Comarcas of Spain

In Spain, a comarca () is a traditional informal territorial division, comprising several municipalities sharing geographical, economic or cultural traits, typically with not well defined limits. Modernly, they have been formally defined for all the autonomous communities of Spain, as territorial entities intermediate between the municipality and the province, although their status ranges from official and with administrative functions (providing common local government services) in some communities, to unofficial and based on mere preliminary studies in other communities.

In English, a comarca is equivalent to an area, county, district, or zone.

Legally defined comarcas In 1985, a law was passed permitting territorial division into comarcas by each autonomous community. Because comarcas are subdivisions created by autonomous regions and not the state, their boundaries may overlap the boundaries of provinces within their respective autonomous community, creating instances in which a comarca has territory in more than one province.

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 specific 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 (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

There 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 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 Aljarafe Bajo Guadalquivir Campiña Estepa Marisma Sierra Norte Sierra Sur La Vega

Comarcas of Aragon

Comarcas 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

Avilés Caudal Eo-Navia Gijón / Xixón Nalón Narcea Oriente Oviedo / Uviéu

Comarques of the Balearic Islands

Mallorca Palma de Mallorca Serra de Tramuntana Es Raiguer Es Pla Migjorn Llevant

Menorca Menorca

Pitiüses Eivissa Formentera

Eskualdeak / Comarcas of the Basque Country

Eskualdeak / 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

Arratia-Nerbioi Busturialdea Durangaldea Enkarterri Gran Bilbao Lea-Artibai Mungialdea

Eskualdeak / Comarcas of the province of 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 Fuerteventura Lanzarote Las Palmas

Comarcas of the province of Tenerife El Hierro La Gomera La Palma Tenerife Valle de Güímar Valle de la Orotava Icod Daute Isla Baja Isora-Teno Tenerife Sur (Adeje-Arona) Tenerife Sur (Granadilla-Arico) Acentejo Metropolitana-Anaga

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

Reference:

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 Valle de Alcudia Campo de Calatrava Mancha Montes Campo de Montiel Sierra Morena

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 Campiña de Guadalajara Campiña del Henares La Alcarria La Serranía Señorío de Molina-Alto Tajo

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

Cerrato Palentino Montaña Palentina Páramos Valles Tierra de Campos

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:

Segovia. Cuéllar. Sepúlveda.

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 Campo de Gómara Almarza Almazán Berlanga Frentes Pinares Moncayo El Valle y La Vega Cintora Las Vicarías Tierra de Medinaceli Tierras Altas Tierras del Burgo

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