Convert Cuerda (cuerda) to Homestead (homestead) instantly.
About these units
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.
Homestead (homestead)
A homestead is not a strictly fixed area unit but historically referred to land parcels granted under the U.S. Homestead Act of 1862, typically 160 acres, or 1/4 of a section. These homesteads were offered to settlers willing to cultivate and improve the land. The 160-acre parcel was chosen to be large enough to sustain a family farm in many regions, though this proved inadequate in drier western areas. While no longer an official area unit, "homestead" is deeply embedded in American cultural memory and historical land-use patterns. In legal and historical contexts, it often implicitly means a quarter-section, preserving its measurement-like nature.