Final answer:
The conical projection has advantages such as moderate distortion of shapes and accurate representation for areas with east-west orientation but has disadvantages like increased distortion away from the standard parallels and unsuitability for world maps.
Step-by-step explanation:
The conical projection is a type of map projection which is mostly used for creating maps of small to medium-sized countries in the mid-latitudes. It involves projecting the surface features of the Earth onto a cone placed over part of an Earth model. There are both advantages and disadvantages to using this method.
Advantages of Conical Projection:
- Moderate distortion of shapes and sizes, which is minimized around the standard parallel.
- Accurate representation of areas with an east-west orientation, particularly useful for mapping countries in the mid-latitudes.
- Directional relationships are consistent along the standard parallels.
Disadvantages of Conical Projection:
- Distortions increase as the distance from the standard parallel grows, especially towards the poles.
- Not suitable for world maps as it does not accommodate the entire globe well.
- Meridians converge towards the pole which can cause scaling issues.