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fanega

For the Portuguese unit, see fanga.

In Spain and the Spanish-speaking world, various units of dry capacity, mass and land area. Originally the fanega was a unit of dry capacity used for grain. It was also a unit of area, the amount of land that would be sown with a fanega of seed (see seed measures of land).

• capacity
• mass
• land area

As a unit of capacity

Spain

In Spain, 20ᵗʰ century, a unit of dry capacity, about 55.501 liters (about 1.57 U.S. bushel).¹ In earlier periods the value varied with locality, which is illustrated by the table below of values reported in the 19ᵗʰ century. Although the table gives values by province, bear in mind that in some provinces the same unit might be used throughout the province, but in others the value of the fanega would vary from village to village. The values reported by sources are typically those of the largest city.

A “media fanega” is half a fanega. Rather than multiplying everything by 2 to report values for the fanega, we have retained the term used in the source material, because the manner of reporting implies that the media fanega was the unit in everyday use.

*We strongly suspect, solely on the basis of the magnitude, that a transcription error was made in 1886 and that these “fanegas” should be “media fanegas”. However, so far we don't have other sources for these locales and date.

1. Technical Conversion Factors..., 1972, page 157. Also UN 1966.

2. Dirección General del Instituto Geográfico y Estadístico.
Equivalencias entre las Pesas y Medidas Usadas Antiguamente en las Diversas Provincias de España y las Legales del Sistema Métrico-Decimal.
Publicadas de Real Orden.
Madrid: Imprenta de la Dirección General del Instituto Geográfica y Estadístico, 1886.

3. Kelly

4. Doursther

From Spain the unit spread to Spain's colonies in the Americas.

Argentina

about 137 liters (about 3.89 U.S. bushels).

Doursther (1840) estimated it at 132.14 liters, 3¾ Winchester bushels.

Chile

20ᵗʰ century , approximately 96.99 liters (about 2.75 U.S. bushels)  (UN 1966) (Technical Factors..., 1972, page 132.)

19th century, 90.75 L (Doursther).

Colombia

= 12 celemins, about 55.5 liters (about 1.57 U.S. bushel). Used for grain.

United Nations, 1966.

Technical Factors..., 1972, page 134.

Costa Rica

20ᵗʰ century, the UN reported it at = 24 cajuelas, approximately 408.00 liters.

19ᵗʰ century, the 1885 government report described it as 399.84 liters. The same report describes a special fanega for lime that is 9 arrobas or 103.513 kilograms.

United Nations, 1966.

Technical Conversion Factors..., 1972, page 137.

[Costa Rica. Ministerio de formento.]
Medidas y pesas del sistema métrico, y tablas de equivalencia con las antiguas.
San José de Costa Rica: Imprenta nacional, 1885.

Page 63.

Cuba

3 U.S. bushels, about 105.7 liters. Doursther says = 2 fanega of Cádiz, 109.60 L.

Dominican Republic

approximately 1,102.8 liters.

United Nations, 1966.

Ecuador

approximately 1,102.8 liters.

El Salvador

approximately 1,102.8 liters.

Guatemala

approximately 1,102.8 liters.

United Nations, 1966.

Ifni

approximately 1,102.8 liters.

United Nations, 1966.

Honduras, 20ᵗʰ century

approximately 1,102.8 liters.

United Nations, 1966.

Mexico

approximately 90.816 liters (about 2.577 U.S. bushels).

20ᵗʰ century (UN 1966)

Morocco

56 liters

Nicaragua

187.5 liters (= 24 medios of 7812.5 milliliters each)

Paraguay

approximately 288 liters (about 8.17 U.S. bushels).
20ᵗʰ century

United Nations, 1966.

Peru

1½ imperial bushels

United States, Territory of New Mexico

An act of 12 January 1852, legalized the fanega as a unit of capacity. The half fanega was set = 2476¼ cubic inches.

Report of the Secretary of the Treasury on the Construction and Distribution of Weights and Measures.
Senate. 34th Congress, 3rd Session. Ex. Doc. No. 27.
Washington: A.O. P. Nicholson, Printer, 1857.

Page 83. The author of the report was A. D. Bache.

Uruguay

136.30 liters (3¾ imperial bushels) Doursther.

Venezuela

about 117.5 liters (about 3.33 U.S. bushels)

sources

As an example of the practical precison in grain measires of 1800.

La media fanega tendrá pues la forma que actualmente se la da; y consiste en un fondo de igual ancho, pero menos largo que la boca, sobre el qual se levantan tres lados planos y rectos, siendo el quarto lado inclinado para la comodidad de llenarla y vaciarla. La boca tendrá de largo 37 1/4 dedos; y de ancho 16½ dedos, incluyéndose en esto el grueso de los bordes. La luz de dicha boca, sin el grueso de los bordes, sérá de 35 dedos de largo y 15 dedos de ancho. El fondo tendrá de ancho 15 dedos y de largo 25½ dedos; la altura interior de la medida de 12 dedos.

Así en esta medida como en las demas de granos que se siguen no se exigirá que las dimensiones sean rigurosamente las que aquí se señalan, y se tendrán por buenas las medidas cuyas dimensiones no varien la quarta parte de un dedo en las de media fanega y quartilla y 1/16 de dedo en las demas; á excepcion de las dimensiones de las bocas, comprehendido el grueso de los bordes, en las quales no se permitirá mas diferencia que 1/8 de dedo en la media fanega y quartilla; 1/16 de dedo, en el celemín y medio celemín, y 1/32 de dedo en las restantes.

The media fanega will then have the form that is currently given; and consists of a bottom the width of the mouth, but not as long, on which three flat and straight sides rise, the fourth side being inclined for the convenience of filling and emptying it. The mouth will be 37¼ dedos long; and 16½ dedos wide, including in this the thickness of the edges. The opening of that mouth, without the thickness of the edges will be 35 dedos long and 15 dedos wide. The bottom will be 15 dedos wide and 25½ dedos long; the inside height of the measure is 12 dedos.

Thus, in this measure, as in the rest of the grain measures that follow, the dimensions will not be required to be rigorously those indicated here, and measures whose dimensions do not vary the fourth part of a dedo in those of media fanega and quartilla and 1/16 of dedo in the others; with the exception of the dimensions of the mouths, including the thickness of the edges, which shall not allow more difference than 1/8 of a dedo in the media fanega and quartilla; 1/16 of dedo, in the celemin and media celemin, and 1/32 of a dedo in the remaining ones.

Bartolome Muñoz.
Por el Excmo. Sr. D. Pedro Cevallos, primer Secretario de Estado y del Despacho, se ha comunicado at Consejo por medio del Excmo. Sr. D. Gregario de la Cuesta, Gobernador de él, en 26 de Enero próximo la Real Orden que se sigue…
Madrid, 20 Febrero 1801.

As a unit of mass

The fanega seems to have became a unit of mass only in the New World. In the 19ᵗʰ century, it was a unit of mass in the cocoa trade, approximately 51 kilograms (except in Maracaibo, where it was approximately 44 kilograms). In Havana, it was both a measure of capacity (approximately 109 liters) and mass (approximately 92 kilograms). (Doursther 1840, page 145.)

Bolivia	see fanega in Bolivia
Colombia Technical Conversion Factors..., 1972, page 133.	25 kilograms, used for rice
Costa Rica, 20ᵗʰ century UN 1966 Technical Factors..., 1972, page 137.	= 2 quintales = 92.00 kilograms
Ecuador, 20ᵗʰ century UN 1966. Technical Conversion Factors..., 1972, page 150.	= 200 libras = 2 quintals = 92.0 kilograms (approximately 202.8 pounds av.).
El Salvador, 20ᵗʰ century UN 1966. Technical Conversion Factors..., 1972, page 155.	UN (1966) says approximately 196 kilograms. TCF lists four values: in libra in kg 432 199 480 221 600 276 720 331
Nicaragua, 20ᵗʰ century (UN 1966)	approximately 161 kilograms (approximately 354.9 pounds av.).
Uruguay	20ᵗʰ century, = 100 kilograms. (UN 1966) Technical Conversion Factors…, 1972, page 344. Doursther says 225 - 230 libra of wheat (103.5 - 107.6 kg).
Venezuela	20ᵗʰ century (UN 1966) a unit of mass used for cereals and root vegetables, varying in value from 46 to 400 kilograms (approximately 101 - 882 pounds av.). Technical Conversion Factors…, 1972, page 344 and 345. For maize, 110 kg. For cacoa, 51 kg.

As a unit of land area

Spain and Ifni

20ᵗʰ century, approximately 6,439.56 square meters. (UN 1966) In the 19ᵗʰ century and before there were a variety of values:

2. Dirección General del Instituto Geográfico y Estadístico.
Equivalencias entre las Pesas y Medidas Usadas Antiguamente en las Diversas Provincias de España y las Legales del Sistema Métrico-Decimal.
Publicadas de Real Orden.
Madrid: Imprenta de la Dirección General del Instituto Geográfica y Estadístico, 1886.

Bolivia

see fanega in Bolivia

Mexico

Two units. “sembradura” means “sowing”, “maiz” is maize and “trigo” is wheat.

fanega castellanas de sembradura de maíz, = ¹⁄₁₂ caballeria de tierra, a rectangle 376 by 194 varas, about 35,663 square meters (about 8.81 acres). At least as early as the 16ᵗʰ century – 19ᵗʰ century.

fanega de sembradura de trigo, 8832 square varas, about 6237 square meters.

*A value we calculated from values in the source. All other values are as given in the source.

Sources:
Republica Mexicana. Secretaría de Fomento, Colonización é Industria.
Boletín de Agricultura, Minería é Industrias, year 4, no. 2, August 1894.
Mexico: Oficina Tip. de la Secretaría de Fomento, 1894.
Pages 85 ff.

Sources: Republica Mexicana. Secretaría de Fomento, Colonización é Industria. Boletín de Agricultura, Minería é Industrias, year 4, no. 2, August 1894. Mexico: Oficina Tip. de la Secretaría de Fomento, 1894. Pages 117-127.

sources

1

10. Testamento de Ygnacio Antonio Carrillo, del barrio del Espiritu Santo, San Juan Bautista Metepec, año 1568.

[90] Y digo, que una tierra de una fanega de sembradura de maíz que está en el paraje nombrado el Poso Nuevo, ésta se les queda a todas las imágenes para que de ahí saquen para velas, copal y rosas y lo que se gaste todo el año; cúmplase mi palabra.

And I say, that a land of a fanega de sembradura de maíz that is in the place named the New Ground, this one is left to all the images so that from there they take out for candles, copal and roses and what is spent all the year; fulfill my word.

Teresa Rojas Rabiela, Elsa Leticia Rea López and Constantino Medina Lima.
Vidas y bienes olvidados. Testamentos indigenas novohispanos. Vol 1.
México, D.F. : Centro de Investigaciones y Estudios Superiores en Antropología Social : Municipio de Mazapil : Archivo Histórico del Estado de San Luis Potosí : Instituto Zacatecano de Cultura "Ramón López Velarde, ©2002-2004.
Page 125

2

La caballería de tierra se divide tambien en doce fanegas castellanas de sembradura de maíz, y la fanega tiene de área 50784 varas cuadradas, que resultan de multiplicar su largo 376 [sic, but a typographical error for 276. See note below] varas por su ancho 184 varas.

Se regulan caber en una caballería de tierra 69 fanegas de sembradura de trigo, ocupando cada fanega de éstas una estension superficial de 8832 varas cuadradas.

The caballería de tierra is also divided into twelve fanegas castellanas de sembradura de maiz, and the fanega has an area of 50784 square varas, which results from multiplying its length, 276* varas, by its width, 184 varas.

Sixty-nine fanegas de sembradura de trigo are arranged to fit in a cabellería de tierra, each fanega occupying an area of 8882 square varas.

Mariano Galván Rivera.
Ordenanzas de Tierras y Aguas, ó sea: Formulario Geométrico-Judicial ... 2nd Ed., corrected and enlarged.
Mexico [City]: printed for Leandro J. Valdes, 1844.
Page 74.

*Note. This error has been carried forward for more than a century (including previous editions of this page). For example, page 2 of Sistema Métrico-Decimal (México: J. M. Andrade and F. Escalante, 1857) says, reformatted:

1 Fanega de sembradura de maiz, largo 376 varas, ancho 184 varas, area 50784 sq varas = 3.5662759 hectares

The typo was finally spotted by José Paredes.

3

MEDIDAS AGRARIAS

Son tan notables por su rara estravagancia, que con dificultad se concibe cómo puedan haber sido inventadas. Su falta de unidad se hará evidente, solo con recorrer las tablas adjuntas, aun sin hacerle caso á la bárbara nomenclatura de que se ha hecho uso. Entretanto, harémos notar que las superficies de los terrenos suelen á veces valuarse en caballerías, otras en fanegas de sembradura y otras en varas cuadradas, á lo que en realidad todas vienen á quedar reducidas, y es lo mas natural y sencillo.

AGRARIAN MEASURES

They are so remarkable for their strange extravagance, that it is difficult to conceive how they could have been invented. Their lack of unity will be evident, just by going through the attached tables, even without paying attention to the barbarous nomenclature that has been used. In the meantime, we will note that the land areas are sometimes valued in caballerias, others in fanegas de sembradura and others in square varas, to which in reality all come to be reduced, and it is the most natural and simple thing.

xv

Peru

1.615 acre, varies locally.

Venezuela, 20ᵗʰ century

a unit of area varying in value from 4500 to 40,000 square meters. (UN 1966)

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Last revised: 13 August 2019.