Map of Timor-Leste | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: The Portuguese began to trade with the island of Timor in the early 16th century and colonized it in mid-century. Skirmishing with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty in which Portugal ceded the western portion of the island. Imperial Japan occupied East Timor during 1942-1945 but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. East Timor declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November 1975 and was invaded and occupied by Indonesian forces nine days later. It was incorporated into Indonesia in July 1976 as the province of East Timor. An unsuccessful campaign of pacification followed over the next two decades during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000 individuals lost their lives. On 30 August 1999 in a UN-supervised popular referendum an overwhelming majority of the people of East Timor voted for independence from Indonesia. Between the referendum and the arrival of a multinational peacekeeping force in late September 1999 anti-independence Timorese militias - organized and supported by the Indonesian military - commenced a large-scale scorched-earth campaign of retribution. The militias killed approximately 1300 Timorese and forcibly pushed 300,000 people into West Timor as refugees. The majority of the country's infrastructure including homes irrigation systems water supply systems and schools and nearly 100% of the country's electrical grid were destroyed. On 20 September 1999 the Australian-led peacekeeping troops of the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) deployed to the country and brought the violence to an end. On 20 May 2002 East Timor was internationally recognized as an independent state.


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Location: Southeastern Asia northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago; note - East Timor includes the eastern half of the island of Timor the Oecussi (Ambeno) region on the northwest portion of the island of Timor and the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco

Geographic coordinates: 8 50 S 125 55 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 15,007 km²
Land: NA km²
Water: NA km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Connecticut

Land boundaries
Total: 228 km
Border countries: (1) Indonesia 228 km

Coastline: 706 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: NA nm
Exclusive economic zone: NA nm
Continental shelf: NA nm
Exclusive fishing zone: NA nm
Extended fishing zone: NA nm

Climate: tropical; hot humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons

Terrain: mountainous

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Timor Sea, Savu Sea, and Banda Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Foho Tatamailau 2,963 m

Natural resources: gold petroleum natural gas manganese marble

Land use
Arable land: 4.71%
Permanent crops: 0.67%
Other: 94.62% (2001)

Irrigated land: 1065 km² (est.)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: floods and landslides are common; earthquakes tsunamis tropical cyclones

Geography
Note: Timor comes from the Malay word for 'East;' the island of Timor is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest and easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands


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Population
Note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 2.11% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: 42% (2003 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Timorese
Adjective: Timorese

Ethnic groups: Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) Papuan small Chinese minority

Languages
Note: there are about 16 indigenous languages; Tetum, Galole, Mambae, and Kemak are spoken by significant numbers of people

Religions: Roman Catholic 90% Muslim 4% Protestant 3% Hindu 0.5% Buddhist Animist (1992 est.)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 37.8% (male 196,007; female 189,584)
15-64 years: 59.2% (male 308,254; female 295,584)
65 years and over: 2.9% (male 14,663; female 15,160) (2004 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age
Total: 20 years
Male: 20.1 years
Female: 19.9 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.11% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 27.46 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 6.36 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to deforestation and soil erosion
International agreements: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.03 male/female
15-64 years: 1.04 male/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male/female
Total population: 1.04 male/female (2004 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 48.86 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 55.34 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 42.05 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 65.56 years
Male: 63.31 years
Female: 67.92 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.7 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 58.6% (2002)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
Conventional short form: East Timor
Local long form: Republika Demokratika Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum]; Republica Democratica de Timor-Leste [Portuguese]
Local short form: Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum]; Timor-Leste [Portuguese]
Former: Portuguese Timor

Government type: Republic

Capital: Dili

Administrative divisions: 13 administrative districts; Aileu Ainaro Baucau Bobonaro (Maliana) Cova-Lima (Suai) Dili Ermera Lautem (Los Palos) Liquica Manatuto Manufahi (Same) Oecussi (Ambeno) Viqueque

Dependent areas

Independence: 28 November 1975 (date of proclamation of independence from Portugal); note - 20 May 2002 is the official date of international recognition of East Timor's independence from Indonesia

National holiday: Independence Day 28 November (1975)

Constitution: 22 March 2002 (based on the Portuguese model)

Legal system: UN-drafted legal system based on Indonesian law remains in place but will be replaced by civil and penal codes based on Portuguese law (2004)

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO (since 20 May 2002); note - the president plays a largely symbolic role but is able to veto some legislation; he formerly used the name Jose Alexandre GUSMAO
Head of government: Prime Minister Mari Bin Amude ALKATIRI (since 20 May 2002)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 14 April 2002 (next to be held NA April 2007); after the first legislative elections, the leader of the majority party was appointed prime minister by the president, suggesting a precedent for the future
Election results: Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO elected president; percent of vote - Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO 82.7%, Francisco Xavier do AMARAL 17.3%

Legislative branch
Elections: (next to be held August 2006); direct elections for national parliament were never held; elected delegates to the national convention named themselves legislators instead of having elections; hence the exceptional numbers for this term of the national parliament.
Election results: percent of vote by party - FRETILIN 57.37%, PD 8.72%, PSD 8.18%, ASDT 7.84%, UDT 2.36%, PNT 2.21%, KOTA 2.13%, PPT 2.01%, PDC 1.98%, PST 1.78%, independents/other 5.42%; seats by party - FRETILIN 55, PD 7, PSD 6, ASDT 6, PDC 2, UDT 2, KOTA 2, PNT 2, PPT 2, UDC/PDC 1, PST 1, PL 1, independent 1

Judicial branch: Supreme Court of Justice - constitution calls for one judge to be appointed by National Parliament and rest appointed by Superior Council for Judiciary; note - until Supreme Court is established Court of Appeals is highest court

Political parties and leaders: Associacao Social-Democrata Timorense or ASDT [Francisco Xavier do AMARAL]; Christian Democratic Party of Timor or PDC [Antonio XIMENES]; Christian Democratic Union of Timor or UDC [Vicente da Silva GUTERRES]; Democratic Party or PD [Fernando de ARAUJO]; Liberal Party or PL [leader NA]; Maubere Democratic Party or PDM [leader NA]; People's Party of Timor or PPT [Jacob XAVIER]; Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor or FRETILIN [Lu OLO]; Social Democrat Party of East Timor or PSD [Mario CARRASCALAO]; Socialist Party of Timor or PST [leader Avelino COELHO]; Sons of the Mountain Warriors (also known as Association of Timorese Heroes) or KOTA [Clementino dos Reis AMARAL]; Timor Democratic Union or UDT [Joao CARRASCALAO]; Timor Labor Party or PTT [Paulo Freitas DA SILVA]; Timorese Nationalist Party or PNT [Abilio ARAUJO]; Timorese Popular Democratic Association or APODETI [Frederico Almeida-Santos DA COSTA]

International organization participation: ACP AsDB FAO G-77 IBRD ICCt IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS (observer) ILO IMF Interpol IOC MIGA OPCW PIF (observer) UN UNESCO UNIDO UPU WCO WHO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Jose Luis GUTERRES
In the us chancery: 3,415 Massachusetts Avenue, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: 202 965-1515
In the us fax: 202 965-1517
In the us consulates general: New York (the ambassador resides in New York) (2004)
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Grover Joseph REES
From the us embassy: Avenida de Portugal, Praia dos Conqueiros, Dili
From the us mailing address: Department of State, 8,250 Dili Place, Washington, DC 20,521-8,250
From the us telephone: (670) 332-4,684
From the us fax: (670) 331-3,206

Flag description: red with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a slightly longer yellow arrowhead that extends to the center of the flag; there is a white star in the center of the black triangle

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: In late 1999 about 70% of the economic infrastructure of East Timor was laid waste by Indonesian troops and anti-independence militias and 260,000 people fled westward. Over the next three years however a massive international program manned by 5,000 peacekeepers (8,000 at peak) and 1300 police officers led to substantial reconstruction in both urban and rural areas. By mid-2002 all but about 50,000 of the refugees had returned. Growth was held back in 2003 by extensive drought and the gradual winding down of the international presence. The country faces great challenges in continuing the rebuilding of infrastructure strengthening the infant civil administration and generating jobs for young people entering the workforce. One promising long-term project is the planned development of oil and gas resources in nearby waters but the government faces a substantial financing gap over the next several years before these revenues start flowing into state coffers.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: -3% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $500 (2001 est.)

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 25.4%
Industry: 17.2%
Services: 57.4% (2001)

Agriculture products: coffee rice maize cassava sweet potatoes soybeans cabbage mangoes bananas vanilla

Industries: printing soap manufacturing handicrafts woven cloth

Industrial production growth rate: 8.5%

Labor force: NA
By occupation: NA

Unemployment rate: 50% (including underemployment) (1992 est.)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 42% (2003 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA
Highest 10: NA

Distribution of family income gini index: 38 (2002 est.)

Budget
Revenues: $36 million
Expenditures: $97 million, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 8% NA (2003 est.)

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $8 million (2001 est.)
Commodities: coffee sandalwood marble; note - the potential for oil and vanilla exports
Partners: NA

Imports: $237 million (2001 est.)
Commodities: mainly food (2001)
Partners: NA

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: the US dollar is the legal tender


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Electricity
Production: NA kWh (2001)
Consumption: NA kWh (2001)
Exports: 0 kWh (2001)
Imports: 0 kWh (2001)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Main lines in use: NA
Mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: NA

Broadcast media

Internet
Country code: .tp
Users: NA

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $4.4 million (FY03)
Percent of gdp: NA

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 8 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 3
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1 (2004 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 5
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2003 est.)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: none

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: East Timor-Indonesia Boundary Committee continues to meet survey and delimit the land boundary but several sections of the boundary especially around the Oekussi enclave remain unresolved; Indonesia and East Timor contest the sovereignty of the uninhabited coral island of Palau Batek/Fatu Sinai which may delay decision on the northern maritime boundaries; numbers of East Timor refugees in Indonesia refuse repatriation; East Timor and Australia continue to disagree over the delimitation of a permanent maritime boundary and over the sharing of petroleum resources that fall outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: NA