The best road to progress is freedom's road. - JFK
Texas
Here is displayed the summary table of each major map convention that is preferred for use on all language versions of Wikipedia. Each convention has its own sub-page, which should contain:
An introduction explaining the style objectives and the most convenient way to create a such map.
A color summary table with two (up-to-date) map examples.
The naming convention for upload, and other advice (mainly: scale, legend).
An up-to-date SVG template.
Further details on history, limits, and possible expansions.
A gallery of examples.
The image renaming tool working on commons (request this tool · Renaming guidelines), and for admins, the naming conventions can be used to harmonize image and maps' names.
Please note: these are strongly encouraged conventions, aiming to harmonize maps on the Wikipedias, but that cartographers still have a space of freedom to fit specific needs.
Complex multiple area: from single-subject basic locator maps to complex multi-subject areas with corresponding labels and other explanations
Locator maps: one point or one area of interest, mostly a political entity; complexity: families of animals, languages, cultures; empires; human occupation, etc., and their corresponding labels.
Roads, freeways, railroads, canals, sea roads, money flux, human flux, etc.
Our work & choices
Most of these conventions are supported by active groups of map makers, and have been created and improved through long and serious discussions. The main intentions are: to display efficiently selected data; to create screen, web, print, creation & share friendly maps; to create a wiki style free of nationalism issues. Accordingly, these conventions provide web suitable screen/web/print/creation/share friendly colours, icons and labels. On the other side, not being a government supported project, we do not have to support state affirmation and nationalistic views, also, these conventions advise that you "do not wipe neighboring countries out of your map", and to use dashed international borders (see Image:Maps_template-en.svg).
SVG Tool box template
This is a SVG toolbox to be used! Download it, drag and drop into your SVG map, ungroup, and enjoy :]
If you are still interested in Map edition and SVG, you will need an SVG editor. The first to try is Inkscape, free of charge and good enough, please go to the /Software sub-page.
Note:this is about LOCATION MAPS, focusing on one subject to allow automatic geo-localisation. LOCATOR MAPS is an other style, which follow the 'English colours', to enlighten a subject area in red.
Location maps are mainly used as backgrounds for automatic geo-localisation. But, as SVG, they are often used as source material for other kinds of maps. The German Map Lab is especially active in completing this category, country after country.
Coasts of lakes, rivers, seas, and hydronyms
(Temporary coastlines, color and ratio: opacity:0.6;dasharray:4, 4;stroke-width:1;)
#0978AB
R:9 V:120 B:171
Ocean, sea, lake
(Temporary body, color and ratio: opacity:0.6;stroke-dasharray:4, 4;stroke-width:1;)
#C6ECFF
R:198 V:236 B:255
Naming (upload):
File:{Country name in English} location map.svg
File:{Country name in English} {Sub-division name in English} location map.svg
and so on, but please focus your energy on countries first.
Further needs: Legend: not needed. Scale: not needed (since misleading), acceptable for <200km large/high maps. Projections:Equirectangular projection(except for extreme north or extreme south country.) {Location map}: use such {{Location map|Spain|label=Madrid|mark=Green_pog.svg|lat=40.5|long=-3.7|width=230|float=center}}
SVG template: if you need some labels, please use Image:Maps_template-en.svg which provide further label conventions.
Area (country, province, etc.) — color depend of value
For manual creation: on the right are 9 colors from ColorBrewer, adapt the ramp to your needs
#FFF7FB
R:255 V:247 B:251
#ECE7F2
R:236 V:231 B:242
#D0D1E6
R:208 V:209 B:230
#A6BDDB
R:166 V:189 B:219
#74A9CF
R:116 V:169 B:207
#3690C0
R:54 V:144 B:192
#0570B0
R:5 V:112 B:176
#045A8D
R:4 V:90 B:141
#023858
R:2 V:56 B:88
Naming (upload):
File:{Subject} per {unit} by {Country or Area name in English} gradient map (YYYY).svg
Note: all the subject, the areas' level, and the date (YYYY or YYYY MM DD) are critical. Ex: Average income per household by US state (2011).svg
Further needs: Legend: very important (otherwise the map is useless). Labels: not needed. Scale: not needed. Projections:Equirectangular projection(except for extreme north or extreme south coutry.}, please follow World6 and the location maps.</nowiki>
SVG template: if you need some labels, please use Image:Maps_template-en.svg which provide further label conventions.
Orthographic maps display a country (or set of countries) on a globe representation of the world. Like location maps, orthographic maps are very basic, and should not have, or have very few labels. Maps should be centred on the subject of interest.
File:{Country name in English} (orthographic projection).svg
Or possibly File:{ISO 3-letter Country code} orthographic.svg
Further needs: Dimensions: 550x550 pixels. Border of the globe: 1.5 pixels. Latitude/longitude grid: .3 pixels in black with 77 in the transparency value. Coasts and borders of countries: .3 pixels. Legend: not needed. Scale: not needed (since misleading). Scale is non-linear across the globe Projections:Orthographic projection Gradient:File:Orthographic gradient.svg
China
Chile
United States
Locator maps (one area)
Locator maps display an article's subject area of occupation. Locator maps are conveniently derived from Location maps, which have to be colored (ocean, land, rivers, subject area) to this conventional colours. Locator maps are very basic, and should not have, or have very few labels. Their aim is to show the geographical occupation, not to explain it.
Area map conventions focus on the area layers, providing colors conventions for groups you want to display on your maps and their respective area of control. This style just expose the areas of control, and don't include complex labels and explanations.
Color n⁰5, opacity 100 or 40% (/!\ may conflict with water bodies):
#377eb8
R:55 V:126 B:184
Color n⁰6, opacity 100 or 40%:
#ffff33
R:255 V:255 B:51
Color n⁰7, opacity 100 or 40%:
#a65628
R:166 V:86 B:40
Naming (upload):
File:{Subject name in English} locator map.svg (or png, for locator maps)
File:{Subject name in English} map.svg (or png)
For species, use the binominal name. For others, use the English wiki article title. If needed, add just after the subject name the section's name, the year, etc. Note:
Colours: A maximum of four colours is required for complex multi-color area maps (see Four color theorem).
Historical maps (or Complex maps) conventions provide further specific icons and labels, allowing to create historical/complex maps. These style, icons, and labels explain events and display areas of control on a geographic area. They can be drawn on other backgrounds such as blank Locator maps, or blank Topographic maps. Most of time, they're used to display historical events, language maps, ethnic maps, etc. This style's convention stay to improve.
SVG template: This style is put up on a background. A good set of icons, labels, and a legend box are provide in Image:Maps_template-en.svg, File:Maps_template-history_patch-en.svg provide history-specific icons. Maps_template-history_patch-en.svg stay to expand.
Naming (upload):
File:{Subject name in English} {Year} map.svg(or png)
Name: use the English wiki article's title. Year: Use the year cited by your source, such as : "1920" ; "52BC" ; or "c 1500BC". If need, find an other way. Legend: to include into the map. Scale: encouraged for small area maps.
Technical maps are mainly close-view maps displaying some local buildings. They are useful when displaying archeological sites, small cities and part of bigger cities. For roads and cities, the most convenient resource is OpenStreetMap. This style of map doesn't have a convention yet, but needs one. Some interesting examples of Technical maps are show below.
Archeological site.
Central park.
Using OpenStreetMap, and updating the style to wiki exchange maps style.
Note: if you have a good experience in technical maps creation, please share your icon set, that will create the basis of future technical maps convention.
Topographic maps
Topographic maps are actually backgrounds. But, since the topography explain nicely agriculture, human occupation, history and so on, topographic maps are a key background style, advantageously use to support such subjects.