Definitely liking those icons - may have been lack of sleep that was making the stroke look funny ^.^ Love the borders indicating maritime control, and I agree that the sea-trade routes are a bit clunky. They are, however, a cool idea, just maybe for a different map - one that focuses on trade routes or something? If/when you do that, maybe a dotted or dashed line ... I dunno if you're using photoshop, but I think I've got a dashed-line brush you could try. This is looking good - can't wait to see some other continents!

- Alizarine