced by periodic flooding of the Nazas and Aguanaval rivers. ...
.Mikael D. Wolfe. ''Watering the Revolution: An Environmental and Technological History of Agrarian Reform in Mexico''. Durham: Duke University Press 2017. The region is made up of 15 municipalities, including the cities of
Torreón Torreón () is a city and seat of Torreón Municipality in the Mexican state of Coahuila. As of 2021, the city's population was 735,340. The metropolitan population as of 2015 was 1,497,734, making it the ninth-biggest metropolitan area in the ...
,
Coahuila Coahuila (), formally Coahuila de Zaragoza (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Coahuila de Zaragoza ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Coahuila de Zaragoza), is one of the 32 states of Mexico. Coahuila borders the Mexican states of N ...
and
Gómez Palacio Gómez (frequently anglicized as Gomez) is a common Spanish patronymic surname meaning "son of Gome". The Portuguese and Old Galician version is Gomes, while the Catalan form is Gomis. The given name ''Gome'' is derived from the Visigothic word ...
,
Durango Durango (), officially named Estado Libre y Soberano de Durango ( en, Free and Sovereign State of Durango; Tepehuán: ''Korian''; Nahuatl: ''Tepēhuahcān''), is one of the 31 states which make up the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico, situated in ...
.


Panama

In Panama, the ''comarca indígena'' is an administrative region for an area with a substantial
Amerindian The Indigenous peoples of the Americas are the inhabitants of the Americas before the arrival of the European settlers in the 15th century, and the ethnic groups who now identify themselves with those peoples. Many Indigenous peoples of the Am ...
population. Four ''comarcas'' ( Emberá-Wounaan,
Guna Yala Guna Yala, formerly known as San Blas, is a ''comarca indígena'' (indigenous province) in northeast Panama. Guna Yala is home to the indigenous people known as the Gunas. Its capital is Gaigirgordub. It is bounded on the north by the Cari ...
, Naso Tjër Di, and Ngöbe-Buglé) exist as equivalent to
provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
. Two smaller ''comarcas'' (
Kuna de Madugandí Kuna may refer to: Places * Kuna, Idaho, a town in the United States ** Kuna Caves, a lava tube in Idaho * Kuna Peak, a mountain in California * , a village in the Orebić municipality, Croatia * , a village in the Konavle municipality, Croatia ...
and
Kuna de Wargandí Guna de Wargandí or Wargandí, formerly known as Kuna de Wargandí () is a '' comarca indígena'' (indigenous territory) and corregimiento in Pinogana District, Darién Province, Panama with a population of 1,914 as of 2010. It was created by La ...
) are subordinate to a province and considered equivalent to a ''
corregimiento ''Corregimiento'' (; ca, Corregiment, ) is a Spanish term used for country subdivisions for royal administrative purposes, ensuring districts were under crown control as opposed to local elites. A ''corregimiento'' was usually headed by a '' corr ...
''.


Spain

The term ''comarca'' is used in several regions in Spain. * In
Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in nor ...
, the historic division is the ''conceyu'' (pl. ''conceyos'', ''concejo'' or ''municipio'' in Spanish). Currently, there are several ''comarcas'' but they are contemporary creations destined to tourism promotions, without administrative or government powers. * In
Cantabria Cantabria (, also , , Cantabrian: ) is an autonomous community in northern Spain with Santander as its capital city. It is called a ''comunidad histórica'', a historic community, in its current Statute of Autonomy. It is bordered on the east ...
, the ''comarca'' is a traditional or historical division, usually identified with the greatest rivers of the region. * In
Catalonia Catalonia (; ca, Catalunya ; Aranese Occitan: ''Catalonha'' ; es, Cataluña ) is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy. Most of the territory (except the Val d'Aran) lies on the north ...
and
Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and an, Aragón ; ca, Aragó ) is an autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces (from north to sou ...
, the ''comarca'' is a local government area, administered by a ''
comarcal council The comarcal council (Catalan: ''consell comarcal'', Galician: ''consello comarcal'', Spanish: ''consejo comarcal''), also somewhat misleadingly referred to as ''county council'', is a local administration and government body in the comarcas of ...
''. * In the
Valencian Community The Valencian Community ( ca-valencia, Comunitat Valenciana, es, Comunidad Valenciana) is an autonomous community of Spain. It is the fourth most populous Spanish autonomous community after Andalusia, Catalonia and the Community of Madrid with ...
, the ''comarc''a is a traditional region with no administrative competences. They are legally referred as ''homologated territorial demarcations'' instead of as ''comarques''. * In Galicia the ''comarca'' or ''bisbarra'' are traditional divisions of the land that have limited official recognition, but have no administrative relevance. However, the
Galician government The Xunta de Galicia (; "Regional Government of Galicia") is the collective decision-making body of the government of the autonomous community of Galicia, composed of the President, the Vice-President(s) and the specialized ministers (''Consell ...
is attempting to transform the ''bisbarras'' into territorial administrative tiers, to create a new regional network proposed to be more balanced and efficient. Galician ''comarcas'' also have a ''
comarcal council The comarcal council (Catalan: ''consell comarcal'', Galician: ''consello comarcal'', Spanish: ''consejo comarcal''), also somewhat misleadingly referred to as ''county council'', is a local administration and government body in the comarcas of ...
''. In other places, such as
Extremadura Extremadura (; ext, Estremaúra; pt, Estremadura; Fala: ''Extremaúra'') is an autonomous community of Spain. Its capital city is Mérida, and its largest city is Badajoz. Located in the central-western part of the Iberian Peninsula, it ...
, the ''comarca'' may simply refer to a loosely defined region. Because of the ''comarca''s long-standing use, it is sometimes used as the basis for the promotion of
tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...
, with emphasis on local cultural tradition and history.


Fiction

Some Spanish-language editions of British writer
J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philology, philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was ...
's works use the term ''La Comarca'' as a translation for the English "
The Shire The Shire is a region of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, described in ''The Lord of the Rings'' and other works. The Shire is an inland area settled exclusively by hobbits, the Shire-folk, largely sheltered from the goings-on in the ...
".


See also

*
Comarcas of Aragon Here is a list of the administrative ''comarcas'' (counties) in the autonomous community of Aragon in Spain. They were officially delimited in 1999, with substantial changes over a previously proposed division. See also *Comarcal council *Com ...
*
Comarcas of Asturias Asturias, an autonomous community in Spain, is divided into eight comarcas. These ''comarcas'' are not an administrative division of the autonomous community, and are only used as a system to homogenize the statistical data made by the Principality ...
*
Comarcas of Galicia Galicia (Spain), Galicia is divided into ''Comarcas of Spain, comarcas''. In Galician language, Galician, ''comarcas'' are also called ''bisbarras'' (). Comarcas of the province of A Coruña * A Barcala * A Coruña (comarca), A Coruña * Arzúa ...
*
Comarques of Catalonia This is a list of the 42 ''comarques'' (singular ''comarca'', , ) into which Catalonia is divided. A ''comarca'' is a group of municipalities, roughly equivalent to a county in the US or a district or council in the UK. However, in the context ...
*
Comarques of the Valencian Community The ''comarques'' of the Valencian Community, form an intermediate level of administrative subdivision between municipalities and provinces. They are used as a basis for the provision of local services by the Generalitat Valenciana, but do not ha ...
*
Commune (administrative division) A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
*
Kecamatan The term ''district'', in the context of Indonesia, refers to the third-level administrative subdivision, below regency or city. The local term ' is used in the majority of Indonesian areas, except in Papua, West Papua, and the Special Region of ...
*
List of terms for administrative divisions This is a list of English and non-English terms for administrative divisions. English Non-English This is an alphabetical list of native non-English terms for administrative divisions; some, such as ''arrondissement'' and ''okrug'', have become ...
*
Provinces of Panama Panama is divided into ten provinces ( es, provincias) and four provincial-level indigenous regions (Spanish: ''comarca A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some o ...


References


External links


Comarcas de Galicia
official site for the management and promotion of Galician comarcas, maintained by the
Galician Government The Xunta de Galicia (; "Regional Government of Galicia") is the collective decision-making body of the government of the autonomous community of Galicia, composed of the President, the Vice-President(s) and the specialized ministers (''Consell ...

History of comarca divisions in the Catalan Countries
{{Types of administrative country subdivision Geography of Catalonia Administrative divisions in Europe