hectares

The hectare, symbol ha, is a unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters, the area of a square 100 by 100 meters. It is a non-SI unit that is accepted for use with the International System of Units, and is widely used for land measurement in agriculture, forestry, and geography.

The name comes from the Greek hekaton (hundred) and are, an older metric unit of area equal to 100 square meters. Therefore, one hectare equals 100 ares.

In practical terms, the hectare is convenient for describing large parcels of land. It is equivalent to about 2.471 acres, and 0.01 square kilometers. In relation to other units, 1 square kilometer contains 100 hectares, and 1 hectare is 10,000 square meters.

Usage and significance: In many countries, land area statistics, farm sizes, and planning documents are presented in hectares. The unit is standard in agricultural policy, forestry inventories, and environmental assessments.