Compare the two maps shown, then answer the following questions. Which of the following is a characteristic of the Mercator projection?
The size and shape of countries in the higher latitudes are greatly exaggerated.

The size of all countries is accurate, but the shape is distorted.

Countries near the Equator appear 50 percent larger than countries in the middle latitudes.

The projection is designed to maintain undistorted outlines of landmasses.

Distances on the Mercator projection are real and accurate.