milha

Milha is a unit of length used in Portuguese-speaking contexts to refer to the mile. There are two main variants: milha terrestre (the land mile) and milha náutica (the nautical mile). The milha terrestre is equal to 1,609.344 meters (5,280 feet). The milha náutica is equal to 1,852 meters and is used in navigation, shipping, and aviation. The nautical mile is defined as one minute of latitude along any meridian.

In contemporary practice, distance on land is typically measured in kilometers or meters, and the term milha appears mainly in historical texts, maps, or in international contexts where the mile is used. The nautical mile remains the standard unit for maritime and aerial navigation.

The word milha comes from Latin milia passuum, meaning "thousand paces," and entered Portuguese via Latin and Romance languages. Etymologically related terms appear in other Romance languages as "milla" (Spanish) or "mile" (English). The concept of a mile has varied historically, but in modern usage the milha typically denotes either the statute mile or the nautical mile, depending on context.