Hectares (ha)
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square meters or 0.01 square kilometers. It is commonly used to measure land area in agriculture, forestry, and land management. The hectare is not an SI base unit but is accepted for use with SI units internationally [bipm-si-brochure].
Origin
The hectare was introduced in France during the metric system's creation in the late 18th century to provide a practical unit for land measurement. It was officially recognized by the International Committee for Weights and Measures as an accepted unit for area [bipm-si-brochure].
Worldwide Use
Hectares are widely used in Europe, Asia, and many countries for agricultural and environmental reporting. It is the standard unit for land parcels in official documents and maps and is preferred by organizations like the FAO and ISO [bipm-si-brochure].
Common References
- A standard soccer field covers about 1 hectare
- A hectare equals roughly 2.47 acres
- An average farm size in Europe is around 50 hectares
- A hectare can contain about 10,000 square meters