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An early 19th century map, with the regions of Southeast Asia marked with coloured borders: Malaya is red, indicating it is part of the British Empire; the orange borders around Sumatra, Borneo and Celebes show they are part of the Dutch East Indies.

An early 19th century map of Asia by the English cartographer John Cary (c.1754–1835) with colour-coded regions.

The islands of maritime Southeast Asia are highlighted in different colours on this early 19th century map. Major rivers, straits and seas are also named.

This early 19th century map depicts the regions of Asia by colour. The continental regions are green, while the archipelago regions are red, except for New Guinea which is yellow.

Southeast Asia is on the last sheet of this map of Asia. The South China Sea is labelled ‘Malayan Sea’. Small islands, shoals and reefs are shown. A label in Cochin China (Vietnam) reads ‘mountains inhabited by the uncivilized people called Kemoys’.

Map focusing on the passages between the islands of maritime Southeast Asia used to travel between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Includes the Strait of Malacca, many straits between the Sunda Islands, and a route through the Maluku Islands.

Map focusing on the passages between the islands of maritime Southeast Asia used to travel between the Indian and Pacific oceans. Includes the Strait of Malacca, many straits between the Sunda Islands, and a route through the Maluku Islands.

An early 19th century map by the English cartographer John Cary, highlighting the mountain ranges and rivers of Southeast Asia. The map also features many place names of cities, towns and islands.

Published by the English cartographer John Cary (c.1754–1835), this map is marked with the routes taken from Europe to Asia by the British Royal Navy captains James Cook, John Gore, and George Vancouver, as well as the French explorer Lapérouse.

The cartouche on this early 19th century map of Asia features a drawing of an Asian merchant smoking a long pipe while standing with his goods. Behind are a camel and an elephant surrounded by greenery and palm trees.

A Japanese Buddhist map (or copy of one) with the distinctive triangular land mass (wide at the top, narrow at the bottom) and the central ‘whirlpool’ Lake Anavatapta (aka Lake Anotatta). Southeast Asia is shown as a scattering of light grey islands.

This map of Asia, from an atlas by the German cartographer Karl von Spruner, is colour-coded to show territorial regions in Asia towards the middle of the fifth century. Borneo is labelled ‘Kalemantan’, and Sulawesi is labelled ‘Mangkassar’.