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To aid navigation, this map shows small islands, shoals and reefs, maritime routes for use during monsoons or at particular times of the year, bathymetry (sea depth), tide information, shipwrecks, compass roses and landmark mountains at the coasts.

To aid navigation, this map shows small islands, shoals and reefs, maritime routes for use during monsoons or at particular times of the year, bathymetry (sea depth), past explorers’ routes, shipwrecks and text about monsoons, typhoons and currents.

Navigation chart of the east coast of mainland Southeast Asia, from Cambodia to China. Islands, shoals and reefs are marked, along with bathymetry (sea depth). There are seven side views of islands (elevations) to use as landmarks.

A late 18th century map of maritime Southeast Asia by the French geographer Jacques Nicolas Bellin (1703–1772). The title refers to the ‘Stretto della Sonda’ (Sunda Strait), the strait between the islands of Sumatra and Java.

This map shows the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo, the straits of Sunda, Malacca and Bangka, and the Gulf of Siam. The points of the compass can be seen radiating out from a central compass rose.

This map shows the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo, the straits of Sunda, Malacca and Bangka, and the Gulf of Siam. The points of the compass can be seen radiating out from a central compass rose.

This map shows the islands of Java, Sumatra and Borneo, the straits of Sunda, Malacca and Bangka, and the Gulf of Siam. The points of the compass can be seen radiating out from a central compass rose.

This elaborately illustrated map of Asia is decorated with images of angels and cherubs, various figures dressed in colourful robes, wild animals, a procession including elephants and camels, and a double hemisphere world map.

Map of the coast of Tsiompa and Couchinchina (Vietnam) designed for navigation, with a rhumbline network and bathymetry (sea depth). The large area marked with crosses represents the Paracel Islands. The modern city of Da Nang is at the far right.

The coast of New Guinea (‘Nouvelle Guinée’) is represented in part by a dotted line on this mid-18th century map, indicating that the exact coastlines were unknown at this time. The western tip is labelled ‘C. de Bonne Esperance [Cape of Good Hope]’.

This map features a rhumbline network, a web of lines to help plot routes and aid navigation. Where the lines meet, there is a compass rose with an arrow pointing to north.

An early 18th century map of the Indian Ocean, illustrated with a drawing of Asian merchants riding an elephant and using a camel to transport their goods. Other men use bows and arrows to hunt ostriches. Ships are also shown sailing on the ocean.