The article analyzes the ancient geographical schemes seen on the 75 medieval and early modern maps. Here distinguishes three types of schemes: 1. geographical and geometric, 2. chorographic, 3. topographic. The first type is based on the Globe of Crates of Malos and the acrostic of the name Adam. The second type includes Sicily, having a triangle scheme; Sardinia, having the shape of a human foot; Cyclades and Orkney, taking the form of a circle; Italia, having the shape of a triangle, a quadrangle, bull horns or the famous „Stivale”; Spain also schematized in the form of a triangle; Alps presented as ramparts of Italy and the mouth of the Nile, Rhine, Danube, Ganges and Indus in the form of the Greek letter delta. An example of the third type is the Caspian and Nubian Gates. The conclusion of the article is that, among the great number of ancient geographical schemes, medieval cartography preserved only those that survived in the encyclopedic works of such authors as Pliny, Solinus, Orosius, Macrobius, Martianus Capella, Isidore of Seville and Rabanus Maurus.