First Map On These Boards

[Kantein]

The orange is simply reddened parts of the geography. If you notice, the entire empire is covered with a reddish-orange overlay, making it easier for the viewer to immediately tell where the boundaries of the empire are.

[Hai-Etlik]

You've got some issues with contrast making it rather hard to read. It's hard to figure out where the coastline is, and what all the colours mean, or even if they mean anything or are just decorative. A lot of the text is also quite hard to read. Try lightening it up and putting a line along the coast. Be sure you have a clear idea of which features you want to present in your map and try to ensure that they are clear.

The straight borders don't feel very fantasy, you might be better off with squigglier borders following natural boundaries or just do away with borders entirely and just rely on the labels.