The square metre is a unit of area and is an SI derived unit with the symbol m².
It was introduced in 1954 when the International System of Units was established and was derived directly from one of the original 6 base units - the metre (m).
It can be prefixed with any of the SI symbols that multiply it up or down such as km² (square kilometre) or µm2 (square micrometre). It is the most commonly used unit of area and is recognised all over the world.
The square inch is a unit of area and is an imperial unit with the symbol in².
One square inch is equal in area to a square with edges one inch in length.
The square inch is a common unit of measurement in the UK and US.