scale

A level of representation. Traditionally, this has applied to cartography, where scale is the ratio between map distance and distance on the ground. Thus, a representative fraction of 1 : 25 000 indicates that 1 cm (or inch) on the map represents 25 000 cm (or inches) on the ground.

Geographers may also refer to the scale of an investigation or study, such as local, regional, or national, and may additionally be concerned with the connections between events on a local, regional, and national scale; in a classic argument, P. J. Taylor (1985) asserted that the process of modern capitalist accumulation is experienced locally, justified nationally, and organized globally. Other scale-related terms include micro-scale, meso-scale, and macro-scale. See also modifiable areal units.