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 Timor-Leste from 1942 to 1945 but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. Timor-Leste 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 Timor-Leste. 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 Timor-Leste 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 western 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 Timor-Leste was internationally recognized as an independent state. In March of 2006 a military strike led to violence and a near breakdown of law and order. Over 2000 Australian New Zealand and Portuguese police and peacekeepers deployed to Timor-Leste in late May. Although many of the peacekeepers were replaced by UN police officers 850 Australian soldiers remained as of 1 January 2007.

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: 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
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 2007 est.)
Growth rate: 2.059% (2007 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 98% Muslim 1% Protestant 1% (2005)

Age structure
0-14 years: 35.7% (male 196,825/female 190,454)
15-64 years: 61.1% (male 337,816/female 325,094)
65 years and over: 3.2% (male 16,823/female 17,959) (2007 est.)

Median age
Total: 21.1 years
Male: 21.2 years
Female: 21.1 years (2007 est.)

Population growth rate: 2.059% (2007 est.)

Birth rate: 26.77 births/1000 population (2007 est.)

Death rate: 6.19 deaths/1000 population (2007 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2007 est.)

Environment
Current issues: widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to deforestation and soil erosion
International agreements party to: Climate Change, Desertification

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.033 male/female
15-64 years: 1.039 male/female
65 years and over: 0.937 male/female
Total population: 1.034 male/female (2007 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 44.46 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 50.47 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 38.14 deaths/1000 live births (2007 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 66.6 years
Male: 64.28 years
Female: 69.04 years (2007 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.45 children born/woman (2007 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: Timor-Leste
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 (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 (independence proclaimed from Portugal); note - 20 May 2002 is the official date of international recognition of Timor-Leste'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 are to be replaced by civil and penal codes based on Portuguese law; these have passed but have not been promulgated; has not accepted compulsury ICJ jurisdiction

Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Jose RAMOS-HORTA (since 20 May 2007); note - the president plays a largely symbolic role but is able to veto legislation, dissolve parliament, and call national elections
Head of government: Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO (since 8 August 2007), note - he formerly used the name Jose Alexandre GUSMAO; Deputy Prime Minister Jose Luis GUTERRES (since 8 August 2007)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 9 April 2007 with run-off on 8 May 2007 (next be be held in May 2012); following elections, president appoints leader of majority party or majority coalition as prime minister
Election results: Jose RAMOS-HORTA elected president; percent of vote - Jose RAMOS-HORTA 69.2%, Francisco GUTTERES 30.8%

Legislative branch
Elections: last held on 30 June 2007 (next elections to be held in June 2012)
Election results: percent of vote by party - FRETILIN 29%, CNRT 24.1%, ASDT-PSD 15.8%, PD 11.3%, PUN 4.5%, KOTA-PPT (Democratic Alliance) 3.2%, UNTERDIM 3.2%, others 8.9%; seats by party - FRETILIN 21, CNRT 18, ASDT-PSD 11, PD 8, PUN 3, KOTA-PPT 2, UNDERTIM 2

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: Democratic Party or PD [Fernando de ARAUJO]; National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction or CNRT [Xanana GUSMAO]; National Democratic Union of Timorese Resistance or UNDERTIM [Cornelio DA Conceicao GAMA]; National Unity Party or PUN [Fernanda BORGES]; People's Party of Timor or PPT [Jacob XAVIER]; Revolutionary Front of Independent Timor-Leste or FRETILIN [Francisco Guterres Lu OLO]; Social Democratic Association of Timor or ASDT [Francisco Xavier do AMARAL]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Mario CARRASCALAO]; Sons of the Mountain Warriors or KOTA [Clementino dos Reis AMARAL] (also known as Association of Timorese Heroes)

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

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 Hans G. KLEMM
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 Timor-Leste 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. 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 Timor-Leste's petroleum wealth for future generations. The mid-2006 outbreak of violence and civil unrest disrupted both private and public sector economic activity. Real non-oil GDP growth in 2006 is estimated to have been negative. 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 reduce poverty.

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% (2004)

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% (2004 est.)

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 (2004 est.)

Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.4% (2005)

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Exports: $10 million; note - excludes oil (2005 est.)
Commodities: coffee sandalwood marble; note - potential for oil and vanilla exports
Partners: Indonesia 100% (2006)

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

Exchange rates: the US dollar is used

Electricity
Production: NA kWh
Consumption: NA kWh (2005)
Exports: 0 kWh (2005)
Imports: 0 kWh (2005)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 2,500 (2006)
Mobile cellular: 49,100 (2006)

Telephone system
General assessment: rudimentary service limited to urban areas
Domestic: fixed and wireless service available; system suffered significant damage during the violence associated with independence
International: country code - 670; international service is available in major urban centers

Internet
Country code: .tl; note - ICANN approved the change from .tp in January 2005
Hosts: 94 (2007)
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 (2007)
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 under 914 m: 1 (2007)
With unpaved runways total: 5
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 2 (2007)

Heliports: 9 (2007)

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

Merchant marine
By type: passenger/cargo 1 (2007)

Ports and terminals: Dili

Disputes international: Timor-Leste-Indonesia Boundary Committee has resolved all but a small portion of the land boundary but discussions on maritime boundaries are stalemated over sovereignty of the uninhabited coral island of Pulau Batek/Fatu Sinai in the north and alignment with Australian claims in the south; many refugees who left Timor-Leste in 2003 still reside in Indonesia and refuse repatriation; Australia and Timor-Leste 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

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Idps: 150,000 (2006)

Illicit drugs: NA