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The shoals and reefs of maritime Southeast Asia are highlighted on this colourful mid-19th century map, with the treacherous waters around many islands and straits marked.

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.

A late 18th century map of Asia published in London by John Bowles, with regions indicated by colour. Central Borneo is labelled ‘Part inhabited by the Biayos’, which is seen on many contemporary maps, often with the comment ‘a savage people’.

Hand-drawn coloured borders have been added to this map to distinguish various regions: mainland Southeast Asia and most of the islands of maritime Southeast Asia are bordered in green, with Borneo and the Philippines in red.

From the first volume of John Seally’s ‘A Complete Geographical Dictionary’, this map of Asia includes the ancient kingdoms of mainland Southeast Asia, and the Sunda and Molucca islands (‘Molucca or Spice Islands’) of maritime Southeast Asia.

On this map of Asia, Borneo is labelled ‘The Inland Part of this Island is inhabited by the Biayos a savage People’, a description seen on many contemporary maps. The ancient kingdoms of mainland Southeast Asia are also shown.

On this map of Asia, Borneo is labelled ‘The Inland Part of this Island is inhabited by the Biayos a savage People’, a description seen on many contemporary maps. The ancient kingdoms of mainland Southeast Asia are also shown.

Longitude is indicated in two different ways on this mid-18th century map: along the top border, it is shown in degrees (number of degrees east of London); more unusually, along the bottom border, it is shown in time (number of hours east of London).

This mid-18th century map of Southeast Asia includes written notes on goods produced and traded, geographical features, and wild animals found in each part of the region.

The title of this early 18th century map of Asia by the London-based cartographer Herman Moll (1654?–1732) refers to European colonial territories. These can be seen around the coast of India, but mostly had not yet reached further east.

The title of this early 18th century map of Asia by the London-based cartographer Herman Moll (1654?–1732) refers to European colonial territories. These can be seen around the coast of India, but mostly had not yet reached further east.

The letters ‘E’ or ‘D’ are marked after place names to indicate if they are English or Dutch colonial possessions: e.g. ‘Marleborough Fort E’ on Sumatra or ‘Concordia Fort D’ on Timor. The Philippines are labelled ‘to Spain’.