East Timor

Population: 1,066,582 (est.)

Language(s): Portuguese, Tetum

Capital: Dili

Interesting Facts:

• The currency of East Timor is US Dollar (US$).
• East Timor is one of only two primarily Roman Catholic countries in Southeast Asia, the other being Philippines.
• East Timor was made a Portugal colony in the 16th century. It declared independence in late 1975.
• In East Timor, the ‘Head of State’ is the President.
• East Timor follows the system of Parliamentary republic.
• East Timor was invaded and occupied by Indonesia soon after declaring independence and gained freedom in 1999, following the United Nations-sponsored act of ‘self-determination’.
• Printing, soap manufacturing and handicrafts form the major industries of Timor.
• Their main agricultural produce is coffee, rice, maize and cassava.
• In May 2002, East Timor became the first new sovereign state of the twenty-first century.

East Timor or Timor-Leste, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor. The country’s size is about 15,410 km² (5,400 sq mi).

East Timor was colonised by Portugal in the 16th century, and was known as Portuguese Timor until Portugal‘s decolonisation of the country. In late 1975, East Timor declared its independence, but later that year was invaded and occupied by Indonesia and was declared Indonesia‘s 27th province the following year. In 1999, following the United Nations-sponsored act of self-determination, Indonesia relinquished control of the territory and East Timor became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century on May 20, 2002. East Timor is one of only two predominantly Roman Catholic countries in East Asia, the other being the Philippines.

East Timor has a lower-middle-income economy. It continues to suffer the aftereffects of a decades-long independence struggle against Indonesia, which damaged infrastructure and displaced thousands of civilians. It is placed 147th by Human Development Index (HDI). Nonetheless it is expected to have the sixth biggest GDP growth in the world for 2013.

It is a member of the United Nations and the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.

Source: Wikipedia

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