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 from 1942 to 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 1400 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.

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
Exclusive economic zone: NA
Continental shelf: NA
Exclusive fishing zone: NA

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: 8.2%
Permanent crops: 4.57%
Other: 87.23% (2005)

Irrigated land: 1065 km² (est.)

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

Population
Note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 (July 2006 est.)
Growth rate: 2.08% (2006 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.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 36.3% (male 196,293/female 189,956)
15-64 years: 60.6% (male 328,111/female 315,401)
65 years and over: 3.1% (male 16,072/female 16,944) (2006 est.)

Median age
Total: 20.8 years
Male: 20.8 years
Female: 20.7 years (2006 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.08% (2006 est.)

Birth rate: 26.99 births/1000 population (2006 est.)

Death rate: 6.24 deaths/1000 population (2006 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2006 est.)

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

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: 0.95 male/female
Total population: 1.04 male/female (2006 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 45.89 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 52.03 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 39.44 deaths/1000 live births (2006 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 66.26 years
Male: 63.96 years
Female: 68.67 years (2006 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.53 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

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

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
Name: Dili
Geographic coordinates: 8 35 S, 125 36 E
Time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

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

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; these have passed and are expected to be promulgated in early 2006

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 legislation, dissolve parliament, and call national elections; he formerly used the name Jose Alexandre GUSMAO
Head of government: Prime Minister Jose RAMOS-HORTA (since 10 July 2006); First Deputy Prime Minister Estanlislau Maria Alexio da SILVA (since 10 July 2006); Second Deputy Prime Minister Rui Maria do ARAUJO (since 10 July 2006)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 14 April 2002 (next to be held in May 2007)
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 in May 2007); direct elections for national parliament were never held; elected delegates to the national convention adopted a constitution and 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]; People's Party of Timor or PPT [Jacob XAVIER]; Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor or FRETILIN [Francisco Guterres Lu OLO]; Social Democrat Party of East Timor or PSD [Mario CARRASCALAO]; Socialist Party of Timor or PST [Pedro da COSTA]; 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]

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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Constancio PINTO
In the us chancery: 4,201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: 202 966-3,202
In the us fax: 202 966-3,205
In the us consulates general: New York
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: US 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

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 300,000 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 the end of 2005 all refugees either returned or resettled in Indonesia. Non-petroleum GDP growth was held back in 2003 by extensive drought and the gradual winding down of the international presence but recovered somewhat in 2004. The country faces great challenges in continuing the rebuilding of infrastructure strengthening the infant civil administration and generating jobs for young people entering the work force. The development of oil and gas resources in nearby waters has begun to supplement government revenues ahead of schedule and above expectations - the result of high petroleum prices - but the technology-intensive industry does little to create jobs for the unemployed because there are no production facilities in Timor and the gas is piped to Australia. The parliament in June 2005 unanimously approved the creation of a Petroleum Fund to serve as a repository for all petroleum revenues and preserve the value of East Timor's petroleum wealth for future generations.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $370 million (2004 est.)

Real gdp growth rate: 1.8% (2005 est.)

Real gdp per capita: $800 (2005 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 8.5%
Industry: 23.1%
Services: 68.4% (2001)

Agriculture products: coffee rice corn 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 agriculture: NA%
By occupation industry: NA%
By occupation services: NA%

Unemployment rate: 50% estimated; note - unemployment in urban areas reached 20%; data do not include underemployed (2001 est.)

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

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

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

Budget
Revenues: $107.7 million
Expenditures: $73 million; including capital expenditures of $N/A (2004 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.4% (2005)

Exports: $10 million; note - excludes oil (2005 est.)
Commodities: coffee sandalwood marble; note - potential for oil and vanilla exports
Partners: Indonesia 100% (2005)

Imports: $202 million (2004 est.)
Commodities: food gasoline kerosene machinery

Debt external: $0

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used

Electricity
Production: NA kWh
Consumption: NA kWh
Exports: 0 kWh (2003)
Imports: 0 kWh (2003)

Telephones
Main lines in use: NA
Mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system: NA

Internet
Country code: .tl; note - ICANN approved the change from .tp in January 2005
Hosts: 68 (2006)
Users: 1000 (2004)

Military expenditures
Percent of gdp: NA

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service (2001)

Airports: 8 (2006)
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 (2006)
With unpaved runways total: 5
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2006)

Heliports: 9 (2006)

Roadways
Total: 5,000 km
Paved: 2,500 km
Unpaved: 2,500 km (2005)

Ports and terminals: Dili

Disputes international: UN Mission of Support in East Timor (UNMISET) has maintained about 1000 peacekeepers in East Timor since 2002; 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 Pulau Batek/Fatu Sinai which prevents delimitation of the northern maritime boundaries; many refugees who left East Timor in 2003 still reside in Indonesia and refuse repatriation; Australia and East Timor agreed in 2005 to defer the disputed portion of the boundary for 50 years and to split hydrocarbon revenues evenly outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty; dispute with Australia has hampered creation of a southern maritime boundary with Indonesia

Illicit drugs: NA