Scale (map)

When you look at a map of the world, you might notice that some countries are bigger than others and that some islands are very small. A scale is a way to measure the size of something, like an island or a country. Maps can also use scales to show how far apart two places are. When you see a number like '1:50,000' on a map, it means how far it takes you to travel one mile on the map would be the same as 50,000 miles in real life.