The following direct quotation from The Daily Imperialist, undated page accessed in October 2014, is here for backup/preservation:
Map Keys
(email to add keys)
Note that map keys are cAse sEnsitive.
Danea - England - 8 provinces, good food, 10 iron, 3 coal, distributed so that 2 upgraded towns will produce steel if you don't put your capital in those provinces. 4 copper, 4 tin distributed so that one upgraded town will produce bronze if you don't put your capital in that province. If you locate your capital in the best food province, you will lose the bronze and one steel produced by upgraded towns. The New World has good riches, including 7 furs. 4 provinces in the south have 1 fur each. 1 province in the north has 3 furs. --- Portugal has good resources, also, including a province that will produce bronze. A few other Great Powers also look like good possibilities. -- from Paul Kenkel
Pippin - Red power has large coal and iron resources
Hothor - Green power has balanced resources
Kidasticks - Red power has balanced resources
Dune - Almost all tundra and desert map
Scotland - Almost all hills map
Abarfellally - Sweden - Good resources, dangerous position at high levels. (Holland and Spain are also interesting.)
Swergingeth - Holland - 11 provinces, good resources.
Rhurowys - Holland - Great food supply close to good capital place. Good other resources. On continent with 3 MN and no other GP.
dagreat - Spain - 2 MN adjacent, New World diamonds to the East.
Tenardarthyr - Sweden - Sweden has good resources and shares an island with 2 minors. Aztec capital has 2 diamond mines. Inca capital has two gold mines. Near the Maya capital are gold and gems.
manstabee - England - 8 provinces, 5MN on the island, no other GP on the island. All the resourses you will need except for tin. Note the lower case "m" in "manstabee"
Tilgate Forest - Holland - 8 provinces, good food/raw materials, 3 horse ranches.
Tilgate Forest - France - Great food/raw material suply, 3 horse ranches.
Sk - None - Whole map is one big island.
Strategic Simulations Inc - France - Good resources, 3MN connected directly, 2MP connected directly.
Rhymnanunally - Portugal - Excellent island location -- lots of resources.
gravity - Spain - Excellent resources on a Continent with five minor powers and two weaker major powers. Note the lower case "g" in "gravity"
Caergansan - Portugal - 9 provinces, decent food/resources. 4 MN on same continent (along with 3 GP, unfortunately). Malinalco has gems and 2 diamonds.
Nabagh - Sweden - 3 adjacent MN, balanced resources.
Naerda - Sweden - 5 adjacent MN. Other nations on islands or with 1 MN adjacent.
Inga - France - Capital can be placed to cover 8 or 9 food resource squares (3 grain, 5 water, 1 meat or 3 grain, 3 water, 2 meat)
Panddos Mumrys - Holland - Good resources, lots of coal and iron near, and 4 minors
Swonag - Sweden - The capital of Sweden can be placed so that it covers five grain farms, one open range, and sits on a river. Sweden shares a continent with three minors. The continent has more than the usual number of provinces that will benefit from town growth. There were not any special targets in the new world, but here are some likely targets that were reasonably good: Aztecs, Pueblo, Huron, and Iroquios.
Iyauginanny - Sweden - 17, yes 17, provinces
Llallaey Ath - Sweden - Balanced Resources, 2 Neighbor MN, Running Bear and Detroit have Diamonds and Gems
Ceaff - Sweden - Good resource supply
Rharthestes - Spain - Good resource supply
Igea - Portugal - Only 3 horse ranches in whole map. 2 of them in Portugal, one in Germany. Whole map is one big island.
Sontin - England with 8 iron 3 coal and many hardwood and scrub forests, as well as some cotton and wool, all easily accesible. Play the red country.
I know of two with decent balanced resources and a good amount of timber --- Kidasticks and Hothor -- in one you should pick the light blue color and in the other you should pick red (I cannot recall which is which) -- I have one on Hard with Kidasticks and on Nigh on Impossible with Hothor- - Good Luck :)
Triltettum (notice the t after the l) - This map has a truckload of minerals.Pink - Loads of coal DBlue- Good mix of coal/iron LBlue- Truckloads of iron
frogcity - play the green country it has around 10 iron sites and 5 coal.