East Indies East Indies The East Indies or the Indies are the lands of South and Southeast Asia. In a more restricted sense, the Indies can be used to refer to the islands of Southeast Asia, especially the Indonesian Archipelago and the Philippine Archipelago. The name "Indies" is derived from the River Indus and is used to connote parts of Asia that came under Indian cultural influence. Dutch-occupied colonies in the area were known for about 300 years as the Dutch East Indies before Indonesian independence, while Spanish-occupied colonies were known as the Spanish East Indies before the American conquest and later
Railway companies in the Dutch East Indies Many of these lines are now no longer used; only the main lines are still in use. Railway companies in the Dutch East Indies This is a list of railway companies in the Dutch East Indies . Some companies initially operated with a model called the narrow gauge railway and tram company. In 1945, after the Proclamation of Independence, the Department of Railways of the Republic of Indonesia (DKA) was founded, resulting in the transfer of ownership of the railway lines. After recognition of the independence of Indonesia by the Dutch in December 1949, the company became a national company