Which projection is most suitable for mapping areas located near the equator?

The choice of the Mercator projection for mapping areas near the equator is appropriate due to its unique properties that maintain directional relationships, making it advantageous for navigation. The Mercator projection accurately represents angles, meaning that the projection preserves local shapes and allows for straight-line courses to be portrayed as straight on the map. This characteristic makes it particularly useful for marine navigation, where sailors need to plot routes that maintain accurate bearings.

Although the Mercator projection does distort areas as one moves away from the equator (making regions closer to the poles appear larger than they actually are), these distortions are less pronounced near the equator itself. Thus, for regions straddling the equatorial zone, while the distortion is still present, it is relatively manageable compared to higher latitudes.

In contrast, other projections, such as the Polar Stereographic, primarily focus on polar regions and are not suitable for equatorial mapping. The Mollweide projection emphasizes area preservation, but it distorts shape and angle, which can be unsuitable for navigation purposes. Similarly, the Equirectangular projection, while easy to construct and useful for certain applications, may not represent the curvature of the Earth accurately, leading to significant distortions in shape and area in the data presented.