The Concept of “Scale” This can be confusing! © 2014 Brian Weekley AP Human Geography 2014-2015. Any use for educational purposes is granted.

What is “Scale”? There are several meanings when using this term Map Scale “World-view” Scale

Map Scale Scale is the relationship between map units and the actual distance on the Earth. The smaller the scale, the smaller everything is, and a larger area is shown/covered.

Map Scale Ratio or fraction scale gives the relationship as a ratio, e.g. 1:100,000 is that 1 unit on the map equals 100,000 units on the ground. In a written scale units are expressed in a convenient way, e.g. “1 centimeter equals 1 kilometer.” A graphic scale is given by a scale bar showing the distance represented on the Earth's surface.

Think of “map scale” as a fraction ¼ > ⅛ “¼” is closer to the SAME as the WHOLE thing than is “⅛”. (Architects use ¼ “= 1’ scale mostly) A map that is 1:54,000 scale has a LARGER scale than a map that is 1:1,000,000. Meaning you see more DETAIL ***Large scale = large detail*** and ZOOMED IN

World-view Scale We also talk about “scale” in regards to our view of the world- our perspective and vantage point, and the area we are focused on. It is all relative to some other scale. While “map scale” is literal, “world-view scale” is more figurative in nature.

World-view Scale There can be: Local Scale or level (e.g., things that happen around us close by, and locally) Lake City would be an example, comparative to Florida Regional Scale or level (e.g., things that happen at a regional level of which the local is a part) Florida, the South, or the US, comparable to the world as a whole Global Scale or level (e.g., things that can be said to be universal) The World as a whole

World-view Scale What is true at one scale might not hold true at a larger scale. Look at the following maps of election results from 2012.

Red =Republican Romney; Blue = Democrat Obama Support in large urban areas Support from African Americans and immigrants OR urban centers Support from immigrants

Q: Why not Pensacola or Jax? Support in large urban areas, college towns, cities Support in densely-populated African American communities, seats of government A: Heavy military presence, historically conservative

Columbia County overall voted for Romney.

World-view Scale What is true at the local level (Columbia County) was not true or Florida OR the US. Obama won in Florida and obviously the country. Here is a baseball analogy: One at-bat is the local level One game is the regional level 162-game season is the global level Things on a global level are usually very non-specific

Sum it all up: The smaller the scale, the smaller everything is The larger the scale, the larger the detail Local, regional and global views of things are all in relation to some other view and might all be different