ABSTRACT
Western imperialism in South East Asia reached its apogee early in the twentieth century. Schemes to gain access to the China trade through South East Asia had come to little, but raw materials from the region were profitable, and new crops generated impressive returns. During the nineteenth century, mining and forestry became important sources of exports, and attracted workers to the region, especially from China. The twentieth century brought an expansion in the range of activities carried out by colonial administrations. Health care also attracted much government support in the twentieth century, as did research and extension work in fields such as agriculture and animal husbandry. The wealth and power of the new urban centres overshadowed older, indigenous centres of learning and administration. Some, such as Yogyakarta, became strongholds of traditional culture, providing a counterweight to the innovations of the coastal cities.
