Spanish units of measurement

There are a number of Spanish units of measurement of length or area that are virtually obsolete due to metrication.

A vara (meaning "rod" or "pole", abbreviation: var) is an old Spanish unit of length.

Stephen F. Austin's early surveying contracts required that he use the vara as a standard unit.

A measure of 100 by 100 varas (Spanish) is almost 7000 square meters, and is known traditionally throughout Spain and Latin America as a manzana (i.e., a "city block").

As well, lumber is still measured in Costa Rica using a system based on 4 vara, or 11 feet, for both round and square wood.

It was used in the archaic system of old Spanish land grants affecting Texas and parts of adjoining states.

Although some standardisation was achieved with the law of 1801, particularly in defining the league as 6666+2⁄3 varas long, varying measures continued to be used in various cities and regions.