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The square kilometre (square kilometer in American spelling; symbol: km2) is a multiple of the square metre, the SI unit of area or surface area. In the SI unit of area (m2), 1 km2 is equal to 1M(m2).

1 km2 is equal to:

  • 1,000,000 square metres (m2)
  • 100 hectares (ha)

It is also approximately equal to:

  • 0.3861 square miles <ref>There are 0.386102159 international square miles in a square kilometer while there are 0.386100614 US Survey square miles in the same measure. This is because the US Survey measures are very slightly larger than the international measures.<ref name="unitconversion">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • 247.1 acres <ref>There are 247.105381467 international acres in a square kilometre while there are only 247.104393047 of the very slightly larger US Survey acres.<ref name="unitconversion"/></ref>

Conversely:

  • 1 m2 = 0.000001 (10−6) km2
  • 1 hectare = 0.01 (10−2) km2
  • 1 square mile = Template:Val <ref>An International square mile equals Template:Val while the slightly larger US Survey square mile equals Template:Val.<ref name="unitconversion"/></ref>
  • 1 acre = about Template:Val <ref>1 acre (International) = Template:Val while 1 acre (US Survey) = Template:Val <ref name="unitconversion"/></ref>

The symbol "km2" means (km)2, square kilometre or kilometre squared and not k(m2), kilo–square metre. For example, 3 km2 is equal to Template:Gaps = 3,000,000 m2, not 3,000 m2.

Examples of areas of 1 square kilometreEdit

Topographical map gridsEdit

File:Caldey Island map 1952.jpg
Part of an Ordnance Survey map, published 1952. The grid lines are at one-kilometre intervals, giving each square an area of one square kilometre. The map shows that the area of the island is about two square kilometres.

Topographical map grids are worked out in metres, with the grid lines being 1,000 metres apart.

  • 1:100,000 maps are divided into squares representing 1 km2, each square on the map being one square centimetre in area and representing 1 km2 on the surface of the Earth.
  • For 1:50,000 maps, the grid lines are 2 cm apart. Each square on the map is 2 cm by 2 cm (4 cm2) and represents 1 km2 on the surface of the Earth.
  • For 1:25,000 maps, the grid lines are 4 cm apart. Each square on the map is 4 cm by 4 cm (16 cm2) and represents 1 km2 on the surface of the Earth.

In each case, the grid lines enclose one square kilometre.

Medieval city centresEdit

File:Dimensions of the old city of Delft.svg
Map of Delft, Netherlands, dated 1659. The walls enclosed an area of about 1 square kilometre.

The area enclosed by the walls of many European medieval cities were about one square kilometre. These walls are often either still standing or the route they followed is still clearly visible, such as in Brussels, where the wall has been replaced by a ring road, or in Frankfurt, where the wall has been replaced by gardens. The approximate area of the old walled cities can often be worked out by fitting the course of the wall to a rectangle or an oval (ellipse). Examples include:

The walled city of Delft was approximately rectangular.
The approximate length of rectangle was about Template:Convert.<ref name=GE>Measurements taken from Google Earth</ref>
The approximate width of the rectangle was about Template:Convert.<ref name=GE/>
A perfect rectangle with these measurements has an area of 1.30×0.75 = 0.9 km2
The medieval city is roughly rectangular with rounded north-east and north-west corners.
The maximum distance from east to west is Template:Convert.<ref name=GE/>
The maximum distance from north to south is Template:Convert.<ref name=GE/>
A perfect rectangle of these dimensions would be 1.36×0.80 = 1.088 km2.
The medieval city of Bruges, a major centre in Flanders, was roughly oval or elliptical in shape with the longer or semi-major axis running north and south.
The maximum distance from north to south (semi-major axis) is Template:Convert.<ref name=GE/>
The maximum distance from east to west (semi-minor axis) is Template:Convert.<ref name=GE/>
A perfect ellipse of these dimensions would be 2.53 × 1.81 × (π/4) = 3.597 km2.
Chester is one of the smaller English cities that has a near-intact city wall.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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The distance from Northgate to Watergate is about 855 metres.<ref name=GE/>
The distance from Eastgate to Westgate is about 589 metres.<ref name=GE/>
A perfect rectangle of these dimensions would be (855/1000) × (589/1000) = 0.504 km2.

ParksEdit

Parks come in all sizes; a few are almost exactly one square kilometre in area. Here are some examples:

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  • Brierley Forest Park, UK.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Jones County Central Park, Iowa, US.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Kiest Park, Dallas, Texas, US <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Hole-in-the-Wall Park & Campground, Grand Manan Island, Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick, Canada <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Downing Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Citadel Park, Poznan, Poland <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, Australia, contains 6.63 square kilometres of wetlands and waterways.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Golf coursesEdit

Using the figures published by golf course architects Crafter and Mogford, a course should have a fairway width of 120 metres and 40 metres clear beyond the hole. Assuming a Template:Convert 18-hole course, an area of 80 hectares (0.8 square kilometre) needs to be allocated for the course itself.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref group=Note>Assume that each hole requires (6000÷18 + 40) = 373 metres in length. The area needed is (18 × 373 × 120 ÷ 10,000) = 80.64 ha (1 hectare = 10,000 square metres).</ref> Examples of golf courses that are about one square kilometre include:

  • Manchester Golf Club, UK <ref name="Manchester Golf Club Ltd">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Northop Country Park, Wales, UK <ref name="Manchester Golf Club Ltd"/>
  • The Trophy Club, Lebanon, Indiana, US <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Qingdao International Country Golf Course, Qingdao, Shandong, China
  • Arabian Ranches Golf Club, Dubai <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Sharm el Sheikh Golf Courses: Sharm el Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Belmont Golf Club, Lake Macquarie, NSW, Australia <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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Other areas of one square kilometre or thereaboutsEdit

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  • Milton Science Park, Oxfordshire, UK.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Mielec Industrial Park, Mielec, Poland <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • The Guildford Campus of Guildford Grammar School, South Guildford, Western Australia<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT), Surat, India <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Île aux Cerfs, near the east coast of Mauritius.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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  • Peng Chau Island, Hong Kong<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

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See alsoEdit

NotesEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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