What measure of distance is equivalent to one twentieth part of a degree of latitude?

One twentieth part of a degree of latitude is equivalent to a nautical mile. This is because a degree of latitude is approximately 69 miles (the actual distance can vary slightly depending on where you are on the Earth's surface because the Earth is not a perfect sphere but rather an oblate spheroid). Therefore, dividing 69 miles by 20 yields approximately 3.43 statute miles, but this is not the preferred measure for navigation and mapping over large distances.

A nautical mile is defined as one minute of arc along a meridian and is used in maritime and air navigation due to its relationship with the Earth's geometry. Since there are 60 minutes in a degree, one nautical mile corresponds to one sixtieth of a degree of latitude, which provides a clear link between navigation and the curvature of the Earth. Therefore, specifying one twentieth part of a degree of latitude can be directly related to nautical miles in terms of navigation.

The other options, while units of distance, do not have this specific relationship to degrees of latitude. A marine league, traditionally perceived as about three nautical miles, and a statute mile which is equal to 5280 feet do not directly correlate to degrees of latitude in the same manner. A chain, which is a