Merindad is a Mediaeval Spanish administrative term that refers to a country subdivision smaller than a province but larger than a municipality. It was roughly approximate to the English count or bailiff. The officer in charge was called Merino, a term which may be related to the sheep race of the same name.
It was used in the kingdoms of Castile and Navarre. Connected to the birth of Castile the Merindades of the province of Burgos were part of the creation of the administrative division by King Pedro I and still use this term. Currently the Foral Community of Navarre keeps the merindad as a historical division.
Administratively, they have been substituted by the partido judicial. In Biscay, the mancomunidades comarcales keep the place of the old merindades, such as Duranguesado.
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