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

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Background:


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Location: Southeastern Asia northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago; note - Timor-Leste 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: 14,874 km²
Land: 14,874 km²
Water: 0 km²
Rank: 160
Comparative: slightly larger than Connecticut

Land boundaries
Total: 253 km
Border countries: (1) Indonesia 253 km

Coastline: 706 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Exclusive fishing zone: 200 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
Agricultural land: 25.1%
Forest: 49.1%
Other: 25.8%

Irrigated land: 346.5 km² (2003)

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: 1,231,116
Note: other estimates range as low as 800,000
Rank: 160
Growth rate: 2.42% (2015 est.)
Growth rate rank: 30
Below poverty line: 37% (2011 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Timorese
Adjective: Timorese

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

Languages: Tetum (official) Portuguese (official) Indonesian English
Note: there are about 16 indigenous languages; Tetum Galole Mambae and Kemak are spoken by a significant portion of the population

Religions: Roman Catholic 96.9% Protestant / Evangelical 2.2% Muslim 0.3% other 0.6% (2005)

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 41.82%
15-24 years: 20.02%
25-54 years: 29.59%
55-64 years: 4.84%
65 years and over: 3.73% (2015 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 92.3%
Youth dependency ratio: 81.5%
Elderly dependency ratio: 10.7%
Potential support ratio: 9.3%

Median age
Total: 18.6 years
Male: 18 years
Female: 19.2 years

Population growth rate: 2.42% (2015 est.)
Rank: 30

Birth rate: 34.16 births/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 28

Death rate: 6.1 deaths/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 162

Net migration rate: -3.86 migrant(s)/1000 population (2015 est.)
Rank: 189

Population distribution

Urbanization
Urban population: 32.8% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 3.75% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: DILI (capital) 228,000 (2014)

Environment
Current issues: widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to deforestation and soil erosion
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male/female
15-24 years: 1.03 male/female
25-54 years: 0.93 male/female
55-64 years: 1.05 male/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male/female
Total population: 1.01 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 37.54 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 40.5 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 34.39 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 55

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 67.72 years
Male: 66.17 years
Female: 69.37 years
Rank: 165

Total fertility rate: 5.01 children born/woman (2015 est.)
Rank: 15

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 22.3% (2009/10)

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 0.07 physicians/1000 population (2011)

Hospital bed density: 5.9 beds/1000 population (2010)

Sanitation facility access:

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

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea hepatitis A and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 1.8% (2014)
Rank: 178

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 45.3% (2010)
Rank: 1

Education expenditures: 9.4% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 7

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 67.5%
Male: 71.5%
Female: 63.4%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 11 years

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
Conventional short form: Timor-Leste
Note: pronounced TEE-mor LESS-tay
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: East Timor Portuguese Timor

Government type: republic

Capital
Name: Dili
Geographic coordinates: 8 35 S 125 36 E
Time difference: UTC+9

Administrative divisions: 13 administrative districts; Aileu Ainaro Baucau Bobonaro (Maliana) Cova-Lima (Suai) Dili Ermera (Gleno) Lautem (Los Palos) Liquica Manatuto Manufahi (Same) Oecussi (Ambeno) Viqueque
Note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers

Dependent areas

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

National holiday: Proclamation of Independence Day 28 November (1975)

Constitution: drafted 2001 approved 22 March 2002 entered into force 20 May 2002 (2013)

Legal system: civil law system based on the Portuguese model; note - penal and civil law codes to replace the Indonesian codes were passed by Parliament and promulgated in 2009 and 2011 respectively

International law organization participation: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship

Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Taur Matan RUAK aka Jose Maria de VASCONCELOS ; note - the president plays a largely symbolic role but is the commander in chief of the military and is able to veto legislation dissolve parliament and call national elections
Head of government: Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO - formerly Jose Alexandre GUSMAO ; Vice Prime Minister Fernando 'Lasama' de ARAUJO (since 8 August 2012)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister and appointed by the president
Electionsappointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term ; election last held on 17 March 2012 with a runoff on 16 April 2012; following parliamentary elections the president appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as the prime minister
Election results: Taur Matan RUAK elected president in runoff; percent of vote - Taur Matan RUAK 61.2% Francisco GUTTERES (Frenti-Mudanca) 38.8%

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Parliament
Elections: elections were held on 7 July 2012
Election results: percent of vote by party - CNRT 36% FRETILIN 30% PD 10% Frenti-Mudanca 3% others 21%; seats by party - CNRT 30 FRETILIN 25 PD 8 Frenti-Mudanca 2

Judicial branch
Highest court: Supreme Court of Justice
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court president appointed by the president of the republic from among the other court judges to serve a 4-year term; other Supreme Court judges appointed - 1 by the Parliament and the others by the Supreme Council for the Judiciary a body presided by the Supreme Court president and includes mostly presidential and parliamentary appointees; other Supreme Court judge tenure NA
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; district courts; magistrates' courts
Note: the UN Justice System Programme launched in 2003 and in 2008 is helping strengthen the country's justice system

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP ADB AOSIS ARF ASEAN (observer) CPLP EITI (compliant country) FAO G-77 IBRD ICAO ICCt ICRM IDA IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ITU MIGA NAM OPCW PIF (observer) UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO Union Latina UNWTO UPU WCO WHO WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Domingos Sarmento ALVES
In the us chancery: 4,201 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 504 Washington DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] 966-3,202
In the us FAX: [1] 966-3,205
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador ; Charge d'Affaires Scott TICKNOR (since end of 2013)
From the us embassy: Avenida de Portugal Praia dos Coqueiros Dili
From the us mailing address: US Department of State 8,250 Dili Place Washington DC 20,521-8,250
From the us telephone: 332-4,684
From the us FAX: 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; a white star - pointing to the upper hoist-side corner of the flag - is in the center of the black triangle; yellow denotes the colonialism in Timor-Leste's past; black represents the obscurantism that needs to be overcome; red stands for the national liberation struggle; the white star symbolizes peace and serves as a guiding light

National symbols: Mount Ramelau; national colors: red yellow black white

National anthem
Name: 'Patria'
Lyrics and music: Fransisco Borja DA COSTA/Afonso DE ARAUJO
Note: adopted 2002; the song was first used as an anthem when Timor-Leste declared its independence from Portugal in 1975; the lyricist Fransisco Borja DA COSTA was killed in the Indonesian invasion just days after independence was declared

National heritage


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Economy overview: Since gaining its independence in 1999 Timor-Leste has faced great challenges in rebuilding its infrastructure strengthening the civil administration and generating jobs for young people entering the work force. The development of oil and gas resources in offshore waters has greatly supplemented government revenues. This technology-intensive industry however has done little to create jobs in part because there are no production facilities in Timor-Leste. Gas is currently piped to Australia for processing but Timor-Leste has expressed interest in developing a domestic processing capacity. In June 2005 the National Parliament unanimously approved the creation of a Petroleum Fund to serve as a repository for all petroleum revenues and to preserve the value of Timor-Leste's petroleum wealth for future generations. The Fund held assets of $16.5 billion as of December 2014. Oil accounts for 90% of government revenues and the drop in the price of oil in 2014 has led to concerns about the long-term sustainability of government spending. The Ministry of Finance maintains that the Petroleum Fund is sufficient to sustain government operations for the foreseeable future. Annual government budget expenditures increased markedly between 2009 and 2012 but dropped significantly in 2013 and again in 2014. Historically the government has failed to spend as much as its budget allowed. The government has focused significant resources on basic infrastructure including electricity and roads. Limited experience in procurement and infrastructure building has hampered these projects. The underlying economic policy challenge the country faces remains how best to use oil-and-gas wealth to lift the non-oil economy onto a higher growth path and to reduce poverty.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 163

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 23

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2014 US dollars
Rank: 155

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 21.9%
Government consumption: 21.3%
Investment in fixed capital: 21.8%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 81.9%
Imports of goods and services: -46.8%: (2014 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 5.2%
Industry: 72.8%
Services: 22.1%

Agriculture products: coffee rice corn cassava (manioc tapioca) sweet potatoes soybeans cabbage mangoes bananas vanilla

Industries: printing soap manufacturing handicrafts woven cloth

Industrial production growth rate: -15% (2014 est.)
Rank: 198

Labor force: 247,500 (2012 est.)
Rank: 167
By occupation agriculture: 64%
By occupation industry: 10%
By occupation services: 26%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 158

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 37% (2011 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 4%
Highest 10: 27%

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 111

Budget
Revenues: $400 million
Expenditures: $1.8 billion
Surplus or deficit: -31% of GDP (2014 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 214

Taxes and other revenues: 8.9% of GDP (2014 est.)
Rank: 210

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 113

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 61

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 175

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 176

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 185

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance:
Rank: 38

Exports: $154 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 202
Commodities: oil coffee sandalwood marble
Commodities note: potential for vanilla exports

Imports:
Rank: 188
Commodities: food gasoline kerosene machinery

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used


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Electricity
Production: 349.4 million kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 197
Consumption: 125.3 million kWh (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 203
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 206
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 210

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 79,260 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 51
Crude oil exports: 77,280 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 39
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 131
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2014 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 199

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products production rank: 201
Products consumption: 1980 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products consumption rank: 190
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 137
Products imports: 1264 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Products imports rank: 190

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Production rank: 200
Consumption: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Consumption rank: 201
Exports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 194
Imports: 0 m³ (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 139
Proven reserves: 200 billion m³ (1 January 2006 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 46

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 496,300 Mt (2012 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 181

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 3,000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1
Fixed lines rank: 212
Mobile cellular total: 676,900
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 56
Mobile cellular rank: 163

Telephone system
General assessment: rudimentary service in urban and some rural areas which is expanding with the entrance of new competitors
Domestic: system suffered significant damage during the violence associated with independence; limited fixed-line services; mobile-cellular services have been expanding and are now available in urban and most rural areas
International: country code - 670; international service is available

Broadcast media: 1 public TV broadcast station broadcasting nationally and 1 public radio broadcaster with stations in each of the 13 administrative districts; 1 commercial TV broadcast station 3 commercial radio stations and roughly 20 community radio stations (2012)

Internet
Country code: .tl
Users total: 12,000
Users percent of population: 1.0%
Users rank: 205

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 23

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service; 18-month service obligation; no conscription but as of May 2013 introduction of conscription was under discussion (2013)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 6 (2013)
Rank: 176
With paved runways total: 2
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 4
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways: 2 (2013)

Heliports: 8 (2013)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 6,040 km
Paved: 2,600 km
Unpaved: 3,440 km
Rank: 150

Waterways

Merchant marine
Total: 1
By type: passenger/cargo 1
Rank: 151

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Dili


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Disputes international: three stretches of land borders with Timor-Leste have yet to be delimited two of which are in the Oecussi exclave area and no maritime or Economic Exclusion Zone boundaries have been established between the countries; maritime boundaries with Indonesia remain unresolved; in 2007 Australia and Timor-Leste signed a 50-year development zone and revenue sharing agreement in lieu of a maritime boundary

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: NA