Digimap Training Workshops

Map scales• Any map is a scale representation of

the Earth’s surface

• Scale may be defined as:– the ratio between distance measured

on the map and the true distance on the ground

Digimap Training Workshops

Map scales• Scale may be expressed in several ways:– as a Representative Fraction

• e.g. 1:1,250; 1:250,000; 1:63,360• “One unit on the map represents 1,250 units on the ground”

– in words• e.g. “one inch to one mile”• “One inch on the map represents one mile on the ground”

– by scale lines100m0 50

Digimap Training Workshops

Map scales

• Large scale or small scale?

• Relative terms: vary by subject• No absolute definition of large and small

scale