A conic projection is a method used in cartography to represent the curved surface of the Earth on a flat map. This technique involves projecting the Earth's surface onto a cone that touches the globe at specific lines of latitude. The result is a map that preserves certain properties, such as area or shape, making it useful for specific regions. Conic projections are particularly effective for mapping mid-latitude areas, where the distortion is minimized. Common examples include the Albers Equal-Area Conic and the Lambert Conformal Conic projections, each serving different purposes in geographic representation.