There is more than one type of Nautical Mile
There are a few different types of Nautical Mile. On this site we have conversions for US Nautical miles, UK Nautical miles and International Nautical miles. Please either select the appropriate unit on the selection above of click the required unit in the links below:
What is a nautical mile?
A nautical mile is a unit of measurement used in navigation and maritime travel. It is defined as one minute of latitude along any meridian, making it a unit of distance that varies slightly depending on the Earth's shape. The nautical mile is commonly used in aviation and shipping industries due to its convenience in measuring distances over water.
Historically, the nautical mile was derived from the circumference of the Earth, with one minute of latitude being divided into 60 equal parts to create the nautical mile. This unit of measurement is particularly useful for sailors and pilots as it allows for easy calculation of distances based on the Earth's coordinates. The nautical mile is also used in international treaties and agreements related to maritime boundaries and navigation regulations.
What is a yard?
A yard is a unit of length commonly used in the United States and other countries that have adopted the Imperial system of measurement. It is equal to 3 feet or 36 inches. The yard is primarily used for measuring distances in everyday situations, such as the length of a room or the height of a person. It is also commonly used in sports, particularly in American football, where the field is divided into 100 yards.
The yard is believed to have originated from the length of a person's stride. In medieval times, a yard was defined as the distance from the tip of the nose to the end of the outstretched arm of King Henry I of England. However, the exact length of a yard has varied throughout history and between different countries. It wasn't until 1959 that the yard was officially defined as 0.9144 meters by international agreement.
While the yard is still widely used in the United States, many other countries have adopted the metric system and use the meter as their primary unit of length. However, the yard is still used in some specialized fields, such as construction and landscaping, where it is more convenient to work with fractions of a yard rather than decimal fractions of a meter.