''Corregimiento'' (; , ) is a Spanish term used for country subdivisions for royal administrative purposes, ensuring districts were under crown control as opposed to local elites. A ''corregimiento'' was usually headed by a '' corregidor''. The name comes from the word ''corregir,'' meaning "to correct".

Historical corregimientos

''Corregimientos'' were found historically in the Kingdom of Castile, the Kingdom of Aragon, and the

Spanish West Indies The Spanish West Indies, Spanish Caribbean or the Spanish Antilles (also known as "Las Antillas Occidentales" or simply "Las Antillas Españolas" in Spanish) were Spanish territories in the Caribbean. In terms of governance of the Spanish Empir ...

Castile

In Old Castile ''corregimientos'' existed since the 13th century and were the administrative divisions of the ''Junta General de las Siete Merindades de Castilla Vieja''. After the Nueva Planta decrees under the rule of Philip V—the first Bourbon king of

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

, the ''corregidor'' was replaced by an

intendant An intendant (; ; ) was, and sometimes still is, a public official, especially in France, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The intendancy system was a centralizing administrative system developed in France. In the War of the Spanish Success ...

. ''Corregimientos'' in Castile existed until 1835, the year in which the municipal administration was reorganized under Queen Isabel II.

Crown of Aragon

In the territories of

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

Catalonia Catalonia is an autonomous community of Spain, designated as a ''nationalities and regions of Spain, nationality'' by its Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia of 2006, Statute of Autonomy. Most of its territory (except the Val d'Aran) is situate ...

, and the Land of Valencia formerly under the ancient

Crown of Aragon The Crown of Aragon (, ) ;, ; ; . was a composite monarchy ruled by one king, originated by the dynastic union of the Kingdom of Aragon and the County of Barcelona (later Principality of Catalonia) and ended as a consequence of the War of the Sp ...

, the ''corregimiento'' () replaced the former administrative divisions following the Nueva Planta decrees. However, ''corregimientos'' disappeared in this area during the French occupation, being replaced by the territorial divisions of the French military rulers. Corregimientos were finally superseded following the territorial division of Spain in 1833.

Captaincy General of Guatemala

The ''corregimiento'' of Totonicapán and Huehuetenango was a division under the Audiencia of Guatemala from 1547 to 1678, when it was reorganised as an '' alcaldía mayor''.

Present-day ''corregimientos''

Colombia

The ''corregimientos'' of Colombia are smaller units than the historical ones. The word is used for the population centers that do not reach the level of

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

. They are thus under a municipality or a department.

Panama

The ''corregimientos'' of Panama are district subdivisions. They are led by the ''Representante de Corregimiento'', also known as a ''corregidor''.

References

{{Spanish terms for country subdivisions Spanish Empire Spanish words and phrases Types of administrative division