Convert Vara Conuquera (vara conuquera) to Chain (ch) instantly.
About these units
Vara Conuquera (vara conuquera)
The Vara Conuquera is another regional variant of the vara, used primarily in Chile, with a slightly different length than the standard vara. It was closely associated with land measurement, particularly in defining plots for cultivation and property boundaries in rural communities. Its use highlights the way local measurement systems adapted colonial Spanish units to meet practical needs. Land surveyors, farmers, and municipal officials relied on the Vara Conuquera for legal documentation, taxation, and irrigation planning. Today, knowledge of the Vara Conuquera is mostly of historical and legal interest, providing context for land disputes, heritage records, and the evolution of measurement in Chilean history.
Chain (ch)
A chain is equal to 66 feet or 4 rods, and it was standardized by surveyor Edmund Gunter in the 17th century. "Gunter's chain," consisting of 100 metal links, became the backbone of land surveying in the English-speaking world for centuries. Its convenience stems from simple arithmetic: 10 square chains make an acre, making land area calculations straightforward. Railroads, farmland, and city parcels across the United States and the Commonwealth nations were once laid out using chains, so the unit appears in countless historical records. Even today, some legal property descriptions still reference chain-based measurements, making the unit relevant for modern surveyors who interpret old maps. Although high-precision digital equipment has replaced physical chains, the unit's structural role in land division ensures its lasting importance.