> That said I don't know why anyone would be talking about acres when they could more simply say km wide or of area km squared that most people would not intuitively understand.

Ohooo, ohoo, ohohoho. Where I live (continental Europe) it's impossible for people to use km or meters for agricultural or housing land. It's alway acres this or hectares thats. It drives me nuts but I have learned to nod and I google the conversion later.