The kilometre (SI symbol: km; /ˈkɪləmiːtər/ or /kɪˈlɒmətər/), spelt kilometer in American and Philippine English, is a unit of length in the International System of Units (SI), equal to one thousand metres (kilo- being the SI prefix for 1000). It is the preferred measurement unit to express distances between geographical places on land in most of the world; notable exceptions are the United States and the United Kingdom where the statute mile is used.
The abbreviation km is commonly used to represent kilometre. The abbreviation Km is not recommended by the BIPM.[1][2] A slang term for the kilometre in the US, UK, and Canadian militaries is klick.[3]
