Greetings.
I am at the opposite end of the scale from you. I am a licensed architect working for 15 years as a land planner for a civil engineering firm.
I draw roads, shopping centers and gated communities for a living ... dabbling in landscaping and wetlands ... all to pay the bills.
I love to draw buildings, starships and encounter maps as a hobby.
I came here to sharpen graphics skills that were being under-challenged in the real world.

Some of your comments have felt a little harsh. Given your background, I'm interested in hearing what you have to say.
As a constructive criticism, I would benefit from some graphic support of your observations ...

... so when are national boundaries and capitals (with no rivers or roads) appropriate?

In Architecture/Civil Engineering, the data on the plan and the lineweight used to convey that data is all about the function of that sheet. A landscape plan shows the utilities very lighly so the contractor can avoid planting trees directly over utility lines, the edge of pavement lightly for general orientation, the building dark because everything is measured from the building, and the trees very dark so the most important part of the landscape plan is easy to read at a glance.

So once again, welcome.
Arthur