What principle is preserved in conic projections?

Conic projections are designed to preserve area, which means that the shapes of areas on the map are accurately represented relative to one another. This is particularly important for applications where accurate area comparison is necessary, such as in certain types of demographic, environmental, or land use studies.

In a conic projection, the surface of the Earth is projected onto a cone that is tangential to a latitude line. Because this method of projection is based on a specific geometric relationship, areas in the real world maintain their proportions on the map, allowing for reliable area measurements.

While conic projections may distort shape, distance, or scale, they are specifically created to maintain area integrity. This makes them particularly useful for mapping larger regions, especially those that extend east to west, where maintaining area accuracy is crucial.