Scale? Routinely the professionals and technician of the ambient area if come across with maps in different scales. He is common if to relate the maps with great scales or small scales. But what it is scale? Scale is the relation enters the represented area in the map and the reality. Thus, it can be said that the scale can be calculated by means of the following account: Scale = graphical dimension (map)/real dimension In this manner, a map that possesss scale of 1:5.000 means that each 1 cm of the map corresponds the 5000 cm of the reality, that is, 50 meters. When we know if the map has scale ‘ ‘ grande’ ‘ or ‘ ‘ pequena’ ‘? Comparing if two scales, for example, 1:5.000 and 1:10.000, we notice that to divide 1 for 5000 and 1 for 10000 the result will be, respectively, 0,0002 and 0,0001. Observing these numbers, one perceives that 0,0002 are greater that 0,0001. Thus, one says that the map of 1:5.000 possesss a bigger scale of what the 1:10.000. Generally, maps with great scale vary of scale 1:50 until 1:20.000.

Maps with average scale vary between 1:25.000 1:250.000. Finally, maps of small scale have scales above of 1:250.000. It repairs that to become fullfilled the accounts made in the third paragraph with the presented scales as great, average and small said in the previous paragraph, we will notice that the division will result in bigger values in the great scales in relation to the average and small scales. We will also perceive that the result of the division of the average scales will be bigger of what of the division of the small scales. Which scale of map to use front to the displayed one? The reply it is, depends. Its or work depends on the study objective of. Works that involve an entire country as Brazil will use small scales.

Already the planning of the use of the ground of a small country property will need the use maps with great scale. A frequent confusion that involves the term ‘ ‘ escala’ ‘ it occurs when many times we use this term to assign the extension of an area. For example, ‘ ‘ the great So Paulo possesss 20 million inhabitants. However, this amount is not raised, therefore if to analyze in a bigger scale, of the entire country, we will see that this is only one portion of the 180 million inhabitants who Brazil possui’ ‘. In this in case that, the term scale assigns size and does not scale properly cartographic said. This fact is white of much confusion between students and technician of the ambient and agricultural area. In the truth, if we are in relating to the cartographic scale, the correct one is to say that the map of So Paulo possesss a bigger scale of what the map of Brazil. If we are in relating only to the size (dimension) of the area, the job of the term scales is not made a mistake in the phrase between quotations marks above displayed. Scale is a very present concept in the area of remote sensoriamento, systems of geographic information, ecology of the landscape, geography.