[WIP] First attempt: Almira regional map

[katoblepa]

This is my very first attempt worth showing (maybe), so all kind of suggestions are really welcome; just be kind since I'm a total newbie here

A little backstory:
this map shows a region of my actual steam-fantasy campaign. It is intended to focus only on the main characteristics, with distant zones left "blank" because they're mostly unknown.
The big city in the center, called Almira, is a huge metropolis which preserves all the knowledge and technology left after the fall of the ancient civilization. The zone lightly darker around it represents safe territories where convoys are guarded against robbers and wild beasts. Traveling outside this region is very risky and oftern lethal.

Making of:
my intent was to create something like the wonderful Bohunk's maps, but scaled down to regional size.
I've used markers taken from this forum and I'd like to thank the authors, whose names I can't remember right now (I'll give you full credits soon, but I'm sure you know who you are).
I didn't follow any tutorial in particular this time, but I used them for my previous (and awful) attempts.
Last thing: rivers, roads, coastal and zone borders are made simply by the "difference clouds technique".
And, before you ask, yes: there are no names yet


I'd like to receive advices mostly about the northern coast (should I remove it?), about plausibility, and HOW-TOs for creating a desert around the west city (maybe with land markers such as dunes?).
And of course all kind of comments and critiques I can't even imagine as a newbie
I'm definetely not an artist nor a cartographer!

That's it.
Sorry about bad english and mistakes. And thank you for reading.

There you go!