Kilometre

A kilometre (or kilometer) is a way to measure how far something is. It is part of a special group of measuring tools called the International System of Units. One kilometre equals one thousand metres.

Most countries around the world use kilometres to talk about how far places are from each other. If a city is 100 kilometres away, it means you would travel that many thousand metres to get there. The kilometre is very important for maps, science, and many everyday things where distance matters.

Some countries, like the United States and the United Kingdom, use a different measurement called the statute mile. But even in these places, people still know about kilometres.

Here is a simple way to think about a kilometre:

• 1 kilometre = 1,000 metres
• 1 kilometre is about 0.62 miles

The kilometre was created a long time ago by French leaders and scientists. They wanted a fair way for everyone to measure distance. Now, the symbol for kilometre is km.