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On this hand-drawn and coloured map of Asia, the colours differentiate the colonial territories of the European powers: for example, New Guinea is divided into Dutch, British and German areas, and Borneo is split between the British and Dutch.

The routes of eight expeditions through Burma (Myanmar) and Siam (Thailand) are shown, with text noting ‘Ancient ruins with sarcophagi, mummies’, ‘bazaar… great variety of European goods’, ‘great thoroughfare for the Chinese trading with the Shans’.

This two-sheet map of India includes Burma (Myanmar) and Siam. British Burma—which came under British colonial rule after the first (1824–1826) and second (1852–1853) Anglo-Burmese wars—is highlighted in red.

Designed to aid navigation around the western Java Sea, this map features bathymetry (sea depth), current and tide data, and is marked with shoals, reefs and other hazards. Written notes add details at specific locations (e.g. ‘heavy tide rips’).

Navigation map of the Celebes Sea, Makassar Strait and Java Sea, with bathymetry (sea depth), maritime routes, shoals and reefs, and landmark coastal mountains to aid navigation. On two sheets, which may not be from the same original map.

Map of Asia on four sheets, with Southeast Asia on sheet four. British colonial territory—British Burma, the Straits Settlements, Sarawak—is highlighted in red, with the Dutch East Indies, Spanish Philippines and Portuguese East Timor also shown.

Map of a proposed extension of a telegraph system from Rangoon (Yangon, Myanmar) to China. Includes current and projected railways, steam ship routes, and population figures for western China. From the British magazine ‘The Illustrated London News’.

This late 19th century map of Southeast Asia shows the best maritime routes around the region, according to the time of year. There are also inset maps highlighting the rivers and southern islands of Singapore, and the sea depth around Labuan Island.

Map of Burma spread over two sheets, labelled with the names of indigenous ‘tribes’ (uppercase red text), mountains, rivers, forests and plantations (teak, bamboo, sappanwood).

Coloured borders are used to highlight the colonial territories of the British (red), Dutch (orange), Spanish (red) and Portuguese (blue) on this mid-19th century map of Southeast Asia. An inset map shows the island and strait of Singapore.

Map of the Penang Strait, including written instructions on how to navigate the strait. On land, areas of cultivation are marked, with a table listing acreage used for each crop. A boundary with Siam based on an 1831 treaty is also shown.

Map of Borneo—with insets of Southeast Asia, Sarawak and Labuan—featuring temperature data, volcanoes, English colonial territory, products of Borneo, geology (rock types), bathymetry (sea depth) and elevations (side views of mountains with heights).