A comarca (Spanish: [koˈmaɾka] ⓘ, Portuguese: [kuˈmaɾkɐ], Catalan: [kuˈmarkə] ⓘ, Galician: [koˈmaɾka̝]) is a traditional region or local administrative division found in Portugal, Spain, and some of their former colonies, like Brazil, Nicaragua, and Panama.
Although the English word "county" and its near synonym "shire" have similar meanings, they are usually translated into Spanish and Portuguese as condado, a term[clarification needed] which in the Iberian Peninsula refers only to regions historically ruled by a conde (count or earl).
There were six such traditional divisions: Entre-Douro-e-Minho, Trás-os-Montes, Beira, Estremadura, Alentejo and Algarve, of which the last had the honorary title of "kingdom".
Each comarca corresponded to the territorial area of jurisdiction of a corregedor, a high-ranking administrative and judicial officer who represented the Crown in the district.
Because of the word's long-standing use, comarca is sometimes used as the basis for the promotion of tourism with emphasis on local cultural tradition and history.
Some Spanish-language editions of the British writer J. R. R. Tolkien's works use the term La Comarca as a translation for the English "The Shire".