The scale on a map is the ratio between real life sizes and how many times it has been shrunk to fit it on the map. Ordnance Survey maps, the most common type of map in the UK, come in several scales.

Map scales close map scaleThe ratio of the length of a feature on a map to the same length in real life. are often written as a ratio, eg 1 : 250,000. They can also be written using measurements ...