I quite like the system in EUIII, where a counter-like object is replaced by a sprite when you zoom close enough, but for a 20th Century game I prefer counters. But a choice is good.
ooook... It just seems like they take a lot of time to design and give rise to a lot of unnecessary b*tching in the end anyway ("My Bf109E looks like a Bf109B", "My Yorktown class CV looks like a Wasp class CV", etc.).
This map is not about modelling various administrative regions inside countries but a place for fighting wars.