The whole map, at this ratio, would encompass a typical county in the United States. So if the ratio was 1:50,000 one centimeter on the map would represent 50,000 centimeters (500 meters) in real life.

Finally, a fractional scale, typically represented as a ratio (1/50,000 or 1:50,000), indicates that one unit (inch, centimeter, football field or pitch, etc.) on the map represents the second number of that same unit on Earth. Just as you would with a written or verbal scale to measure distance with this type of scale you would use a ruler. A graphic scale is a bar marked off like a ruler with labels outlining the distances the segments represent. A map reader would use a ruler to measure the distances between places.

A written or verbal scale uses words to describe the relationship between the map and the landscape it depicts such as one inch represents one mile. There are three types of scales commonly used on maps: written or verbal scale, a graphic scale, or a fractional scale.

Map or cartographic scale is the ratio of a distance on Earth compared to the same distance on a map. Its precise definition is often debated by geographers, in part, because various subfields of geography use scale in different ways. Scale is a fundamental concept of geography and is as essential for understanding Earth and its environments as it is for implementing public policy.

Global city definition human geography