Looking for a generic world map

[Hendryk]

I've tried copying those AH world maps occasionally used for map challenges and such (with the color code for political regimes), but I can't alter them. Is there somewhere a master map that can be modified with standard software?

[Diamond]

Did you try saving one of those maps as a bitmap instead of a .gif or .jpeg, then trying to alter it (the bitmap version) with Paint or something similar? That usually works. After you've completed your map, then you can make a duplicate saved in something that takes up less room than a bitmap. (But keep an original map as a bitmap to use as a template in the future!)