Refers to land owned by the state or a public body, as opposed to private land (私地). Used in legal, administrative, and historical contexts.
See also: 私地
The public land in this area has been developed as a park.
It is necessary to clarify the boundary between public and private land.
public land and people; state ownership of land and citizens
Compound of 公 (public) and 地 (land). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term follows standard Sino-Japanese word formation.