Answer:
Step-by-step explanation:
Countries near the equator tend to appear smaller on Mercator projection maps than they actually are. This is because the Mercator projection distorts the size of features on the map as they get farther from the equator.
One example of a country that appears smaller on Mercator projection maps than it actually is is Brazil. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world by land area, but on a Mercator projection map it appears smaller than many other countries due to the distortion caused by the projection. Similarly, other countries in South America and Africa, which are also near the equator, appear smaller on Mercator maps than they actually are.