Comarca

A ''comarca'' (, or , or ) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama. 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 as ''eskualde'' (). In addition, in Galician, ''comarcas'' are also called ''bisbarras'' ().

Although the English word "county" and its near synonym "shire" 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 or earl). However, "comarca" is occasionally used, with examples including the Spanish Wikipedia entry for "comarca" and some translations of The Lord of the Rings (see below).

In the CPLP

In the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), ''comarcas'' are used as follows.

Historical

From the Middle Ages until the 16th century, the ''comarcas'' corresponded to the large administrative divisions of Portugal. There were six such traditional divisions: Entre-Douro-e-Minho, Trás-os-Montes, Beira, Estremadura, Alentejo and Algarve, 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'', 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 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 ''comarca'' is the basic territorial division in the judicial system. It corresponds to the territorial area of jurisdiction of a court of first instance.

The ''comarca'' may correspond to a municipality 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 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, the capital of Angola.

Mexico

The ninth-largest metropolitan area in Mexico is known as the Comarca Lagunera.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, Coahuila and Gómez Palacio, Durango.

Panama

In Panama, the ''comarca indígena'' is an administrative region for an area with a substantial Amerindian population. Four ''comarcas'' ( Emberá-Wounaan, Guna Yala, Naso Tjër Di, and Ngöbe-Buglé) exist as equivalent to provinces. Two smaller ''comarcas'' ( Kuna de Madugandí and Kuna de Wargandí) are subordinate to a province and considered equivalent to a ''corregimiento''.

Spain

The term ''comarca'' is used in several regions in Spain.

* In Asturias, 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, the ''comarca'' is a traditional or historical division, usually identified with the greatest rivers of the region.
* In Catalonia and Aragon, the ''comarca'' is a local government area, administered by a '' comarcal council''.
* In the Valencian Community, 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 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''.

In other places, such as Extremadura, 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, with emphasis on local cultural tradition and history.

Fiction

Some Spanish-language editions of British writer J. R. R. Tolkien's works use the term ''La Comarca'' as a translation for the English "The Shire".

See also

* Comarcas of Aragon
* Comarcas of Asturias
* Comarcas of Galicia
* Comarques of Catalonia
* Comarques of the Valencian Community
* Commune (administrative division)
* Kecamatan
* List of terms for administrative divisions
* Provinces of Panama

References

External links

Comarcas de Galicia
official site for the management and promotion of Galician comarcas, maintained by the Galician Government

History of comarca divisions in the Catalan Countries

{{Types of administrative country subdivision

Geography of Catalonia
Administrative divisions in Europe