The category scheme for maps initiated in 2006 hinged on removing the ambiguous description "historical" from map category names. "Historical maps of the world", for example, may mean old maps of the world, or modern maps showing world history, or old maps showing even older world history...

The basis for the scheme, therefore, is relatively straightforward:


1. Maps in a name means modern maps, i.e. maps made in the past seventy (70) years.
2. Old maps in a name means maps over seventy (70) years ago.a
3. Every "Maps..." category may have an "Old maps..." category as its first subcategory.b

4. Category:Maps showing history therefore contains modern maps that show history.
    Its subcategories are mostly Maps of the history of....
5. Category:Old maps showing history therefore contains "old maps" (as defined above) showing even older history.
    Its subcategories are mostly Old maps of the history of...

For every subcategory of Category:Maps, there may be a similar subcategory of Category:Old maps. Or, more technically, Category:Maps and Category:Old maps are parallel, complementary networks of categories.

Notes

a  i.e. beyond standard copyright.
b  i.e. an "Old maps of..." category should include the categorization [[Category:Maps of... | ]]. This should make the "Old maps of..." category the first subcategory in the "Maps of..." category, within sight of both registered and unregistered users.

Examples

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[Select an area that has a "Maps of area", "Old maps of area", "Maps of the history of area" and "Old maps of the history of area", then list these categories with explanations beside. (Maps of the world?)]



[Apart from a list/rationale for Category:Maps' subcategories (see below), that's it.]

Category:Maps' subcategories

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Maps by area shown (...?)
Maps of the world
Maps of Earth's hemispheres
("Supracontinental maps"...? [Too esoteric?])
Maps by continent
Maps by subcontinent (cf Maps by region, Supranational maps [too esoteric?])
Maps by country
Maps of country subdivisions (incl Maps of cities...?)

Also: Maps of disputed territories, Maps of former territories, Maps of empires, Maps of islands, Maps of oceans, Maps of seas
Maps of astronomical bodies
Maps of fictional places or locations

Maps showing history
Maps showing the history of region, Maps of empires
Maps by [feature shared]...?
Maps by area shown, Maps by cartographer, Maps by century made, Maps by century shown, Maps by language, Maps by source, Maps by uploader, Maps incorporating flags...
Maps by theme
(merge with Maps by type...?)
Archaeological maps, Biogeographical maps, etc... Site plans?, Maps of time zones, Topographic maps, etc.
Maps by type
(Too wide/vague a categorization...?) Aerial photographs, Animated maps, SVG maps, etc...
Locator maps
(perhaps categorize before alphabet, i.e. their category index is ...| ]])
WikiAtlas

Leaves Symbols on maps, Map-related templates, Map placeholders, Map images that should use vector graphics

Add maps of national parks and forests? like the 3 maps here?

Complementary version of the above, i.e.

Old maps by area shown (...?)
Old maps showing history
Old maps by theme
(merge with "Old maps by type"...?)
Old maps by type

No old locator maps
WikiAtlas entries using old maps...?



Maps by what is shown -vs- Maps by how its shown...?