Editing Map (section)

==Scale and accuracy==
{{Main|Scale (map)}}
Many maps are drawn to a [[Scale (map)|scale]] expressed as a [[ratio]], such as 1:10,000, which means that 1 unit of [[measurement]] on the map corresponds to 10,000 of that same unit on the ground. The scale statement can be accurate when the region mapped is small enough for the [[curvature]] of the Earth to be neglected, such as a [[city map]]. Mapping larger regions, where the curvature cannot be ignored, requires [[map projection|projections]] to map from the curved surface of the Earth to the plane. The impossibility of flattening the [[sphere]] to the [[Plane (geometry)|plane]] without distortion means that the map cannot have a constant scale. Rather, on most projections, the best that can be attained is an accurate scale along one or two paths on the projection. Because scale differs everywhere, it can only be measured meaningfully as [[scale (map)|point scale]] per location. Most maps strive to keep point scale variation within narrow bounds. Although the scale statement is nominal it is usually accurate enough for most purposes unless the map covers a large fraction of the Earth. At the scope of a world map, scale as a single number is practically meaningless throughout most of the map. Instead, it usually refers to the scale along the equator.

[[File:EU Pop2008 1024.PNG|thumb|[[Cartogram]] of the [[European Union|EU]] – distorted to show population distributions as of 2008|left]]
Some maps, called [[cartogram]]s, have the scale deliberately distorted to reflect information other than land area or distance. For example, this map (at the left) of [[Europe]] has been distorted to show population distribution, while the rough shape of the continent is still discernible.

Another example of distorted scale is the famous [[Tube map|London Underground map]]. The geographic structure is respected but the tube lines (and the [[River Thames]]) are smoothed to clarify the relationships between stations. Near the center of the map, stations are spaced out more than near the edges of the map.

Further inaccuracies may be deliberate. For example, cartographers may simply omit military installations or remove features solely to enhance the clarity of the map. For example, a road map may not show railroads, smaller waterways, or other prominent non-road objects, and even if it does, it may show them less clearly (e.g. dashed or dotted lines/outlines) than the main roads. Known as decluttering, the practice makes the subject matter that the user is interested in easier to read, usually without sacrificing overall accuracy. Software-based maps often allow the user to toggle decluttering between ON, OFF, and AUTO as needed. In AUTO the degree of decluttering is adjusted as the user changes the scale being displayed.