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On this late 19th century map of the Malay Peninsula, the British colonial territories—the Straits Settlements of Singapore, Malacca, Dinding and Penang—are in red, demarcating them from the British protectorate states of the rest of the peninsula.

This map of Asia is from ‘Stieler’s Schul-Atlas’, a version of ‘Stielers Handatlas’ that was used widely in German schools in the 19th century.

This map of Asia is from ‘Stieler’s Schul-Atlas’, a version of ‘Stielers Handatlas’ that was used widely in German schools in the 19th century.

Crops are marked on this map of Asia: Sumatra and Java have sugar, coffee, tea; the Lesser Sunda Islands and Maluku Islands have cinnamon, nutmeg and clove; mainland Southeast Asia has sugar and cotton. Arrows on the sea indicate currents.

Crops are marked on this map of Asia: Sumatra and Java have sugar, coffee, tea; the Lesser Sunda Islands and Maluku Islands have cinnamon, nutmeg and clove; mainland Southeast Asia has sugar and cotton. Arrows on the sea indicate currents.

A late 19th century map of the Dutch East Indies on four sheets, detailing maritime routes around the region. There are also inset maps showing railways, rivers, roads, and telegraph systems, as well as individual islands and cities.

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.

On this map of Southeast Asia, borders are outlined and cities underlined in different colours to show the colonial territories of the European powers. On Borneo, the names of indigenous peoples are listed (‘Dayak’s, Papua’s, Bugi’s’).

On this map of Southeast Asia, borders are outlined and cities underlined in different colours to show the colonial territories of the European powers. On Borneo, the names of indigenous peoples are listed (‘Dayak’s, Papua’s, Bugi’s’).

This map of Asia uses hachures—short lines/dashes that give a sense of the shape and steepness of terrain—over most of Southeast Asia. Major rivers, islands and cities are also marked.

On this map of Asia, colours are used to show the colonial territories of the European powers, and to show Muslim and Buddhist regions: Sumatra is divided between the Netherlands and local rulers; the Straits Settlements underlined in red (British).

Map of the East Indies, showing Dutch colonial territory (Dutch East Indies) in the mid-19th century. Three inset maps show other Dutch territories outside Southeast Asia.