What projection type is characterized by having limited distortion north-south but significant distortion east-west?

The Transverse Mercator projection is characterized by having limited distortion in the north-south direction while presenting significant distortion in the east-west direction. This projection is particularly well-suited for mapping areas with a larger extent north-south, such as countries or regions that are elongated in that direction.

By orienting the cylindrical surface tangent to the earth along a meridian, the Transverse Mercator minimizes distortion along that meridian and extends very well in a north-south direction. However, because the projection wraps around the globe, areas farther away from the central meridian experience increased distortion east-west, especially as one moves toward the edges of the projection. This characteristic makes it ideal for certain types of regional mapping where accurate distance measurements are necessary in the north-south direction, while accepting that east-west distances will not be as accurate.

Other projection types, while having unique properties, do not exhibit the same combination of limited distortion in one direction and significant distortion in the perpendicular direction as the Transverse Mercator does. For instance, the Lambert Conformal Conic is better for wide areas with a more east-west extent, while the Equidistant projection preserves distance but does not specifically offer the same distortion characteristics.