der  Quadratkilometer

B2

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/kvaˈdʁaːtkiloˌmeːtɐ/

📏 What does 'der Quadratkilometer' mean?

Der Quadratkilometer (abbreviation: km²) is a unit of measurement for Flächeninhalt (area). It describes the area of a square with a side length of one Kilometer (kilometer).

One Quadratkilometer is equivalent to:

• 1,000,000 Quadratmeter (m² - square meters)
• 100 Hektar (ha - hectares)

It's a compound noun formed from Quadrat (square) and Kilometer (kilometer). Since the base word Kilometer is masculine (der Kilometer), der Quadratkilometer is also masculine.

Usage: Primarily used to state large areas such as countries, regions, lakes, or forests.

Article rules for der, die, and das

📝 Grammar of 'Der Quadratkilometer'

The noun 'Quadratkilometer' is masculine. It follows the standard declension pattern for masculine nouns in German.

Declension

Note: After numerical figures, the abbreviated form or the singular form without inflection is often used, especially in scientific or technical contexts: Die Fläche beträgt 50 Quadratkilometer (km²). (The area is 50 square kilometers). The dative plural Quadratkilometern is less common, mostly found in literary or descriptive texts: Das Feuer breitete sich über hunderten von Quadratkilometern aus. (The fire spread over hundreds of square kilometers).

Example Sentences

• Die Fläche Deutschlands beträgt etwa 357.000 Quadratkilometer.
  (The area of Germany is approximately 357,000 square kilometers.)
• Ein Quadratkilometer Wald kann viel CO₂ binden.
  (One square kilometer of forest can bind a lot of CO₂.)
• Der Nationalpark erstreckt sich über mehrere tausend Quadratkilometer.
  (The national park extends over several thousand square kilometers.)
• Wieviel ist ein Quadratkilometer in Hektar?
  (How much is one square kilometer in hectares?)
• Die Bevölkerungsdichte wird oft in Einwohnern pro Quadratkilometer angegeben.
  (Population density is often given in inhabitants per square kilometer.)

🗺️ Usage in Context

The term Quadratkilometer is specifically used for measuring large areas.

• Geografie & Kartografie (Geography & Cartography): To state the size of countries, continents, lakes, islands, administrative regions (e.g., Bundesländer - federal states, Kreise - districts). Example: Die Sahara bedeckt über 9 Millionen Quadratkilometer. (The Sahara covers over 9 million square kilometers.)
• Umweltwissenschaft & Ökologie (Environmental Science & Ecology): To describe the extent of habitats, forests, deserts, protected areas, or environmental damage (e.g., oil spills). Example: Pro Jahr gehen soundso viele Quadratkilometer Regenwald verloren. (Each year, so many square kilometers of rainforest are lost.)
• Stadtplanung & Demografie (Urban Planning & Demography): To state city areas or calculate population density (inhabitants per Quadratkilometer). Example: Monaco hat eine sehr hohe Bevölkerungsdichte auf nur etwa 2 Quadratkilometern. (Monaco has a very high population density in only about 2 square kilometers.)
• Vergleich (Comparison): Compared to Hektar (ha, 10,000 m²), the Quadratkilometer is used for significantly larger areas (1 km² = 100 ha). Quadratmeter (m²) is the base unit and is used for smaller areas like properties or rooms.

The abbreviation km² is internationally common and frequently used in texts and on maps.

🧠 Mnemonics

Article Mnemonic (der)

Think of der Kilometer – the masculine word for the long distance unit. Even with Quadrat (square) in front, the 'long distance' aspect (Kilometer) dominates, making it masculine: der Quadratkilometer. Like 'der long runner' covers a square kilometer.

Meaning Mnemonic (Unit of Area)

Imagine a giant Quadrat (square) where each side is as long as a Kilometer run. That huge square area is a Quadratkilometer. 📏➡️📦

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

😂 A Little Joke

Fragt der Geografielehrer: "Wer kann mir sagen, wie groß Deutschland ist?"
Meldet sich Fritzchen: "Kein Problem! Es ist genau einen Quadratkilometer kleiner als letztes Jahr!"
Lehrer: "Wie kommst du denn darauf?"
Fritzchen: "Na, mein Vater hat gestern ein Stück Land verkauft!"

Translation:
The geography teacher asks: "Who can tell me how big Germany is?"
Little Fritz raises his hand: "No problem! It's exactly one square kilometer smaller than last year!"
Teacher: "How did you figure that out?"
Fritz: "Well, my father sold a piece of land yesterday!"

📜 Poem about the Quadratkilometer

Ein Kilometer mal ein Kilometer,
das macht die Fläche gleich viel netter,
wenn man sie messen will, ganz groß,
von Land und Wald, von Flur und Moos.

Der Quadratkilometer zählt,
was auf der weiten Welt gefällt,
ob Wüste heiß, ob Eis so kalt,
er misst den Raum, jung oder alt.

Translation:
A kilometer times a kilometer,
that makes the area much neater,
if you want to measure it, grandly,
of land and forest, field and mossy lea.

The square kilometer counts,
what pleases in the wide world's bounds,
whether desert hot, or ice so cold,
it measures space, stories untold.

❓ Riddle

Ich bin ein Maß, doch messe keine Länge,
beschreibe Flächen, oft im Gedränge
von Karten, Zahlen, groß und weit,
für Ländergrenzen und die Zeit
der Ausdehnung. Mein kleines Zeichen?
Ein 'k', ein 'm', hoch zwei – zum Vergleichen.

Wer bin ich?

Lösung: Der Quadratkilometer

Translation:
I am a measure, but measure no length,
describe areas, often in the strength
of maps and numbers, large and wide,
for country borders, where they reside
in expansion. My little sign?
A 'k', an 'm', squared – to align.

Who am I?

Solution: The square kilometer (der Quadratkilometer)

🧩 Other Information

Word Composition

The word is a compound (Kompositum) of:

• Quadrat: Refers to the shape (square) and the calculation (length times length).
• Kilometer: Specifies the unit of the side length (1000 meters).

Trivia

• Die Fläche der Stadt Berlin beträgt etwa 892 Quadratkilometer. (The area of the city of Berlin is about 892 square kilometers.)
• Der Vatikanstaat ist mit weniger als einem halben Quadratkilometer der kleinste allgemein anerkannte Staat der Welt. (Vatican City, with less than half a square kilometer, is the smallest generally recognized state in the world.)
• Ein Quadratkilometer enthält 100 Hektar. Der Hektar wird oft in der Land- und Forstwirtschaft verwendet. (One square kilometer contains 100 hectares. The hectare is often used in agriculture and forestry.)