Contents
1. Cape Verde, dry capacity
2. Portugal and Brazil, dry capacity
3. Portugal and Brazil, liquid capacity
4. Portugal, land area
5. Brazil, land area
In the Cape Verde Islands, ? – 20th century, a unit of dry capacity, = 4 quarta = 1/3 barrica, approximately 41.593 liters (approximately 37.77 U.S. dry quarts).
United Nations, 1966.
In Portugal and Brazil, at least as early as the 12th century – 19th
century, a unit of dry capacity, = ¼ fanega = 1/60
moio. 
Also spelled alquier, alquiere,
alqueira. In the late 19th century 100 alqueires
of Lisbon = 79¼ alqueires of Oporto.1
| Locale | Equivalents | Liters |
|---|---|---|
| Lisbon | = ¼ fanega = 2 meios = 4 quartos = 8 outavas = 16 meias-outavas | 13.841; some say 13.52 |
| Oporto | = ¼ fanega = 2 meios = 4 quartos | 17.465 |
| Madeira | = ¼ fanega = 2 meios = 4 quartos | 14.095 |
| Azores | = ¼ fanega = 2 meios = 4 quartos. But on San Miguel, the alquiere was about 12.14 liters. | 11.98 |
| Faro | = ¼ fanega = 2 meios = 4 quartos | 16.52 |
| Figuiera | 14.31 | |
| Rio de Janeiro | = ¼ fanega = 2 meios = 4 quartos = 8 outavas = 16 selamines | 40 |
| Bahia | = 2¼ alqueires of Lisbon | 31.142; some say 30.42 |
| Maranhao, Brazil | 45.43 | |
| Viana do Castelo | 17.07 |
1. Nelkenbrecher, page
545.
2. Klimpert, page 9.
3. Doursther, page 14.
Alghieri dua di Lisbona fanno in Firenze staia uno scarso.
Two alqueire of Lisbon make 1 stricken staia in Florence.
Chiarini, 1481.
Luís Seabra Lopes.
Medidas Portuguesas de Capacidade: Origem e Difusão dos Principais Alqueires usados até ao Século XIX.
Revista Portuguesa de História, volume 36, pages 345 – 360. (2002-2003, vol 2).
Luís Seabra Lopes.
Medidas portuguesas de capacidade: Do alqueire de Coimbra de 1111 ao sistema de
medidas de Dom Manuel.
Revista Portuguesa de História, volume 32, pages 543 –
583. (1997-1998).
In Portugal and Brazil, a unit of liquid capacity, less common than the unit of dry capacity. Apparently used as a synonym for the pote and cantaro.
| Locale | Local Names and Equivalents | Liters |
|---|---|---|
| Lisbon | also called a pote, = ½ almud = 6 canadas = 12 meis-canadas = 24 quartilhos = 48 meios-quartilhos. | 8.2718 |
| Oporto | = ½ almud = 6 canadas | 12.54 |
| Rio de Janeiro | also called a cantaro or pote, = 6 canadas = 23 quartilhos | 8.27 |
Doursther (1840), page 14.
In Portugal, ? – present, a unit of land area in rural areas, varying locally. In at least one district, reported at 1420 square meters. See the "about" entry for this page.
In Brazil, ? – present, a unit of land area now chiefly used in rural areas, varying locally.
| State | Square Meters |
|---|---|
| São Paulo | 24,200 |
| Minas Gerais, Goiás and Tocantins | 48,400 |
| Bahia | 96,800 |
| Northern states | 27,225 |
| home | | | units index | | | your comments  | | | about | | | help | | |
Copyright © 2000 Sizes, Inc. All rights reserved.
Last revised: 28 November 2005.