Overview
The border between Asia and the region of
Oceania is usually placed somewhere in the
Malay Archipelago. The
Maluku Islands in Indonesia are often considered to lie on the border of southeast Asia, with
New Guinea, to the east of the islands, being wholly part of Oceania. The terms Southeast Asia and Oceania, devised in the 19th century, have had several vastly different geographic meanings since their inception. The chief factor in determining which islands of the Malay Archipelago are Asian has been the location of the colonial possessions of the various empires there (not all European). Lewis and Wigen assert, "The narrowing of 'Southeast Asia' to its present boundaries was thus a gradual process.