Final answer:
On the Mercator projection map, countries closer to the poles appear larger and those closer to the equator appear smaller due to the map's distortion as it represents a three-dimensional globe on a two-dimensional plane.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sizes of countries on a Mercator projection map are affected by their location in relation to the equator. Countries closer to the poles appear larger, while those closer to the equator appear smaller. This distortion occurs because the map projection stretches the earth's surface in an attempt to make a three-dimensional globe fit onto a two-dimensional map. This leads to countries near the poles, such as Canada, Russia, and the Scandinavian nations, looking disproportionately large compared to their actual size. On the other hand, countries near the equator, like those in central Africa or the Amazon basin, look comparatively smaller than they really are.
Geographers and cartographers use a cylindrical map projection to create Mercator maps, in which all the latitude lines have the same length as the equator. As a result, geographic points at higher latitudes get spread out over a larger area. Although this type of projection has been useful for historical maritime navigation due to its ability to represent lines of constant course, or rhumb lines, as straight segments, it greatly distorts the relative sizes of landmasses as one moves away from the equator.
When comparing true landmass sizes, it's beneficial to use tools like The True Size, which allows for an accurate visual comparison by dragging the true shape of a country or state across different latitudes on the map. This method can provide a better sense of how latitude affects the perceived size of countries and states on different map projections, especially the Mercator projection.