Insular Southeast Asia

Malaysia

Sarawak Pepper Plantation

Kuala Lumpur city center

KL City Hall

Petronas Towers, KL

Muslim graveyard, Sarawak

Sabah Village

Singapore

Horsbergh lighthouse, Johor Strait, Claimed by Malaysia and Singapore

Singapore’s harbor and downtown

Palau Bukom off Singapore

Indonesia

Borobudur, 9th century Buddhist Temple on Java

Prince Siddartha Gatauma became an ascetic hermit and founded Buddhism, bas relief at Borobudur, Java

Javanese ships plied the India Ocean and were believed to have reached East Africa in the 7-9th century AD, bas-relief Borobudur

Sukarno (Kusono Sosrodihardjo 1901-1970), Indonesia’s first president, 1945-67. Initially a hero, he descended into authoritarianism, presiding over a conflict between the military and the Indonesian Communist movement (PKI), in which nearly a million died. He died under house arrest during the Suharto regime.

Suharto (Kemusu Argamulja, 1921-2008), Indonesia’s 2nd president, 1967-98, established “democracy” following the communist purge of 1967. His “New Order,” backed by the U.S., led to Indonesian economic growth, rejoining the U.N., founding of ASEAN, and Indonesia’s entry into the G-20. However, the military authoritarian regime was intolerant of dissent and violent civil conflicts marred the regime’s reputation.

Megawati Sukarnoputri, Sukarno’s daughter and

5th president of Indonesia.

Indonesia’s Presidents

Krakatoa before 1883, during and after the eruption

The Dutch East India Company’s interests in Indonesia

The Dutch East India Company (VOC)

Nutmeg & mace

Pepper corns

Botanical name: Piper nigrumGreeks called it: peperiRomans called it: piperSanskrit: pippaliEnglish: pepper

Family: Piperaceae, the black pepper family

Black Pepper corns grow on vines!

Bali Hindu Temple

Bali

Banda Aceh, Indonesia

Java

Borneo:

Sarawak and Sabah are part of Malaysia;

the Kalimantan is part of Indonesia;

Brunei is an independent Sultanate.

Kalimantan, Borneo

Borneo

Borneo traveler gets ink

Brunei, an oil-rich Islamic Sultanate. Omar Ali Saifuddin Mosque

New Guinea (Iryan Jaya, Indonesia)Papua New Guinea is an independent state.

Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

Matt in New Guinea