A map scale is the relationship between a
distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the earth. Map
scale may be expressed as an equivalence, usually by different units
(e.g., 1inch = 1mile or 1:63,360); or graphically, as a bar scale.
Large scale maps make each feature look larger, and show a smaller
geographic area. Small scale maps make each feature look smaller,
and show a larger geographic area.
What is map scale? The map on the left is a large
scale map of New York City where every map
feature is drawn 1/63,360 the actual size on the earth. The map on the
right is a smaller scale map of New York where every map feature is 1/12,672,000 the actual size on the
earth.
There are three common ways to depict a map's scale:
- Bar scales: Bar scales use a graphic
format. The length of the bar scale shows what that length
represents in real world units. In the maps above, the line
scales show the map distance that corresponds to one mile
and 300 miles respectively
- Ratio or “Representative Fraction” (RF):
A scale of 1:1,000 means that every feature on the map is shown
at one thousandth of its actual size
- Map units per unit or “Verbal Scale”:
A scale of one inch = 100 miles means that every inch on the map
corresponds to 100 miles on the earth
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