Background: The island of Timor was actively involved in Southeast Asian trading networks for centuries, and by the 14th century exported aromatic sandalwood, slaves, honey, and wax. A number of local chiefdoms ruled the island in the early 16th century when Portuguese traders arrived, chiefly attracted by the relative abundance of sandalwood on Timor; by mid-century, the Portuguese had colonized the island. 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 Portuguese 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 Timor Timur (East Timor or Timor Leste). An unsuccessful campaign of pacification followed over the next two decades, during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000 people died. In an August 1999 UN-supervised popular referendum, an overwhelming majority of the people of Timor-Leste voted for independence from Indonesia. However, in the next three weeks, anti-independence Timorese militias - organized and supported by the Indonesian military - commenced a large-scale, scorched-earth campaign of retribution. The militias killed approximately 1,400 Timorese and displaced nearly 500,000. Most of the country's infrastructure, including homes, irrigation systems, water supply systems, and schools, and nearly all of the country's electrical grid were destroyed. On 20 September 1999, Australian-led peacekeeping troops deployed to the country and brought the violence to an end. On 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste was internationally recognized as an independent state.

Geographic coordinates: 8 50 S, 125 55 E

Map reference: Southeast Asia

Area
Total: 14,874 km²
Land: 14,874 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than Connecticut; almost half the size of Maryland

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
Highest point: Foho Tatamailau 2,963 m
Lowest point: Timor Sea, Savu Sea, and Banda Sea 0 m

Natural resources: gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble

Land use
Agricultural land: 25.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land arable land: 10.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent crops: 4.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land permanent pasture: 10.1% (2018 est.)
Forest: 49.1% (2018 est.)
Other: 25.8% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 350 km² (2012)

Total water withdrawal
Municipal: 100 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
Industrial: 2 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
Agricultural: 1.07 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total renewable water resources: 8.22 billion cubic meters (2020 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; the district of Oecussi is an exclave separated from Timor-Leste proper by Indonesia; Timor-Leste has the unique distinction of being the only Asian country located completely in the Southern Hemisphere

Population
Distribution: most of the population concentrated in the western third of the country, particularly around Dili: 1,476,042 (2023 est.)
Growth rate: 2.1% (2023 est.)
Below poverty line: 41.8% (2014 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Timorese
Adjective: Timorese

Ethnic groups: Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) (includes Tetun, Mambai, Tokodede, Galoli, Kemak, Baikeno), Melanesian-Papuan (includes Bunak, Fataluku, Bakasai), small Chinese minority

Languages: Tetun Prasa 30.6%, Mambai 16.6%, Makasai 10.5%, Tetun Terik 6.1%, Baikenu 5.9%, Kemak 5.8%, Bunak 5.5%, Tokodede 4%, Fataluku 3.5%, Waima'a 1.8%, Galoli 1.4%, Naueti 1.4%, Idate 1.2%, Midiki 1.2%, other 4.5% (2015 est.)
Note: data represent population by mother tongue; Tetun and Portuguese are official languages; Indonesian and English are working languages; there are about 32 indigenous languages

Religions: Roman Catholic 97.6%, Protestant/Evangelical 2%, Muslim 0.2%, other 0.2% (2015 est.)

Demographic profile: Timor-Leste’s high fertility and population growth rates sustain its very youthful age structure - approximately 40% of the population is below the age of 15 and the country’s median age is 20.  While Timor-Leste’s total fertility rate (TFR) - the average number of births per woman - decreased significantly from over 7 in the early 2000s, it remains high at 4.3 in 2021 and will probably continue to decline slowly. The low use of contraceptives and the traditional preference for large families is keeping fertility elevated. The high TFR and falling mortality rates continue to fuel a high population growth rate of nearly 2.2%, which is the highest in Southeast Asia. The country’s high total dependency ratio - a measure of the ratio of dependents to the working-age population - could divert more government spending toward social programs. Timor-Leste’s growing, poorly educated working-age population and insufficient job creation are ongoing problems. Some 70% of the population lives in rural areas, where most of people are dependent on the agricultural sector.  Malnutrition and poverty are prevalent, with 42% of the population living under the poverty line as of 2014.

Age structure
0-14 years: 39.05% (male 296,331/female 280,029)
15-64 years: 56.61% (male 408,662/female 426,897)
65 years and over: 4.34% (2023 est.) (male 30,856/female 33,267)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 90.3
Youth dependency ratio: 59.4
Elderly dependency ratio: 8.9
Potential support ratio: 11.2 (2021 est.)

Median age
Total: 20.3 years (2023 est.)
Male: 19.6 years
Female: 21.1 years

Population growth rate: 2.1% (2023 est.)

Birth rate: 30.4 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate: 5.6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution: most of the population concentrated in the western third of the country, particularly around Dili

Urbanization
Urban population: 32.5% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization: 3.31% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: 281,000 DILI (capital) (2018)

Environment
Current issues: air pollution and deterioration of air quality; greenhouse gas emissions; water quality, scarcity, and access; land and soil degradation; forest depletion; widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to deforestation and soil erosion; loss of biodiversity
International agreements party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection
International agreements signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban

Air pollutants
Particulate matter emissions: 20.47 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions: 0.5 megatons (2016 est.)
Methane emissions: 4.74 megatons (2020 est.)

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.93 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 23 years (2016 est.)
Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Maternal mortality ratio: 204 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 32.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
Male: 36.1 deaths/1,000 live births
Female: 29.5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 70.2 years (2023 est.)
Male: 68.6 years
Female: 72 years

Total fertility rate: 4.09 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 26.1% (2016)

Drinking water source
Improved urban: 98% of population
Improved rural: 82.5% of population
Improved total: 87.4% of population
Unimproved urban: 2% of population
Unimproved rural: 17.5% of population
Unimproved total: 12.6% of population (2020 est.)

Current health expenditure: 9.9% of GDP (2020)

Physicians density: 0.76 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: dengue fever and malaria

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 3.8% (2016)

Alcohol consumption
Per capita total: 0.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita beer: 0.27 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita wine: 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita spirits: 0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Per capita other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Tobacco use
Total: 39.2% (2020 est.)
Male: 67.6% (2020 est.)
Female: 10.8% (2020 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 31.9% (2020)

Education expenditures: 4.2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 68.1%
Male: 71.9%
Female: 64.2% (2018)

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 13.8% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 11.4%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 16.8%

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
Etymology: timor" derives from the Indonesian and Malay word "timur" meaning "east"; "leste" is the Portuguese word for "east", so "Timor-Leste" literally means "Eastern-East"; the local [Tetum] name "Timor Lorosa'e" translates as "East Rising Sun"
Note: pronounced TEE-mor LESS-tay

Government type: semi-presidential 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: 12 municipalities (municipios, singular municipio) and 1 special adminstrative region* (regiao administrativa especial); Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau, Bobonaro (Maliana), Covalima (Suai), Dili, Ermera (Gleno), Lautem (Lospalos), Liquica, Manatuto, Manufahi (Same), Oe-Cusse Ambeno* (Pante Macassar), Viqueque
Note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

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

National holiday: Restoration of Independence Day, 20 May (2002); Proclamation of Independence Day, 28 November (1975)

Constitution
History: drafted 2001, approved 22 March 2002, entered into force 20 May 2002
Amendments: proposed by Parliament and parliamentary groups; consideration of amendments requires at least four-fifths majority approval by Parliament; passage requires two-thirds majority vote by Parliament and promulgation by the president of the republic; passage of amendments to the republican form of government and the flag requires approval in a referendum

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
Citizenship by birth: no
Citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Timor-Leste
Dual citizenship recognized: no
Residency requirement for naturalization: 10 years

Suffrage: 17 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President José RAMOS-HORTA (since May 2022); note - the president is commander in chief of the military and can veto legislation, dissolve parliament, and call national elections
Head of government: Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO (since 1 July 2023)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers; ministers proposed to the prime minister by the coalition in the Parliament and sworn in by the President of the Republic
Elections/appointments: president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); last election held in April 2022 (next election to be held April 2,027); following parliamentary elections, the president appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as the prime minister
Election results:

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral National Parliament (65 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed, party-list proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method to serve 5-year terms)
Elections: last held May 2023 (next to be held in May 2,028)
Election results:

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Court of Appeals (consists of the court president and NA judges)
Judge selection and term of office: court president appointed by the president of the republic from among the other court judges to serve a 4-year term; other court judges appointed - 1 by the Parliament and the others by the Supreme Council for the Judiciary, a body chaired by the court president and that includes mostly presidential and parliamentary appointees; other judges serve for life
Subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; High Administrative, Tax, and Audit Court; district courts; magistrates' courts; military courts
Note: the UN Justice System Programme, launched in 2003 and being rolled out in 4 phases through 2018, is helping strengthen the country's justice system; the Programme is aligned with the country's long-range Justice Sector Strategic Plan, which includes legal reforms

Political parties and leaders:
Note: 12 additional parties received votes during the 2023 parliamentary election but did not gain any seats

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 (vacant); Chargé d’Affaires Antonito DE ARAUJO (since 24 February 2023)
In the us chancery: 4,201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 504, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 966-3,202
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 966-3,205
In the us email address and website:
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant), Chargé d'Affaires Marc WEINSTOCK (since August 2023)
From the us embassy: Avenida de Portugal, Praia dos Coqueiros, Dili
From the us mailing address: 8,250 Dili Place, Washington, DC 20,521-8,250
From the us telephone: (670) 332-4,684, (670) 330-2,400
From the us FAX: (670) 331-3,206
From the us email address and website:

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" (Fatherland)
Lyrics/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, Francisco Borja DA COSTA, was killed in the Indonesian invasion just days after independence was declared

Economy overview: lower middle-income Southeast Asian economy; government expenditures funded via oil fund drawdowns; endemic corruption undermines growth; foreign aid-dependent; wide-scale poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 33% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 30% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 10.6% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 78.4% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -52% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 9.1% (2017 est.)
Industry: 56.7% (2017 est.)
Services: 34.4% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: rice, maize, vegetables, coffee, roots/tubers nes, other meats, cassava, pork, beans, mangoes/guavas

Industries: printing, soap manufacturing, handicrafts, woven cloth

Industrial production growth rate: 5.65% (2021 est.)

Labor force: 569,700 (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate:

Youth unemployment
Rate ages 15 24 total: 13.8% (2021 est.)
Rate ages 15 24 male: 11.4%
Rate ages 15 24 female: 16.8%

Population below poverty line: 41.8% (2014 est.)

Gini index
Coefficient distribution of family income: 28.7 (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10%: 4%
Highest 10%: 27% (2007)

Budget
Revenues: $879 million (2019 est.)
Expenditures: $1.396 billion (2019 est.)
Surplus  or deficit: -75.7% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues: 22.86% (of GDP) (2019 est.)

Public debt:

Revenue
From forest resources: 0.13% of GDP (2018 est.)
From coal: 0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:

Current account balance:

Exports:
Partners: Singapore 51%, China 20%, Japan 9%, Indonesia 6% (2019)
Commodities: crude petroleum, natural gas, coffee, various vegetables, scrap iron (2019)

Imports:
Partners: Indonesia 39%, China 27%, Singapore 10%, Malaysia 5% (2019)
Commodities: refined petroleum, cars, cement, delivery trucks, motorcycles (2019)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Note: excludes assets of approximately $9.7 billion in the Petroleum Fund (31 December 2010)

Debt external:

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification-total population: 100% (2021)
Installed generating capacity: 284,000 kW (2020 est.)
Consumption: -103 million kWh (2019 est.)
Exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
Transmission/distribution losses: 103 million kWh (2019 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels: 100% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Generation sources biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Coal
Production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Consumption: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Petroleum
Total petroleum production: 14,000 bbl/day (2021 est.)
Refined petroleum consumption: 3,500 bbl/day (2019 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate exports: 32,900 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports: 3,481 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 5,104,670,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Exports: 5,104,670,000 cubic meters (2019 est.)
Imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions: 538,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From coal and metallurgical coke: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From petroleum and other liquids: 538,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
From consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Energy consumption per capita: 5.74 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 1,840 (2022 est.)
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: (2022 est.) less than 1
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 1,481,007 (2022 est.)
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 110 (2022 est.)

Broadcast media: 7 TV stations (3 nationwide satellite coverage; 2 terrestrial coverage, mostly in Dili; 2 cable) and 21 radio stations (3 nationwide coverage) (2019)

Internet
Country code: .tl
Users total: 507,000 (2021 est.)
Users percent of population: 39% (2021 est.)

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 75 (2020 est.)
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.01 (2020 est.)

Military expenditures:

Military and security forces:

Military service age and obligation: 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; compulsory service was authorized in 2020 for men and women aged 18-30 for 18 months of service, but the level of implementation is unclear (2023)

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 2

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 4W

Airports: 6 (2021)
With paved runways: 2
With paved runways note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
With unpaved runways: 4
With unpaved runways note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control

Heliports: 8 (2021)

Roadways
Total: 6,040 km (2008)
Paved: 2,600 km (2008)
Unpaved: 3,440 km (2008)

Merchant marine
Total: 1 (2022)
By type: other 1

Ports and terminals
Major seaports: Dili

Disputes international: Timor-Leste-Australia: Timor-Leste and Australia reached agreement on a treaty delimiting a permanent maritime boundary in March 2018; both countries ratified the treaty in August 2019

Illicit drugs: NA