Mile: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 12:40, 22 April 2007

The mile is a unit of distance measure in the United States customary system of measures. The mile, abbreviated mi., is 5280 feet long, or exactly 1609.344 m.

The mile derives originally from the Roman mille passuum, or "thousand paces". Countries and cultures influenced by the Romans have had a variety of measures called "mile" of similar lengths. The mile is subdivided into 8 furlongs, a unit which has largely passed out of use except in horse-racing. The league was either 3 miles or 6 miles.

The mile most commonly referred to is the statute mile. There is also a nautical mile, originally defined as the distance of one minute of arc along a meridian, and now defined as 1852m exactly, about 6076.1155 feet.


The (statute) mile in relation to other units
1 mile 1.609 344 kilometre
1 mile 8 furlongs
1 mile 80 (surveyor's) chain
1 mile 1609.344 metres
1 mile 5280 feet
1 mile 63 360 inches