What characteristic do conformal projections preserve?

Conformal projections are designed to preserve shapes over small areas. This means that while the scale of the map might be distorted in different regions, local angles are maintained, allowing features to appear in their true shape. The ability to maintain shape is particularly important for certain types of analyses and applications, such as navigation and certain types of mapping where preserving the integrity of local forms is crucial.

In contrast, other characteristics such as area, distance, and direction may not be maintained in the same way by conformal projections. For instance, while some projections may maintain area, which is important for equidistant projections, conformal projections do not preserve area; thus, map features can appear larger or smaller than they truly are when viewed in terms of their spatial relationships. Additionally, distance can be distorted, which can affect the way distances are interpreted on the map. Similarly, direction can be influenced, although many conformal projections attempt to keep directions accurate at specific points. In summary, the hallmark of conformal projections is their fidelity to shape, especially in local areas.