Comarca | |
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Category | Comarca |
Location | Spain |
Found in | autonomous communities |
Number | 83 formal, 465 total (as of 20 June 2022) |
Government | |
Subdivisions |
In Spain, a comarca (Spanish: [koˈmaɾka] ) is either a traditional territorial division without any formal basis, or a group of municipalities, legally defined by an autonomous community for the purpose of providing common local government services. In English, a comarca is equivalent to a district, county, area or zone.
Legally defined comarcas
The large majority of legally defined comarcas are in Catalonia (42) and Aragon (33), and are regulated by law and are governed by a comarcal council with specified powers. There are seven comarcas formally registered in Basque Country and one, El Bierzo, in Castile and León. In Andalusia, Galicia, Valencia and Asturias, comarcas are defined by regional law but lack any defined function.
Informal comarcas
In other regions, comarcas are traditional or historical or in some cases, contemporary creations designed for tourism promotions. In some other cases (e.g. La Carballeda) a comarca may correspond to a natural area, like a valley, river basin and mountainous area, or even to historical regions overlapping different provinces and ancient kingdoms (e.g. Ilercavonia).
In such comarcas or natural regions municipalities have resorted to organizing themselves in mancomunidad (commonwealth), like the Taula del Sénia, the only legal formula that has allowed those comarcas to manage their public municipal resources meaningfully.
There is also a comarca, the Cerdanya that is divided between two states, the southwestern half being counted as a comarca of Spain, while the northeastern half is part of France.
Relationship to other groups of municipalities
See also: Local government in SpainThere are also other groupings of municipalities in Spain including provinces, mancomunidades, metropolitan areas and the major islands of the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.
Legally defined comarcas have their boundaries and functions defined by the relevant regional government (autonomous community) and so do not necessarily have boundaries consistent with provinces which are defined by the State. The remit of comarcas is very similar to that of the provinces and has been criticised for duplication. However in Catalonia, the comarca (and not the province) has been the traditional territorial organisation.
List of comarcas of Spain by autonomous communities
Comarcas of Andalusia
Comarcas of the province of Almería
- Alto Almanzora
- Poniente Almeriense
- Comarca Metropolitana de Almería
- Los Vélez
- Los Filabres-Tabernas
- Levante Almeriense
- Alpujarra Almeriense
Comarcas of the province of Cádiz
- Bahía de Cádiz
- Costa Noroeste de Cádiz
- Campo de Gibraltar
- La Janda
- Campiña de Jerez, also called Marco de Jerez
- Sierra de Cádiz
Comarcas of the province of Córdoba
- Alto Guadalquivir
- Campiña de Baena
- Campiña Este - Guadajoz
- Campiña Sur
- Los Pedroches
- Subbetica
- Valle del Guadiato
- Valle Medio del Guadalquivir
Comarcas of the province of Granada
- Alpujarra Granadina
- Comarca de Alhama
- Comarca de Baza
- Comarca de Guadix
- Comarca de Huéscar
- Comarca de Loja
- Costa Granadina
- Los Montes
- Valle de Lecrín
- Vega de Granada
Comarcas of the province of Huelva
- Andévalo
- Condado de Niebla
- Cuenca Minera de Riotinto
- Costa Occidental de Huelva
- Metropolitana de Huelva
- Sierra de Aracena
Comarcas of the province of Jaén
- Alto Guadalquivir - Cazorla
- La Campiña
- El Condado
- Área Metropolitana de Jaén
- La Loma
- Las Villas
- Sierra Norte
- Sierra Mágina
- Sierra de Segura
- Sierra Sur de Jaén
Comarcas of the province of Málaga
- Antequera
- Axarquía (Eastern Costa del Sol)
- Costa del Sol Occidental (Western Costa del Sol)
- Guadalteba
- Málaga - Costa del Sol
- Nororiental de Málaga ("Nororma")
- Serranía de Ronda
- Sierra de las Nieves
- Valle del Guadalhorce
Comarcas of the province of Sevilla
Comarcas of Aragon
Main article: Comarcas of AragonComarcas of the province of Huesca/Uesca
- Alto Gállego
- Bajo Cinca, also called Baix Cinca
- Cinca Medio
- Hoya de Huesca, also called Plana de Uesca
- Jacetania
- La Litera, also called La Llitera
- Monegros
- Ribagorza
- Sobrarbe
- Somontano de Barbastro
Comarcas of the province of Teruel
- Bajo Martín
- Jiloca
- Cuencas Mineras
- Andorra-Sierra de Arcos
- Bajo Aragón
- Comunidad de Teruel
- Maestrazgo
- Sierra de Albarracín Comarca, named after the Sierra de Albarracín mountain range
- Gúdar-Javalambre
- Matarraña (Matarranya in Catalan spelling)
Comarcas of the province of Zaragoza
- Aranda
- Bajo Aragón-Caspe, also called Baix Aragó-Casp
- Campo de Belchite
- Campo de Borja
- Campo de Cariñena
- Campo de Daroca
- Cinco Villas
- Comunidad de Calatayud
- Ribera Alta del Ebro
- Ribera Baja del Ebro
- Tarazona y el Moncayo
- Valdejalón
- Zaragoza
Comarcas of Asturias
Main article: Comarcas of AsturiasComarques of the Balearic Islands
Mallorca
Menorca
Pitiüses
Eskualdeak / Comarcas of the Basque Country
Main article: Comarcas of the Basque CountryEskualdeak / Cuadrillas of the province of Álava-Araba
- Añana
- Aiara / Ayala
- Llanada Alavesa / Arabako Lautada
- Vitoria-Gasteiz
- Gorbeialdea
- Arabako Mendialdea / Montaña Alavesa
- Arabako Errioxa / Rioja Alavesa
Eskualdeak / Comarcas of the province of Biscay
Eskualdeak / Comarcas of the province of Gipuzkoa
Main article: List of regions in Gipuzkoa- Bidasoa-Txingudi
- Debabarrena
- Debagoiena
- Goierri
- Donostialdea
- Tolosaldea
- Urola Kosta
- Urola Erdia
- Urola Garaia
Comarcas of the Canary Islands
Comarcas of the province of Las Palmas
Comarcas of the province of Tenerife
Comarcas of Cantabria
- Comarca de Santander
- Besaya
- Saja-Nansa
- Costa occidental
- Costa oriental
- Trasmiera
- Pas-Miera
- Asón-Agüera
- Liébana
- Campoo-Los Valles
Comarques of Catalonia
Main article: Comarques of CataloniaReference:
Comarques of the province of Barcelona
- Alt Penedès
- Anoia
- Bages
- Baix Llobregat
- Barcelonès
- Berguedà
- Garraf
- Maresme
- Moianès
- Osona
- Vallès Occidental
- Vallès Oriental
Comarques of the province of Girona
- Alt Empordà
- Baix Empordà
- Baixa Cerdanya (partly)
- Garrotxa
- Gironès
- Osona (partly)
- Pla de l'Estany
- Ripollès
- Selva
Comarques of the province of Lleida
- Alt Urgell
- Alta Ribagorça
- Baixa Cerdanya (partly)
- Garrigues
- Noguera
- Pallars Jussà
- Pallars Sobirà
- Pla d'Urgell
- Segarra
- Segrià
- Solsonès
- Urgell
- Val d'Aran
Comarques of the province of Tarragona
- Alt Camp
- Baix Camp
- Baix Ebre
- Baix Penedès
- Conca de Barberà
- Montsià
- Priorat
- Ribera d'Ebre
- Tarragonès
- Terra Alta
Comarcas of Castile–La Mancha
Comarcas of the province of Albacete
- Llanos de Albacete
- Campos de Hellín
- La Mancha del Júcar-Centro
- La Manchuela
- Monte Ibérico-Corredor de Almansa
- Sierra de Alcaraz y Campo de Montiel
- Sierra del Segura
Comarcas of the province of Ciudad Real
Comarcas of the province of Cuenca
- Alcarria conquense.
- La Mancha de Cuenca.
- Manchuela conquense.
- Serranía Alta.
- Serranía Baja.
- Serranía Media-Campichuelo.
Comarcas of the province of Guadalajara
Comarcas of the province of Toledo
- Campo de San Juan
- La Jara
- La Campana de Oropesa
- Mancha Alta de Toledo
- Mesa de Ocaña
- Montes de Toledo
- La Sagra
- Sierra de San Vicente
- Tierras de Talavera
- Torrijos (comarca)
Comarcas of Castile and León
Comarcas of the province of Ávila
- La Moraña
- Comarca de Ávila (Valle de Amblés y Sierra de Ávila)
- Comarca de El Barco de Ávila - Piedrahíta (Alto Tormes y Valle del Corneja)
- Comarca de Burgohondo - El Tiemblo - Cebreros (Valle del Alberche y Tierra de Pinares)
- Comarca de Arenas de San Pedro
Comarcas of the province of Burgos
- Merindades
- Páramos
- La Bureba
- Ebro
- Odra-Pisuerga
- Alfoz de Burgos
- Montes de Oca
- Arlanza
- Sierra de la Demanda
- Ribera del Duero
Comarcas of the province of León
- La Montaña de Luna
- La Montaña de Riaño
- La Cabrera
- Astorga
- El Bierzo
- Tierras de León
- La Bañeza
- El Páramo
- Esla-Campos
- Sahagún
Comarcas of the province of Palencia
Comarcas of the province of Salamanca
- Comarca de Vitigudino (El Abadengo, Las Arribes, Tierra de Vitigudino and La Ramajería)
- Comarca de Ciudad Rodrigo (Ciudad Rodrigo, Campo de Argañán, Campo del Yeltes, Los Agadones, Campo de Robledo and El Rebollar)
- La Armuña
- Las Villas
- Tierra de Peñaranda
- Tierra de Cantalapiedra
- Tierra de Ledesma
- Comarca de Guijuelo (Entresierras, Salvatierra and Alto Tormes)
- Tierra de Alba
- Sierra de Béjar
- Sierra de Francia
- Campo de Salamanca
Comarcas of the province of Segovia
An official classification establishes three comarcas:
or sometimes four:
- Tierra de Pinares (shares with the province of Valladolid).
- Segovia.
- Sepúlveda.
- Tierra de Ayllón.
However, historic approaches (before the national classification into provinces) establish six comarcas:
- Tierra de Pinares.
- Tierra de Ayllón.
- Tierras de Cantalejo y Santa María la Real de Nieva.
- Páramos del Duratón.
- Tierra de Segovia.
- Tierra de Sepúlveda.
Comarcas of the province of Soria
Comarcas of the province of Valladolid
- Tierra de Campos
- Montes Torozos
- Páramos del Esgueva
- Tierra de Pinares
- Campo de Peñafiel
- Campiña del Pisuerga
- Tierras de Medina
Comarcas of the province of Zamora
- Alfoz de Toro.
- Aliste.
- Benavente y Los Valles.
- La Carballeda.
- La Guareña.
- Sanabria.
- Sayago.
- Tábara.
- Tierra de Alba.
- Tierra de Campos.
- Tierra del Pan.
- Tierra del Vino.
Comarcas of Extremadura
Comarcas of the province of Badajoz
- Campiña Sur (Badajoz)
- La Serena, Spain
- La Siberia
- Las Vegas Altas
- Llanos de Olivenza
- Sierra Suroeste
- Tentudía
- Tierra de Badajoz
- Tierra de Barros
- Tierra de Mérida - Vegas Bajas
- Zafra - Río Bodión
Comarcas of the province of Cáceres
- Comarca de Cáceres
- Campo Arañuelo
- La Vera
- Las Hurdes
- Las Villuercas
- Los Ibores
- Sierra de Gata (comarca)
- Tajo-Salor
- Tierra de Alcántara
- Trasierra/Tierras de Granadilla
- Tierra de Trujillo
- Valencia de Alcántara
- Valle del Ambroz
- Valle del Jerte
- Vegas del Alagón
Comarcas of Galicia
Comarcas of the province of A Coruña
- A Barcala
- A Coruña
- Arzúa
- Barbanza
- Betanzos
- Bergantiños
- Eume
- Ferrol
- Fisterra
- Muros
- Noia
- O Sar
- Ordes
- Ortegal
- Santiago
- Terra de Melide
- Terra de Soneira
- Xallas
Comarcas of the province of Lugo
- A Fonsagrada
- A Mariña Central
- A Mariña Occidental
- A Mariña Oriental
- A Ulloa
- Chantada
- Lugo
- Meira
- Os Ancares
- Quiroga
- Sarria
- Terra Chá
- Terra de Lemos
Comarcas of the province of Ourense
- Allariz - Maceda
- A Baixa Limia
- O Carballiño
- A Limia
- Ourense
- O Ribeiro
- Terra de Caldelas
- Terra de Celanova
- Terra de Trives
- Valdeorras
- Verín
- Viana
Comarcas of the province of Pontevedra
- A Paradanta
- Caldas
- O Deza
- O Baixo Miño
- O Condado
- O Morrazo
- O Salnés
- Pontevedra
- Tabeirós - Terra de Montes
- Vigo
Comarcas of La Rioja
- Rioja Alta
- Rioja Baja
- Tierra de Cameros
- Camero Nuevo (from Iregua river to West)
- Camero Viejo (from Leza river to East)
Comarcas of Madrid
- Comarca de Alcalá or Tierra de Alcalá
- La Alcarria
- Madrid
- Corredor del Henares
- Sierra Norte
- Sierra Este
- Sierra Noroeste
- Sierra Oeste
- Madrid Sur
- Las Vegas del Tajo
- Vega del Jarama
Comarcas of Region of Murcia
Main article: Comarcas of Region of Murcia- Altiplano
- Alto Guadalentín
- Bajo Guadalentín
- Campo de Cartagena / Comarca de Cartagena
- Huerta de Murcia
- Región del Mar Menor / Comarca of Mar Menor
- Región del Noroeste / Comarca del Noroeste
- Región del Río Mula / Cuenca del Río Mula
- Región Oriental
- Valle de Ricote
- Vega Alta / Comarca de la Vega Alta del Segura
- Vega Media / Comarca de la Vega Media del Segura
Eskualdeak / Comarcas of Navarre
Main article: Comarcas of Navarre- Bortziriak / Cinco Villas
- Baztan
- Tudela
- Bidasoa Garaia / Alto Bidasoa
- Sakana / Barranca
- Aralarraldea / Norte de Aralar
- Ultzamaldea
- Agoitz / Aoiz
- Irunberri / Lumbier
- Auñamendi
- Iruñerria / Cuenca de Pamplona
- Gares / Puente la Reina
- Estella Oriental
- Estella Occidental
- Zangoza / Sangüesa
- Tafalla
- Ribera del Alto Ebro
- Ribera Arga-Aragón
- Erronkari-Zaraitzu / Roncal-Salazar
Comarques of the Valencian Community
Main article: Comarques of the Valencian CommunityComarques of the province of Alicante
- Alacantí
- Alcoià
- Alt Vinalopó
- Baix Vinalopó
- Comtat
- Marina Alta
- Marina Baixa
- Vega Baja del Segura / Baix Segura
- Vinalopó Mitjà
Comarques of the province of Castellón
Comarques of the province of Valencia
- Camp de Túria
- Camp de Morvedre
- Canal de Navarrés
- Costera
- Hoya de Buñol
- Horta
- Los Serranos
- Requena-Utiel
- Rincón de Ademuz
- Ribera Alta
- Ribera Baixa
- Safor
- Vall d'Albaida
- Valle de Cofrentes-Ayora
See also
Notes
- In other languages of Spain:
- Catalan comarques (IPA: [kuˈmaɾkəs]), sing comarca.
- Galician comarcas (IPA: [koˈmaɾkɐs]), sing. comarca.
- Basque eskualdeak (IPA: [es̺kualdeak], sing. eskualde.
References
- Local Government Act 1985, Article 42.
- ^ Register of Local Entities.
- Cools & Verbeek 2013, Explanatory Memorandum paragraph 33 on page 11.
- Cools & Verbeek 2013, Explanatory Memorandum paragraph 221 on page 38.
- Cools & Verbeek 2013, Explanatory Memorandum paragraph 221 on page 38 and paragraph 2 of the Summary.
- Albet i Mas 2019, p. 27.
- "Idescat. Anuari estadístic de Catalunya. Nombre de municipis i població. Comarques i Aran". www.idescat.cat (in Catalan). Retrieved 2020-07-14.
Bibliography
- "Local Government Act (Organic Law 7/1985)" (in Spanish). Agencia Estatal Boletín Oficial del Estado. 1985. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
- Spanish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation. "Register of Local Entities". Local Entity Portal (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 June 2022.
- Cools, Marc; Verbeek, Leen (19–21 March 2013). Local and regional democracy in Spain. Council of Europe.
- Albet i Mas, Abel (2019). "The municipal map in Spain: structure, evolution and problems". Geopolitica(s). Revista de estudios sobre espacio y poder (in Spanish). 10 (1): 11–40. doi:10.5209/GEOP.63834.
External links
- Conocer España, detailed list of the Spanish comarcas with links (in Spanish).
- Spain Comarcas, list of the Spanish comarcas
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