Mark or march (or various plural forms of these words) are derived from the Frankish word marka ("boundary") and refer to a border region, e.g. the borderland between England and Scotland, similar to a frontier. During the Frankish Carolingian Dynasty, the word spread throughout Europe. In contrast to a buffer zone, a march could be dominated by a country, and rather than being demilitarized, it could be fortified for defense against the neighbouring country.
Although a march generally circumscribed the same or similar land area as a county, it held its distinction from a normal county due to its more important position at the border of the state. A march was ruled over by a Marquess (English pronunciation) or a Marquis (French or Scottish pronunciation), or nobles with corresponding titles in the other European states. In comparison, regular counties were ruled over by counts.