Expressing Map Scale
There are three basic ways that map scale may be indicated on a map.
First is a verbal scale, which is a phrase describing the relationship between
map distance and earth distance. Second is a graphic or linear scale,
which looks almost like a small ruler. Finally there is the representative
fraction, or fractional scale, which is the ratio of units on the map to the
number of the same units on the earth's surface that the unit represents.
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Last Revised: July 26, 2001