Meaning
A Map is the user-facing artifact: an ordered composition of Layers, basemap configuration, camera state, metadata, and access settings.
Data relationship
Maps do not own platform data feeds. Their Layers reference stable Provider and Channel identities. Catalog default changes therefore affect new compositions, not already published maps.
Portability
GeoLama map recipes serialize presentation and catalog references with stable slugs and provider-local channel export keys. User data and credentials are not implicitly bundled.
Access
Authorization is enforced by database RLS. Client-side visibility checks are user experience controls, not a security boundary. See Authorization and secrets.