Bunder
Encyclopedia
A bunder is a unit of area
in the Low Countries (Belgium and the Netherlands).
In the Netherlands
it was frequently used in the Achterhoek
, Twente
and some parts of Drenthe
to estimate areas of land, in particular in agriculture. Traditionally it had different values in various regions, but since the adaptation of the metric system
it has been defined to be equal to one hectare
.
In Belgium
a bunder was used as unit of area in the part of the country historically covered by the German Empire (i.e. east of the Schelde). In general, one bunder was 1/12 part of a mansus
.
During the French occupation (1796–1815) the old measurement standards were accurately converted to the metric system. A general standard like in the Netherlands (1 bunder = 1 hectare) has never been adopted in Belgium.
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
in the Low Countries (Belgium and the Netherlands).
In the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
it was frequently used in the Achterhoek
Achterhoek
The Achterhoek is a region in the eastern part of the Netherlands, Europe.Its name is geographically appropriate because the area lies in the Eastern-most part of Gelderland, and therefore of the Netherlands, protruding into Germany...
, Twente
Twente
Twente is a non-administrative region in the eastern Netherlands. It encompasses the most urbanised and easternmost part of the province of Overijssel...
and some parts of Drenthe
Drenthe
Drenthe is a province of the Netherlands, located in the north-east of the country. The capital city is Assen. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and Germany to the east.-History:Drenthe, unlike many other parts of the Netherlands, has been a...
to estimate areas of land, in particular in agriculture. Traditionally it had different values in various regions, but since the adaptation of the metric system
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
it has been defined to be equal to one hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
.
In Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
a bunder was used as unit of area in the part of the country historically covered by the German Empire (i.e. east of the Schelde). In general, one bunder was 1/12 part of a mansus
Mansus
A mansus, sometimes anglicised as manse, was a unit of land assessment in medieval France, roughly equivalent of the hide. In the 9th century AD, it began to be used by Charlemagne to determine how many warriors would be provided: one for every three mansi, with smaller landholders collectively...
.
During the French occupation (1796–1815) the old measurement standards were accurately converted to the metric system. A general standard like in the Netherlands (1 bunder = 1 hectare) has never been adopted in Belgium.