An 1801 map of the East Indies, prepared by
John Cary for his New Universal Atlas, depicting all of
Southeast Asia. In a restricted sense, the term East Indies refers to the area's islands, though it has also been used to include certain land-locked areas (mostly those under
Indian cultural influence). European powers, beginning with the Portuguese,
explored and colonized these regions in the late 15th century; the East Indies were not
decolonized until the 20th century.Map:
John Cary