Is a mile the same distance on land and at sea?

No. A mile on the ocean and a mile on land are not the same distance. On the ocean, a mile is called a nautical mile and measures 6,076 feet (1,852 meters). A land mile (or statute mile) is 5,280 feet (1,609 meters). Queen Elizabeth I of England established the statute mile. This measure, based on walking distance, originated with the Romans, who designated 1,000 paces as a land mile.