In map projections, areas of low distortion are usually located:

• A. near the equator
• B. all of the above
• C. at the poles
• D. along standard parallels

Answer: (B)

Distortion in map projections depends on how the curved Earth is laid out on a flat plane, and you minimize or concentrate distortion by choosing where to place the region of best accuracy. In many global projections, the equatorial zone stays relatively true to scale, so distortion there tends to be low compared with higher latitudes. Conic projections minimize distortion along their standard parallels, where the projection is constructed to have true scale. For the poles, distortion is usually larger in standard global projections, but you can center a projection on a pole or design a projection to emphasize that region, achieving low distortion there as well. Because projection design lets you tailor the area of least distortion to different regions, it makes sense that low-distortion zones can be near the equator, along standard parallels, or near a pole depending on the projection, so all of the above captures this flexibility.