Mercator projection is described as preserving true direction and land shapes fairly accurately but distorting which aspects?

• A. Size and Distance
• B. Colors and Texture
• C. Elevation and Depth
• D. Population Density

Answer: (A)

Mercator projection keeps angles the same locally, which makes directions reliable for navigation and keeps small shapes intact, so landforms look reasonably correct in outlines. But to preserve those directions everywhere on the globe, the map must stretch space more and more as you move away from the equator. That stretching makes areas near the poles appear disproportionately large, so size is distorted. Because the scale varies with latitude, measured distances on the map don’t match true ground distances except near the equator, so distance is also distorted. Colors, textures, elevation, and population density aren’t inherent distortions of the projection itself; they’re data attributes that can be shown on any map, but the Mercator warps size and distance, not those other aspects.