A township can have different meanings depending on the country and context in which it is used:
United States and Canada (North America): In North America, a township is a specific type of administrative division used in land survey systems. In the United States, townships are most commonly used in the Midwest and some other parts of the country. In Canada, townships are used primarily in the eastern provinces. These townships are typically a square area of land, typically six miles by six miles (36 square miles), or a similar configuration depending on the specific survey system used. Townships can be further divided into smaller units, such as sections, for land management and ownership purposes.
South Africa: In South Africa, a township refers to a residential area established during the apartheid era for non-white citizens. These areas were segregated from the main cities and towns and often experienced poor living conditions. Today, many townships have evolved and have improved living conditions, but the term is still associated with historically segregated communities.
Australia: In Australia, the term "township" is often used to refer to small rural towns or settlements. These are typically smaller than cities or larger towns and often serve as centers for local communities.
A square kilometer (often abbreviated as km²) is a unit of area in the International System of Units (SI). It represents a square with sides that each measure 1 kilometer in length.
One square kilometer is equal to 1,000,000 square meters (m²) because there are 1,000 meters in a kilometer, and when you square that length, you get 1,000 * 1,000 = 1,000,000 square meters.
To visualize the size of a square kilometer, you can imagine a square plot of land, each side of which measures 1 kilometer (approximately 0.621 miles). It's a commonly used unit to measure land area, particularly in countries that use the metric system.