LECTURE NOTE

CLASS : SS1
SUBJECT : GEOGRAPHY
TOPIC : MAP DISTANCE
SUB – TOPIC : Map Enlargement and Reduction.

MAP REDUCTION AND MAP ENLARGEMENT :

a) Map reduction: Map reduction simply means reducing the size of the original map. When a
map is reduced, the representative fraction becomes bigger.
Example:
Reduce the map below to half of the original size and show all the futures of the original map
in the view.
a) Original map ( scale 1:50,000 )

b) New, map 1:100,000

Procedure's for reducing map

i ) Note and measure the length and width of the original old map.
ii ) Divide the original map into small squares of equal size ( grid method), using a pencil.
iii ) Draw the length and width of the reduced new plan. Reduce according to number of times
requested.
iv ) Also produce the same number of squares in the new map, proportional in size to the
square produced in the old map based on the number of times the map is reduced.
v ) Transfer the features in the original map to the reduced map, square by square as they are
in the original map.
vi ) To get the scale of the new map, multiply the old scale by the number of times the map is
reduced.
Like the example above, the old scale 1:50,000 is multiplied by half to get the new scale
(1:100,000) for the new map. That is.
1 1 1
x = = 1:100,000
50,000 2 100,000

Scale for the new map = 1:100,000

b ) Map enlargement: Map enlargement means enlarging the size of the original map. When
a map is enlarged, the representative fraction becomes smaller.
The procedure's for map enlargement is the same as that of map reduction except that in this
case , after dividing the new map into uniform number of squares as the old map, the size of
the squares or entire length and width of the new map is multiplied bigger based on the
required enlargement. i.e. by 2,3, e.t.c.
Important points to note:
There are many cases where you won't be required to enlarge or reduce your map. You are just
given a scale and requested to produce a new scale and map based on the original scale.
Procedure's:
𝑂𝑙𝑑 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒
1) = Fraction
𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒

Fraction indicates map reduction

𝑂𝑙𝑑 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒
2) = Whole number
𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒

Whole number indicates map enlargement

Example 1:
Study the map extract on a scale 1:50,000 showing area in Lagos and draw an outline and
draw an outline of the area to a scale of 1:150,000.
Solution : Old scale = 1:50,000, New scale = 1:150,000,
𝑂𝑙𝑑 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒 50,000 1 1
= = The fraction indicates map reduction. It means you are to
𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑒 150,000 3 3
1 1
reduce the original (old) map by or produce a new map smaller than the original map.
3 3