Your automap is actually a collection of maps that together hold the accumulation of the entire area you have explored during the game, allowing you to get an overview of the expanse of the Lands of Androhil. At the beginning it will only show the location you started in, but as you discover other islands, caves and dungeons, links to more maps are added to the bottom of the page. Any area your character ever saw is on your automap, but it never shows any hidden or secret things you discovered (You may not want others to know).
Shops, houses, caves and other important locations are marked with a blue square, and you can click on them to get their descriptions.
It is possible to share maps by using the 'tell'-order, but you must meet in game in order to do so.