Geography of Canada

Geographic Skills : The Map Scale

What is a map scaleMap scale is a measurement on the map

representing the actual distance at the location identified on the map.

We link the map to the real world using three different types of scale.

1- A Verbal scale uses a sentence to describe the relationship between a map distance and a ground distance.

“One centimetre represents 16 kilometres”

In this example the one centimetre is on the map, and that one centimetre represents 16 kilometres on the ground.

2- A Linear scale is a ruler which shows directly on the map the ground distance.

In this type of scale the ruler is divided into 1 cm sections with each section representing 1 kilometre on the ground.

3- Representative Fraction (Ratio scale). A RF scale shows the relationship between any unit on the map and same unit on the ground.

RFs may be written as a fraction or as a ratio;“1/100,000” or “1 :

100,000”