calibration is to have comparable references, or benchmarks, against which to calculate and compare. For example, one mile is
equal to 5,280 feet, or about the distance
that a healthy adult can comfortably walk
in 20 minutes at a moderate pace over level
ground.
The road distance from Los Angeles to New York City is 2,763 miles. Most
Interstate highways allow speeds of 65 to
75 mph, but given traffic and refueling
stops, most long distance travel will average 50 to 60 mph. This translates into a
10-hour Interstate trip covering about 550
miles. Hence, a cross-country trip by vehicle with daily trips of 550 miles will take
about five days.
Long distance truckers regularly
must deal with nearly nonstop, crosscountry trips, sometimes with perishable
goods, requiring two drivers to keep the
rigs moving. In such cases, fresh vegetables from the West Coast can arrive in New
York City in slightly more than 48 hours by
Neal G.
Lineback
DISTANCE AND
AREA REALLY
MATTER
an
miles, only about one-third larger than the
average U.S. county of 1,160 square miles.
Using North Carolina and Alabama as
yardsticks, each has about 50,000 square
miles. Of our larger states, Montana and
California (147,042 and 163,693 square
miles, respectively) are about three times
larger than either North Carolina or Alabama. Texas is more than five times larger
(268,581 square miles) and Alaska is eleven
times larger (663,267 square miles).
Using our yardsticks to compare
the sizes of other countries, Israel contains
only 8,019 square miles, the size of only
about seven U.S. counties. Iraq’s size is
168,754 square miles, almost identical to
California. Neighboring Iran has 636,296
square miles, making it nearly as large as
(Note to readers: For reader conveAlaska and nearly four times larger than
nience, conversions from U.S. standard
Iraq. Afghanistan contains 250,001 square
to metric measurements are suspended in
miles, nearly a third larger than Iraq or
this article.)
California.
Occasionally we need to be reThe United States is the third
minded that the concepts of distance and
largest country in the world at 3.7 milarea are important to the
lion square miles, after Rusday-to-day understanding of
sia (6.6 million square miles)
Comparative Geographic Areas
breaking news stories, as well
and Canada (3.8 million
90 Yards of a
Football Field
as many of our daily personal
square miles). China has less
decisions. Although modern
total territory, but slightly
0
communications and transmore land territory than the
10
United States
20
portation have reduced the
United States.
Iraq
30
roles of distance and area in
Population density, ar40
t
some activities, by no means
able
land and technology
50
s
i
Iran
an
40
has it eliminated the utility of
availability
are other imporh
30
Afg
these concepts.
tant yardsticks in geographic
20
One of the factors in
calibration. For example,
10
geographic illiteracy among
the U.S. population den0
children is that education
sity is about 84 people per
EQUALS
institutions do a poor job of
square mile, while one of the
helping them develop the
world’s most densely poputechnique of using spatial
lated countries, Bangladesh
“yardsticks” to compare dishas 2,735 per square mile.
One Acre
tances and areas. For examLess than 2 percent of Ameriples, how far is a mile? How
cans farm this country’s 19
large is an acre? How large is
percent arable land, but 63
your state compared to Iraq
percent of Bangladeshis are
or Israel?
involved in agriculture on 73
The answers to
percent of its 55,600 square
these questions provide geomiles.
C. Knoll
©2006
graphic calibration for all of
Placing distances and
Geography in the News 11/17/2006
us, allowing us to compare
areas in perspective is a very
distances between places and
important geographic anaSource: GITN 149, “How Big, How Far,” Oct. 19, 1990.
the size of places. This techlytical capability, a capability
nique is critical to analyzing
in decline in our education
many world, country, state, local and pertruck.
system. Many people use the technique of
sonal issues.
Two standard geographic calicomparing distances and areas intuitively.
In some modern societies, time
brations useful to Americans are acres and
As a technique, however, fewer and fewer
also is used to measure distances. Travel
square miles. One acre equals the size of an
students are learning the basics of geotime, as in miles per hour, however, still reAmerican football field, less 10 yards, or
graphic comparability.
lies on understanding standard measure43,560 square feet. There are 640 acres in
And that is Geography in the
ments of distance. So a one-way, 20-minute
one square mile.
News™. November 17, 2007. #859.
commute at an average speed of 30 miles
A common area yardstick used to
(The author is a Professor Emeritus of
per hour would translate into 10 miles, an
compare places of different sizes is the size
Geography at Appalachian State University,
easy calculation.
of a state in square miles. The smallest U.S.
Boone, NC. University News Director Jane
The first step in distance or area
state, Rhode Island, has only 1,545 square
Nicholson serves as technical editor.)
Geography
In The
News™
©2006 Maps.com