A parcel of land that is 5 miles on each side would be described as

• A. 5 miles square
• B. 25 square miles
• C. 5 miles by 5 miles
• D. 5 miles long

Answer: (A)

Describing land by its dimensions uses the phrase “X miles square” to indicate a square parcel whose sides are X miles long. Here, a parcel that is 5 miles on each side forms a square with side length 5 miles. The standard way to describe that is “five miles square,” which also implies the area is 25 square miles (since 5 × 5 = 25). If you only say “25 square miles,” you’re stating the area but not the shape or the exact side length. Saying “5 miles by 5 miles” would be accurate too, but the conventional land-descriptor is “five miles square.” Saying “5 miles long” gives only one dimension and misses the other side.