Mile

A mile is a unit of length. There are many different kinds of mile.

Statute mile

In the US and the UK the word mile usually means the statute mile.

1 statute mile	= 1,760 yards (by definition)
	= 5,280 feet
	= 1.609344 kilometres (exactly)

Nautical mile

The nautical mile is used for sea or air travel.

The nautical mile was originally defined as one minute of arc along a line of longitude of the Earth. There are 60 minutes of arc in one degree or arc (60' = 1°). So there were 10,800 nautical miles from the North Pole to the South Pole.

Now the nautical mile is defined as 1,852 metres.

1 nautical mile	= 1,852 metres (by definition)
	≈ 6,076 feet
	≈ 1.151 statute miles

Roman mile

The mile was first used by the Romans. It comes from the Latin phrase mille passus (plural: milia passuum). This means "one thousand paces". A pace is the distance each foot moves when taking one step.

1 Roman mile	= 1,000 Roman paces (by definition)
	≈ 1,479 metres
	≈ 4,852 feet

Other miles

Different miles have been used throughout history in various parts of the world. In Norway and Sweden, for example, a mil is a unit of length which is equal to 10 kilometres.