What is a conical projection and what does it distort?

A conical projection is a type of map projection where the Earth's surface is projected onto a cone placed over the globe. This method is particularly useful for mapping mid-latitude regions, as it preserves shapes and angles well within a certain area. However, it distorts areas and distances, especially as one moves away from the standard parallels where the cone touches the globe. Consequently, features can appear stretched or compressed, leading to inaccuracies in size and scale.