Convert Puerto Rican cuerda to square yard in seconds.
1 cda x 4,700 = 4,700 yd²
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Imagine you're sipping café con leche in San Juan, reviewing a property deed that lists land size in cuerdas. Your American cousin wants to know what that means in square yards. That's where our conversion tool becomes your best amigo. This isn't just about numbers—it's about bridging Caribbean traditions with international standards.
Unit definitions
What is a Puerto Rican cuerda (cda)?
- Description: Traditional unit for land measurement in Puerto Rico
- Symbol: cda
- Common uses: Agriculture, real estate, historical land records
- Definition: 1 cuerda = 3,930 square meters (standardized in 1975)
What is a square yard (yd²)?
- Description: Imperial unit for area measurement
- Symbol: yd²
- Common uses: Textiles, flooring, landscaping
- Definition: 1 yard x 1 yard = 9 square feet = 0.83612736 m²
Conversion formula
1 cuerda = 4,700 square yards
1 square yard = 0.0002128 cuerdas
Example calculations
- Converting 5 cuerdas to yd²:
5 cda x 4,700 = 23,500 yd² - Converting 10,000 yd² to cuerdas:
10,000 ÷ 4,700 ≈ 2.13 cda
Conversion tables
Cuerda to square yard
| Cuerda | Square Yards |
|---|---|
| 1 | 4,700 |
| 2 | 9,400 |
| 3 | 14,100 |
| 4 | 18,800 |
| 5 | 23,500 |
| 10 | 47,000 |
| 20 | 94,000 |
| 50 | 235,000 |
Square yard to cuerda
| Square Yards | Cuerda |
|---|---|
| 1,000 | 0.21 |
| 4,700 | 1.00 |
| 10,000 | 2.13 |
| 23,500 | 5.00 |
| 47,000 | 10.00 |
From plantation ropes to modern deeds
The cuerda's story begins in 16th-century Spanish colonies, where surveyors measured tobacco fields with actual ropes (cuerdas). Each rope stretched 100 Spanish feet (about 33.33 meters). The area became standardized as 1 cuerda = 100 x 100 Spanish square feet. When Puerto Rico adopted metric measurements in 1975, they fixed the cuerda at exactly 3,930 m² to maintain continuity with historical records. This colonial holdout now coexists with metric and imperial systems, creating unique challenges for international investors. The square yard's journey is equally fascinating—it became popular during Britain's textile boom when merchants needed consistent fabric measurements. Today, both units survive through practical necessity and cultural attachment, though you'll rarely find them used together outside conversion tools like ours.
Interesting facts
- A standard baseball field (1.75 acres) equals about 3.78 cuerdas
- Old San Juan's historic district covers approximately 500 cuerdas
- Puerto Rico's coffee plantations average 150-200 cuerdas in size
- 1 cuerda can hold 400 mature coffee plants
- The square yard remains crucial in US carpet sales—a 12'x12' room needs 16 yd² of carpet
FAQ
The cuerda remains popular in rural Puerto Rico for historical and cultural reasons, especially in agriculture and real estate.
Our tool uses the standardized 1 cuerda = 4,700 yd² ratio recognized by Puerto Rican law since 1975.
While cuerda is preferred locally, square yards may require official conversion certificates for legal purposes.
1 acre equals 4,840 yd², making it slightly larger than 1 cuerda (4,700 yd²).
It originates from the Spanish word for 'rope,' referencing early land measurement techniques using ropes.