Mercator projection, type of map projection introduced in 1569 by Gerardus Mercator. ... This projection is widely used for navigation charts, because any straight line on a Mercator projection map is a line of constant true bearing that enables a navigator to plot a straight-line course.

The specific feature of the Mercator projection is that it exaggerates the size of Greenland almost 25 times compared to its actual size. This distortion occurs because the Mercator projection is a cylindrical map projection that preserves angles and shapes, but greatly distorts the size of objects as they move away from the equator.

The Mercator projection was developed by Gerardus Mercator in 1569 and was primarily designed for navigation purposes. It became popular due to its ability to create straight lines of constant bearing, which helped sailors to navigate accurately. However, this projection has several limitations, including the distortion of size and shape.

The distortion in the Mercator projection arises from the fact that it stretches the areas near the poles to fit them into a rectangular shape. This stretching effect increases as one moves towards the poles, resulting in an enormous exaggeration of size for objects in high latitudes.

In the case of Greenland, which is located near the North Pole, the Mercator projection greatly inflates its size. Greenland appears to be larger than South America, even though South America is actually about eight times larger than Greenland. This distortion can be misleading when comparing the sizes of countries or continents.

It is important to note that the Mercator projection does not only exaggerate the size of Greenland but also distorts the sizes of all objects at high latitudes, including Antarctica. Similarly, countries near the equator, such as those in Africa or South America, appear relatively smaller on the Mercator projection.

Despite its limitations, the Mercator projection continues to be widely used in many applications, especially in nautical charts and for creating world maps. However, for a more accurate representation of the Earth's surface, other map projections, such as the Robinson projection or the Winkel Tripel projection, are often preferred as they balance size and shape distortions more effectively.