Description
One acre equals 4,840 square yards, 43,560 square feet or about 4,047 square metres (0.405 hectares) (see below). While all modern variants of the acre contain 4,840 square yards, there are alternative definitions of a yard, so the exact size of an acre depends on which yard it is based on. Originally, an acre was understood as a selion of land sized at forty perches (660 ft) long and four perches (66 ft) wide; this may have also been understood as an approximation of the amount of land a yoke of oxen could plough in one day. A square enclosing one acre is approximately 69.57 yards, or 208 feet 9 inches (63.63 metres) on a side. As a unit of measure, an acre has no prescribed shape; any perimeter enclosing 43,560 square feet is an acre in size.
The acre is often used to express areas of land in the United States, Canada, and in countries where the Imperial System is still in use. As of 2010, the acre is not used officially in the United Kingdom but is still often seen on estate agents' boards. In the metric system, the hectare is commonly used for the same purpose. An acre is about 40% of a hectare.
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