The territorial extension is different from that of the area called the Beiras, which refers to three provinces of 1936, Beira Alta, Beira Baixa and Beira Litoral.
After the 15th Century, the new Kingdom of Portugal was divided into six great administrative units, referred to as comarcas. Since the Middle Ages [when?] there existed the Beira Province.
The current Centro Region of Portugal covers roughly the same area. Oeste Subregion, part of Estremadura, is the major exception. Among its twelve subregions three contain the name "Beira":