2010 Edition

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 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). 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 1,400 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 late April 2006, internal tensions threatened the new nation's security when a military strike led to violence and a near breakdown of law and order. At Dili's request, an Australian-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) deployed to Timor-Leste in late May. In August, the UN Security Council established the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), which included an authorized police presence of over 1,600 personnel. The ISF and UNMIT restored stability, allowing for presidential and parliamentary elections in April and June 2007 in a largely peaceful atmosphere. In February 2008, a rebel group staged an unsuccessful attack against the president and prime minister. The ringleader was killed in the attack and the majority of the rebels surrendered in April 2008. Since the unsuccessful attacks the government has enjoyed one of its longest periods of post-independence stability.

Area

land

14,874 sq km

total

14,874 sq km

water

0 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than Connecticut

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons

Coastline

706 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Foho Tatamailau 2,963 m

lowest point

Timor Sea, Savu Sea, and Banda Sea 0 m

Environment - current issues

widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to deforestation and soil erosion

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geographic coordinates

8 50 S, 125 55 E

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

Irrigated land

1,065 sq km (2003)

Land boundaries

border countries

Indonesia 228 km

total

228 km

Land use

arable land

8.2%

other

87.23% (2005)

permanent crops

4.57%

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

Map references

Southeast Asia

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

exclusive fishing zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

floods and landslides are common; earthquakes; tsunamis; tropical cyclones

Natural resources

gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble

Terrain

mountainous

Age structure

0-14 years: 34.7% (male 199,237/female 192,900) 15-64 years: 61.9% (male 356,772/female 344,103) 65 years and over: 3.4% (male 18,403/female 20,197) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

25.93 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

5.93 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

Education expenditures

7.1% of GDP (2008)

Ethnic groups

Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian), Papuan, small Chinese minority

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

33.15 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

45.19 deaths/1,000 live births

total

39.32 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian, English note: there are about 16 indigenous languages; Tetum, Galole, Mambae, and Kemak are spoken by significant numbers of people

Life expectancy at birth

female

70.11 years (2010 est.)

male

65.23 years

total population

67.61 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

NA (2002)

male

NA

total population

58.6%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

very high

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases

chikungunya, dengue fever and malaria (2009)

Median age

female

22.2 years (2010 est.)

male

22.2 years

total

22.2 years

Nationality

adjective

Timorese

noun

Timorese

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population

Population

1,154,625 note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

1.999% (2010 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 98%, Muslim 1%, Protestant 1% (2005)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total

11 years (2002)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female

total population

1.03 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.2 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

27% of total population (2008)

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 (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

Capital

geographic coordinates

8 35 S, 125 36 E

name

Dili

time difference

UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Constitution

20 May 2002 (effective date)

Country name

conventional long form

Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (pronounced TEE-mor LESS-tay)

conventional short form

Timor-Leste

former

East Timor, Portuguese 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]

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Judith FERGIN

embassy

Avenida de Portugal, Praia dos Conqueiros, Dili

FAX

(670) 331-3206

mailing address

US Department of State, 8250 Dili Place, Washington, DC 20521-8250

telephone

(670) 332-4684

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

4201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 504,Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Constancio da Conceicao PINTO

FAX

[1] (202) 966-3205

telephone

[1] (202) 966-3202

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

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

election results

Jose RAMOS-HORTA elected president; percent of vote - Jose RAMOS-HORTA 69.2%, Francisco GUTTERES 30.8%

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 to be held in May 2012); following elections, president appoints leader of majority party or majority coalition as prime minister

head of government

Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO (since 8 August 2007), note - he formerly used the name Jose Alexandre GUSMAO; Vice Prime Minister Jose Luis GUTERRES (since 8 August 2007)

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

Government type

republic

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

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, ARF, ASEAN (observer), CPLP, 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

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

Legal system

On 29 March 2009 the president promulgated the Timor-Leste penal code; UN-drafted legal system based on Indonesian law remains in place for civil codes but is to be replaced by civil codes based on Portuguese law; these have passed but have not been promulgated; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

unicameral National Parliament (number of seats can vary from 52 to 65; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

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%, UNDERTIM 3.2%, others 8.9%; seats by party - FRETILIN 21, CNRT 18, ASDT-PSD 11, PD 8, PUN 3, KOTA-PPT 2, UNDERTIM 2

elections

last held on 30 June 2007 (next elections due by June 2012)

National anthem

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, Fransisco Borja DA COSTA, was killed in an Indonesian invasion just days after independence was declared

name

"Patria" (Fatherland)

National holiday

Independence Day, 28 November (1975)

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 [Mari ALKATIRI]; Social Democratic Association of Timor or ASDT [Francisco Xavier do AMARAL]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Zacarias Albano da COSTA]; Sons of the Mountain Warriors or KOTA [Manuel TILMAN] (also known as Association of Timorese Heroes)

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

17 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

coffee, rice, corn, cassava, sweet potatoes, soybeans, cabbage, mangoes, bananas, vanilla

Commercial bank prime lending rate

11.17% (31 December 2009 est.) 13.11% (31 December 2008 est.)

Current account balance

$1.161 billion (2007 est.)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

38 (2002 est.)

Economy - overview

In late 1999, about 70% of the economic infrastructure of Timor-Leste was laid waste by Indonesian troops and anti-independence militias. Three hundred thousand people fled westward. Over the next three years a massive international program, manned by 5,000 peacekeepers (8,000 at peak) and 1,300 police officers, led to substantial reconstruction in both urban and rural areas. By the end of 2005, refugees had returned or had settled in Indonesia. The country continues to face 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 for the unemployed because there are no production facilities in Timor. Gas is piped to Australia. 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 US$5.3 billion as of October 2009. The economy has been little impacted by the global financial crisis and continues to recover strongly from the mid-2006 outbreak of violence and civil unrest, which disrupted both private and public sector economic activity. The government in 2008 resettled tens of thousands of an estimated 100,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs); most IDPs returned home by early 2009. 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.

Electricity - consumption

NA kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2009 est.)

Electricity - production

NA kWh (2009 est.)

Exchange rates

the US dollar is used

Exports

$10 million (2005 est.); note - excludes oil

Exports - commodities

coffee, sandalwood, marble; note - potential for oil and vanilla exports

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

32.2%

industry

12.8%

services

55% (2005)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$2,600 (2010 est.) $2,500 (2009 est.) $2,300 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

8% (2010 est.) 7.5% (2009 est.) 12.8% (2008 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$616 million (2010 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$3.004 billion (2010 est.) $2.782 billion (2009 est.) $2.588 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 31.3% (2001)

Imports

$202 million (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

food, gasoline, kerosene, machinery

Industrial production growth rate

8.5% (2004 est.)

Industries

printing, soap manufacturing, handicrafts, woven cloth

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

7.8% (2007 est.)

Labor force

414,200 (2007)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

90%

industry

NA%

services

NA% (2006 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

200 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

2,500 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

100,900 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

96,270 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

553.8 million bbl (1 January 2008)

Population below poverty line

42% (2003 est.)

Stock of broad money

$268.4 million (31 December 2009) $192.7 million (31 December 2008)

Stock of domestic credit

$127.1 million (31 December 2008 est.) $118.1 million (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$102.8 million (31 December 2008) $74.94 million (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

20% (2006 est.) note: data are for rural areas, unemployment rises to more than 40% among urban youth

Broadcast media

1 public TV broadcast station broadcasting nationally and 1 public radio broadcaster with stations in each of the 13 administrative districts; a few commercial radio stations and roughly a dozen community radio stations (2009)

Internet country code

.tl

Internet hosts

206 (2010)

Internet users

2,100 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

system suffered significant damage during the violence associated with independence; extremely limited fixed-line services; mobile-cellular services and coverage limited primarily to urban areas

general assessment

rudimentary service limited to urban areas

international

country code - 670; international service is available in major urban centers

Telephones - main lines in use

2,400 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

116,000 (2009)

Airports

6 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2010)

Heliports

8 (2010)

Merchant marine

by type

passenger/cargo 1 (2010)

total

1

Ports and terminals

Dili

Roadways

paved

2,600 km

total

6,040 km

unpaved

3,440 km (2005)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 299,008 females age 16-49: 286,465 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 236,996 females age 16-49: 245,033 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

12,443 (2010 est.)

male

12,795

Military branches

Timor-Leste Defense Force (Forcas de Defesa de Timor-L'este,

Falintil (F-FDTL))

Army, Navy (Armada) (2010)

Military expenditures

NA

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription (2008)

Disputes - international

Timor-Leste-Indonesia Boundary Committee has resolved all but some sections of border along Timor-Leste's Oecussi exclave; maritime boundaries with Indonesia remain unresolved; many refugees who left Timor-Leste in 2003 still reside in Indonesia and refuse repatriation; in 2007, Australia and Timor-Leste signed a 50-year development zone and revenue sharing agreement in lieu of a maritime boundary

Illicit drugs

NA page last updated on January 20, 2011 ======================================================================

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

100,000 (2007)