Square kilometre

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Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of the SI unit of surface area, the square metre, one of the SI derived units. 1 km² is equal to:

• 1,000,000 m²
• 100 ha (hectare)
• 0.386102 square miles
• 247.105381 acres

Conversely:

• 1 m² = 0.000 001 (10⁻⁶) km²
• 1 hectare = 0.01 (10⁻²) km²
• 1 square mile = 2.589988km²
• 1 acre = 0.004047km², 0.4047ha or 4047 m²

Note: "km²" means (km)², square kilometre or kilometre squared, and not k(m²), kilo–square metre. For example, 3 km² is equal to 3×(1,000m)² = 3,000,000 m², not 3,000 m².

[edit] Comparative order

The 10⁶ m² orders of magnitude page gives comparisons with geographic areas.

A hectare (10⁴ m²) is less than a square kilometer which is less than a square megametre (10¹² m²).

[edit] Source

• "Conversion Factors". MINFILE Coding Manual. Ministry of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources. Government of British Columbia. http://www.empr.gov.bc.ca/Mining/Geolsurv/Minfile/manuals/coding/appdvii.htm. Retrieved on 2007-10-13. 

[edit] See also

• Conversion of units
• SI prefix for the precise meaning of the prefix "k"
• Square Kilometre Array, a proposed radio telescope
  which is intended to have a collecting area of approximately one square kilometre