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Marine chart of the Pacific Ocean, including Southeast Asia. Small islands, shoals and reefs are marked, and often named, around the seas and straits of the region.

A piece of paper printed with a list of the various regions of Asia, including the regions of Southeast Asia, has been adhered to the right-hand side of this late 18th century map of Asia.

In the 18th century, European maps tended to use their own country’s meridian, so on this French map of Southeast Asia longitude is measured from the Paris Meridian. Eleven different scales are also shown.

Coloured borders on this map show the kingdoms of mainland Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Arrows marked on the sea to the west of the Philippines indicate wind direction during the monsoon seasons (with the months marked in French).

This map of Asia is taken from Noël Antonine Pluche's ‘Concorde de la géographie des différens âges’ published in 1772.

This mid-18th century map shows the island of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula, divided by the Straits of Malacca. A note in French at the top right corner states that the interior of Sumatra and the course of its rivers are unknown.

The title of this mid-18th century map of Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula claims that it was based on the diaries of sailors. Interestingly, the title is repeated in both German and French, as are the names of some of the locations marked on the map.

An early 18th century map of Asia by the French cartographer Guillaume Delisle (1675–1726). Regions are indicated with coloured borders, and the southern part of Borneo is labelled ‘Côte de Mahometans [Coast of the Muslims]’.

An early 18th century map of Asia by the French cartographer Guillaume Delisle (1675–1726). Regions are indicated with coloured borders, and the southern part of Borneo is labelled ‘Côte de Mahometans [Coast of the Muslims]’.

This mid-18th century map of Asia has colour-coded regions, with mainland Southeast Asia and the Greater Sunda Islands bordered in blue, and India in red.

An early 18th century map of Asia by the French cartographer Guillaume Delisle (1675–1726). Regions are indicated with coloured borders, and the southern part of Borneo is labelled ‘Côte de Mahometans [Coast of the Muslims]’.

An early 18th century map of Asia by the French cartographer Guillaume Delisle (1675–1726). Regions are indicated with coloured borders, and the southern part of Borneo is labelled ‘Côte de Mahometans [Coast of the Muslims]’.