Please Answer! I'm in a rush
Why were the Strait Settlements important to the commercial status of the English in Southeast Asia in the second stage of colonialism?

Select one:
a. They were rich in precious metals and baton traded by the English
b. It served as a port and trading center in Southeast, East and South Asia.
c. The English made it a defense to protect its Indian colony
d. Their climate suited the cultivation of opium traded by the English