map scale
Cartographic size relationship
Map scale is the ratio between distance on a map and actual distance on the ground.
A scale of 1:50,000 means one unit on the map equals 50,000 of those units in reality.
Large-scale maps show small areas in detail; small-scale maps show large areas with less detail.
Scale appears as a ratio, a bar graphic, or a verbal statement like one inch equals one mile.
- ratioComparative numerical relation
- mile5,280 feet
- distanceSpace between two points
- kilometerThousand meters
- projectionSomething that extends outward
legend · contour lines · georeferencing · coordinate system · cartographer · nautical mile · proportion · representative · metric system · imperial system · denominator · centimeter · surveying · inch · navigation · bar · zoom · grid
- scalesweight, measure, balance, precision scales, beam balance
- Map Termslatitude, longitude, equator, meridian, prime meridian
- mapmakingcartographer, mapmaker, compass rose, topographer, surveyor
- 20th century world mapsatlas, globe, world atlas, compass rose, latitude
- map elementscompass rose, legend, labels, symbols, coordinates
- GISGIS, layer, geospatial, mapping, coordinate
map scaleground truth
Empirically confirmed actual information
scale · full size · actual size · physical reality · reality
map scalelarge scale
Of great extent
small scale · zoomed in · zoomed out · high resolution · low resolution