Civil Guard (Spain)

The Civil Guard (Spanish: Guardia Civil; [ˈɡwarðja θiˈβil]) is a military force charged with police duties. The corps is colloquially known as the benemérita (reputable). It has both a regular national role and undertakes specific foreign peace-keeping missions. As a national police force, the Guardia Civil is comparable today to the French Gendarmerie, the Italian Carabinieri, the Portuguese National Republican Guard and the Dutch Royal Marechaussee as it is part of the European Gendarmerie. The Guardia Civil uses as its leading emblem the words "El honor es mi divisa" (Honour is my emblem), a motto emphasizing the unit's esprit de corps.

According to the Centro de investigaciones sociológicas (a Spanish institute for social research) the Guardia Civil is the institution in which most Spaniards trust. Guardia precincts are called casas cuartel (garrison posts) which are both minor residential garrisons and fully equipped Police Stations. In general the Guardia Civil patrol rural areas (including highways and ports) and investigate crimes there, whilst the Policia Nacional deals with serious urban situations. Most cities also have a Policia Local who concentrate on preventing crime, settling minor incidents, traffic control, and, crucially, intelligence gathering. Locally, all three forces work closely together, and are nationally coordinated under the direction of the Ministry of the Interior.

Civil Guard

Civil Guard refers to various policing organisations:

Current:

Historic Civil Guards now abolished: