Timor, or Timur, is the eighth, numbering from Sumatra, in that long line of islands called the Sunda, which contains the more familiar islands of Java and Bali. Timor is connected by many smaller islands with the Sunda chain and with the islands of Flores and New Guinea, but such connections are lacking with the Australian continent to the south. The island is long and narrow, approximately 350 miles in length and 60 miles in average width.

The characteristic feature of Japanese warfare, prior to the introduction of firearms in 1543, was the use of swords and spears in hand-to-hand fighting. Armies were made up of small, independent bands of soldiers who fought more as individuals than as units of a tactical formation, and naval units consisted of fishing vessels that were commandeered for transporting armies within bow-range or sword-reach of the enemy. Thus, all battles, whether on land or at sea, were little more than “monster fencing matches.” But the introduction of the Portuguese arquebus and the subsequent widespread manufacture of firearms soon led to radical developments in military techniques.

Of the Many places on this globe that were touched by the withering blast of war, I doubt if in any the life of the people has been more completely changed than on Okinawa. This long, irregularly shaped island is just less than half the size of Rhode Island. In 1940 the population (435,681) was about the same as that of Newark, New Jersey. Its subtropical climate has a mean annual temperature of about 72° F. The humidity is excessive, and the rainfall is about 83 inches per year. Of the twelve to forty-five typhoons which affect it from May to October, three to six pass directly over it, usually causing widespread damage because they coincide with the growing season. Vegetation is generally dense and hard to penetrate. Pines abound on the forested hillsides, and thickets of pandanus, the leaves of which are used in various native handicrafts, are not infrequent. Wild life consists mainly of deer and wild pigs; rats, mice, and five species of deadly venomous snakes are also found, and mosquitoes, lice, fleas, and other insect pests abound. Its mineral deposits are of little consequence, but abundant limestone, sand, and gravel supply valuable construction materials. The northernmost section of Okinawa has a central high ridge with peaks ranging up to 1,650 feet. The slopes are very steep and cut by a maze of ravines. The central section is a ruggedly hilly plateau ranging up to 500 feet. The southern section is characterized by small plains and rolling hills.' Here the largest cities are found as well as most of the population and modern facilities.

The present survey was carried on in 1947 by the American Institute of Pacific Relations at the request and with the co-operation of faculty members and research workers in a number of American institutions of learning. It differs from similar previous efforts both in scope and in organization. As the title indicates, it is limited to the countries usually included in the regional term “the Far East,” Southeast Asia, India and Ceylon, and the islands of the Western Pacific. Studies of subjects relating to other areas are included only if they concern relations with any part of the region primarily covered and, when this is the case, are usually listed under the geographical portion of that region to which they refer.