Search

A late 19th century map showing the languages and dialects spoken in and around India, including regions of Siam, Burma and Malaya. The regions are colour-coded by language and bordered by red lines to indicate different dialects.

This 1883 map shows European colonial territories in Southeast Asia. An inset map details the proposed French annexation of Tonquin, Annam and Cochin China (modern Vietnam). International telegraph lines are also marked.

Map of East Asia, with British colonial possessions—Burma, Straits Settlements, Labuan and British North Borneo—highlighted with red borders. There is also an inset map of the Red River (Hong River) running through Hanoi, Vietnam.

Two maritime routes—for use during the North-east and ‘fair’ monsoons—are shown on this late 19th century navigation map. The routes lead north through Southeast Asia, passing the Philippines, and ending in Hong Kong. Bathymetry (sea depth) is shown.

Produced by the British Admiralty’s Hydrographic Office, this map includes various navigational aids, such as maritime routes, bathymetry (sea depth), tide and current data, and elevations (side views of hills and mountains to use as landmarks).

A map of Southeast Asia coloured to indicate the five different language families spoken in the region in the late 19th century. Names of indigenous tribes/languages are marked in red text, with European colonial possessions in grey.

A late 19th century map of the town of Malacca and its surrounding area, including jungles, forests, mountains, rivers, roads, villages, tapioca estates and factories, and police stations. There is even a leper hospital on an island off the coast.

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.

This map of mainland Southeast Asia features short texts noting mines, trade routes and travel times (‘5 to 7 days on Elephants’), history (‘conquered by the King of Siam 1809’), peoples (‘states tributary to the Chinese’) and products (‘Tea Tree’).

Small notes on this map of Burmah (Myanmar) describe mines, crops and products produced, names of local tribes etc. e.g.: ‘a passage to Rangoon in the wet season’, ‘Ship of 400 tons built here’, ‘Alompra’s birth place’, ‘Gold dust in the streams’.

A map of proposed trade routes through Burmah (modern Myanmar) intended to connect China to India and Europe. The border between India and Burmah is marked as being ‘unexplored’ and ‘undefined’. A table lists the distances between various cities.

Two maps of the Dutch East Indies, decorated with drawings of local people and animals. Dutch colonial territory and local sultanates and provinces are highlighted. The heights of Java’s mountains and settlements are displayed in an elevation view.