Which of the following is a major type of map projection?

The Mercator projection is indeed a major type of map projection that is well-known in cartography. Developed by Gerardus Mercator in 1569, this projection is particularly valuable for navigation because it maintains straight lines for compass bearings, making it easier for sailors to plot their courses. However, it significantly distorts the size of landmasses, especially near the poles, which makes it less accurate for representing the true area of regions.

In contrast, the Robinson projection is also a recognized projection but is typically categorized as a compromise projection that aims to minimize distortion in size, shape, distance, and direction. The Azimuthal projection focuses on representing distances accurately from a central point, but it is more specialized than the Mercator. The topographic projection primarily represents terrain features using contour lines and is not a primary type of projection used for mapping whole areas in relation to one another. Thus, the Mercator projection stands out as a fundamental and historically significant method of depicting the Earth on a flat surface.