Extremes In The Archipelago: Trade And Economic Development In The Outer Islands Of Indonesia, 1900-1942. The dynamic economic history of the Outer Islands of Indonesia during the late colonial period is given ample attention by the author, currently a lecturer at Leiden University. These islands, defined as those outside Java, experienced an enormous increase in trade after 1900. Although they contributed greatly to the colonial government, they were largely left out of the economic policy making process.