MALAY, uni.-15' (INDIAN, or EASTERN ) , AR CHIPELAGO. The largest system of island groups in the world, situated between Southeast ern Asia and the Australian continent, the Paeitie from the Indian Ocean. and extending '20 degrees north of the equator and about half that. distance south of it. Exelusive of New Guinea. the archipelago has a total area of about 800,000 square miles. with an estimated popula tion (1895) of 42.000.000. The principal group= ac' the Sunda Islands, including Sumatra. Java, Bali, Lombok, Smnbawa, Flores. Timor, and the neighboring islands: Borneo and Celebes, with their dependent isles, to the north of the the Philippines, northeast of iortwo, and the Moluecas. east of Celebes. The western or Dutch division of New Guinea is also reckoned a part of the Malay Archipelago. The Malay Archipelago is a great seat of volcanic activity. Nearly all of these islands are abundantly watered and cov ered with luxuriant tropical vegetation. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to engage in trade in the archipelag,o, but the chief European nations to exploit the islands have been the Dutch and the Spanish. and the archipelago HOW prac
tically belongs to the former. with the exception of the Philippines (which h(dong to the ['died States), the northern part of Borneo (which is British). and the British island of Singapore. and a part of the island of Timor (which is Portu guese). For see articles on the separate groups and islands. The name Indonesia is some times applied to the Malay Archipelago.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. Crawford. History of the InBibliography. Crawford. History of the In- 'lir'''. .1 rch ipclafio (Edinburgh. 1F01 : Newbold, Po/itic(r/ mid Ntut is tical Account of the British :s'ettlements in the Straits of 11a/area (London. 1839) : Thomson. Straits of Maho.ca (London, 187:5 Wallace. The Malay laao (London, Forbes. .1 Natitni/ist's Wanderinys in the Eastern Archipelago ( London. 1885) : Inn tiara. /adorn's/en (Berlin, 1884-94) Guillemard, 1/Oa/ sin and the Pacific .Irchip, 'ago (London. 189.i1: Kiikenthal. Im malniisehrn Irchipcl, Ein I 'or. sch ngsreisr (Frankfort. 1896) : Pedersen. !)irch den indisehen iechipel (Stuttgart, 1902).