Converting Square Kilometers to Square Miles (km² to mi²)
Square kilometers (km²) and square miles (mi²) are units used to measure large areas of land. While square kilometers are commonly used in most countries, square miles are primarily used in the United States and a few other nations. Understanding how to convert between these units is essential for comparing geographical data across different measurement systems.
The Conversion Factor
To convert square kilometers to square miles, you can use the conversion factor where 1 km² is approximately equal to 0.3861 mi². This means that to find the equivalent area in square miles, you multiply the number of square kilometers by 0.3861.
Conversion Formula
Square Miles (mi²) = Square Kilometers (km²) × 0.3861
Example Conversion
Suppose you have an area of 10 km² and you want to convert it to mi². Using the formula:
Square Miles = 10 km² × 0.3861 = 3.861 mi²
Therefore, 10 km² is equal to 3.861 mi².
Applications
Converting between km² and mi² is particularly useful in fields like geography, land surveying, and environmental science, where data may be presented in different units depending on the source or region.