Convert Square Decimeter (dm²) to Cuerda (cuerda) instantly.
About these units
Square Decimeter (dm²)
A square decimeter equals 100 square centimeters or 0.01 square meters. It is used in educational contexts, interior design, textiles, and packaging. Students often learn area concepts using dm² because it bridges the intuitive size of the square meter with the more granular cm². In design fields, dm² helps specify tile surfaces, patterns, laminates, and coverings. Industrial packaging may express surface areas (e.g., of labels or film wrapping) in dm² for regulatory or cost-calculation purposes. It offers a comfortable intermediate scale for everyday applications.
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.