Originally published in 1944, this comprehensive guide provides an overview of the geography, history, politics, and culture of the Dutch East Indies, a colonial empire that included modern-day Indonesia, Suriname, and parts of the Caribbean. The manual also includes detailed information on military and economic resources, transportation and communication networks, and other aspects of the region's infrastructure and society. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.