ocr: Almost all maps are drawn to scale, which means that there is a direct relationship between distances measured on the ground and distances measured on the map. When reading a map, the first thing you should do is establish its scale. It is normally expressed as a ratio, such as 1:50 000. This means that 1 unit of measurement on the map is equal to 50,000 of the same units of measurement on the ground. Maps are also referred to as large or small scale. On a large scale map there is more space to show the surface of the land in more detail. However, mapping at a large scale means that a smaller ...