Geographical mile

Geographical mile

unit of length
m= 1855.325
accuracy=4The geographical mile is a unit of length determined by 1 minute of arc along the Earth's equator, approximately equal to 1855.325 metres (6087.025 international feet). Any greater precision depends more on choice of standard than on more careful measurement: the length of the equator in the World Geodetic System WGS-84 is 40,075,016.6856 m which makes the geographical mile 1855.3248 m, while the International Astronomical Union standard IAU-2000 takes the equator to be 40,075,035.5351 m making the geographical mile 1855.3257 m, almost a millimetre longer.

The unit is not used much; it is closely related to the nautical mile, which was originally determined as 1 minute of arc along a great circle of the Earth but is nowadays an SI standard length defined as exactly 1852 metres.

The Danish and German geographical mile ("mil" and "Meile" respectively) is 4 minutes of arc, and was defined as approximately 7421.5 metres by the astronomer Ole Rømer of Denmark. In Norway and Sweden, this 4 minute geographical mile was mainly used at sea ("sjømil"), up to the beginning of the 20th century.

ee also

*conversion of units
*Medieval weights and measures for details of the geographical league of France
*mile for the various other miles in use
*nautical mile


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  • Geographical mile — Mile Mile (m[imac]l), n. [AS. m[=i]l, fr. L. millia, milia; pl. of mille a thousand, i. e., milia passuum a thousand paces. Cf. {Mill} the tenth of a cent, {Million}.] A certain measure of distance, being equivalent in England and the United… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Geographical mile — Geographic Ge o*graph ic, Geographical Ge o*graph ic*al, a. [L. geographicus, Gr. ?: cf. F. g[ e]ographique.] Of or pertaining to geography. [1913 Webster] {Geographical distribution}. See under {Distribution}. {Geographic latitude} (of a place) …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • geographical mile — noun a former British unit of length equivalent to 6,080 feet (1,853.184 meters); 800 feet longer than a statute mile • Syn: ↑nautical mile, ↑naut mi, ↑mile, ↑mi, ↑Admiralty mile • Derivationally related forms: ↑miler ( …   Useful english dictionary

  • geographical mile —    another name for the nautical mile, especially the Admiralty mile (6080 feet or 1853.184 meters). For a (different) German use of the term geographische meile, see meile …   Dictionary of units of measurement

  • geographical mile. — See nautical mile. [1815 25] * * * …   Universalium

  • geographical mile — See mile …   Ballentine's law dictionary

  • geographical mile. — See nautical mile. [1815 25] …   Useful english dictionary

  • geographical mile — distance equal to one minute of longitude on the equator …   English contemporary dictionary

  • geographical mile — It is the length of the arc of the earth’s equator subtending an angle of 1° at the center of the earth. It is constant in length and equal to 1855.3 m or 6087.2 ft …   Aviation dictionary

  • geographical mile — noun a distance equal to one minute of longitude or latitude at the equator (about 1,850 metres) …   English new terms dictionary

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