An "are" (symbol: a) is a unit of area that is not part of the International System of Units (SI) but is used in some countries, particularly in Europe, for measuring land areas. One are is equal to 100 square meters (m²).
To put it simply, 1 are is equivalent to a square with sides that each measure 10 meters. It is a relatively convenient unit for measuring smaller land areas, such as gardens, small fields, or land plots, where using square meters might result in large numbers.
Here are some additional conversions to provide context:
For example, if you have a piece of land that is 5 ares in size, it would be equivalent to 500 square meters (5 ares * 100 m²/are = 500 m²).
A square chain is a unit of area measurement that is now considered obsolete and not commonly used. It was historically used in some English-speaking countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom, as part of the older system of land measurement.
One square chain is equal to an area of 10 square rods, or 484 square yards. In terms of square meters, one square chain is approximately equal to 404.68564224 square meters (m²).
The square chain was often used in land surveys and property descriptions in the past, but it has been largely replaced by the more standardized metric and imperial systems of measurement. In modern times, square meters and square feet are the more commonly used units for measuring land area.