Convert Arpent (arpent (area)) to Cuerda (cuerda) instantly.
About these units
Arpent (arpent (area))
The arpent is a historical French land-measurement unit whose exact value varied across regions but is commonly taken as about 0.34 hectares, or roughly 3,400 square meters. The arpent was widely used in France before the metric system and carried over into French colonial territories, especially Louisiana, Quebec, and the Caribbean. In North America, the arpent became intertwined with colonial land grants, settlement patterns, and agricultural design. Properties in Louisiana often follow long, narrow "ribbon farms" extending from riverbanks, measured in arpents of frontage width. This arrangement maximized river access for transportation and irrigation, producing a unique landscape still visible today. Because of its regional variation, historians and land-survey experts must interpret arpents within local context. In Louisiana, an arpent is typically standardized to 0.84628 acres for legal purposes, but French historical documents may use values closer to half a hectare. The arpent thus reflects not only agricultural needs but also the administrative and cultural imprint of French colonization on North American geography.
Cuerda (cuerda)
The cuerda is a traditional land unit used primarily in Puerto Rico, where it is legally defined as 3,930.395625 square meters—slightly smaller than a hectare and slightly larger than an acre. Cuerdas are widely used in real estate transactions, agriculture, and land management throughout the island. Farmland, forest preserves, and rural homesteads are typically measured in cuerdas rather than square meters or acreage. The cuerda's historical roots likely tie back to Spanish colonial surveying practices, but unlike many colonial units, the cuerda has been standardized, stabilized, and legally maintained well into the modern era. Its continued use reflects cultural identity as much as practicality; Puerto Ricans often conceptualize land parcels in cuerdas, making it a central part of the island's land-economy vocabulary.