Netherlands Indies (now Indonesia) comprised Sumatra and adjacent islands, Java with Madura, Borneo (except for Sabah, Sarawak and Brunei), Celebes with Sangir and Talaud Islands, and the Moluccas and Lesser Sunda Islands east of Java (excepting the Portuguese enclave of Oe-Cusse). Netherlands New Guinea (now Iran Jaya) was ceded to Indonesia in 1962. The Dutch colonial holdings formed an archipelago of more than 13,667 islands spread across 3,000 miles (4,824 km.) in southeast Asia. The area is rich in oil, rubber, timber and tin. ,Portuguese traders established posts in the East Indies in the 16th century, but they are now soon outnumbered by the Dutch VOC (United East India Company) who arrived in 1602 and gradually established themselves as the dominant colonial power. Dutch dominance, interrupted by British incursions during the Napoleonic Wars, established the Netherlands Indies as one of the richest colonial possessions in the world.,, ,One day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the Netherlands declared war against Japan and therefore a state of war existed between Japan and the Dutch East Indies. The main islands of the archipelago were taken by the Japanese during the first three months of 1942; on March 8, 1942 the Royal Netherlands Indies Army surrendered in Kalidjati (between Jakarta and Bandung on Java island). The Japanese place Sumatra and former British Malaya (including Singapore) under the administration of the 25th army, Java and Madura under the 16th army and the rest of Indonesia, including Borneo and Sulawesi (Celebes), under the administration of the Japanese navy. The 1942 series was placed in circulation immediately after the conquest of Borneo. Initially the notes were printed in Japan, later they were printed locally.,, ,From September 1944 the 1942 series was replaced by a set in the Indonesia (and Japanese) language instead of Dutch as the Japanese wanted to support the growing nationalist movement in Indonesia in this way as well.,, ,The 100 and 1000 rupiah which are similar to Malayan notes issued in 1942 are believed to have been issued in Sumatra only; the 1000 rupiah never reached normal circulation at all.,, ,The Japanese surrendered on August 15, 1945 (effective for Java and Sumatra on September 12) and the Republic of Indonesia was proclaimed on August 17, 1945. During 1946-1949 (the first Dutch troops returned to Java March 6, 1946) the struggle for independence by the Indonesian nationalists against the Dutch caused monetary chaos (see also the Indonesia section) and the Japanese invasion money remained valid in both Dutch and Indonesian nationalist-controlled areas as late as 1948 and 1949 at different rates to the Netherlands Indies gulden and the Indonesian rupiah.,, Rulers:,,, ,United East India Company, 1602-1799,, ,Batavian Republic, 1799-1806,, ,Louis Napoleon, King of Holland, 1806-1811,, ,British Administration, 1811-1816,, ,Kingdom of the Netherlands, 1816-1942,, Monetary System:,,, ,1 Gulden = 100 Cent,, ,1 Roepiah (1943-45) = 100 Sen,,