hektare

The hectare (symbol ha) is a unit of area in the metric system equal to 10,000 square meters, or 100 ares. An are is 100 square meters, making a hectare the area of a square 100 meters on each side. The name combines hecto-, meaning hundred, with are, a smaller unit of area.

Origin and usage: Introduced during the adoption of the metric system in the late 18th century, the hectare is the standard unit for measuring land. It is widely used in agriculture, forestry, land planning, and real estate to express field sizes, farm holdings, and forest areas.

Relationships: One hectare equals 0.01 square kilometers, and approximately 2.471 acres. The hectare is not an SI base unit, but it is accepted for use with the SI and is designated by the symbol ha.

Localization: In many languages the term is rendered as hectare, hektar, or hektare, depending on the locale; in English-language texts, ha is the common abbreviation.

Examples: A typical small farm might span several hectares; a city block might cover a few hectares, while a large agricultural operation might extend over tens or hundreds of hectares. The hectare remains the predominant unit for land measurement in many parts of the world, particularly outside North America.