Definition:Metric System/Length/Centimetre

Centimetre
The centimetre (US English: centimeter) is the CGS base unit of length.

It was initially defined as $10^{-9}$ the distance from the Earth's equator to the North Pole at sea level, that is, $\frac 1 {100}$ the length of a metre.

Square Centimetre
The square centimetre is the CGS unit of area.

The symbol for the square centimetre is $\mathrm {cm}^2$ or (the informal and ugly) $\mathrm {sq}. \ \mathrm {cm}$.

Cubic Centimetre
The cubic centimetre is the CGS unit of volume.

The symbol for the cubic centimetre is $\mathrm {cm}^3$ or (informally) $\mathrm {cc}$.