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 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 forced 300,000 people into western Timor as refugees. 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.

In 2006, internal tensions threatened the new nation's security when a military strike led to violence and a breakdown of law and order. At Dili's request, an Australian-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) deployed to Timor-Leste, and 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 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 most of the rebels surrendered in April 2008. Since the attack, the government has enjoyed one of its longest periods of post-independence stability, including successful 2012 elections for both the parliament and president and a successful transition of power in February 2015. In late 2012, the UN Security Council ended its peacekeeping mission in Timor-Leste and both the ISF and UNMIT departed the country.

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

8 50 S, 125 55 E

Southeast Asia

slightly larger than Connecticut

706 km

tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons

mountainous

highest point: Foho Tatamailau 2,963 m

gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble

arable land 10.1%; permanent crops 4.9%; permanent pasture 10.1%

350 sq km (2012)

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

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

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

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

1,291,358 (July 2017 est.)

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

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%

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

2.36% (2017 est.)

33.4 births/1,000 population (2017 est.)

5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2017 est.)

-3.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.)

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

DILI (capital) 228,000 (2014)

22.1 years

215 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.)

4.79 children born/woman (2017 est.)

22.3% (2009/10)

1.5% of GDP (2014)

0.08 physicians/1,000 population (2011)

5.9 beds/1,000 population (2010)

urban: 95.2% of population

rural: 60.5% of population

total: 71.9% of population

urban: 4.8% of population

rural: 39.5% of population

total: 28.1% of population (2015 est.)

urban: 69% of population

rural: 26.8% of population

total: 40.6% of population

urban: 31% of population

rural: 73.2% of population

total: 59.4% of population (2015 est.)

NA

NA

NA

3.8% (2016)

37.7% (2013)

7.9% of GDP (2014)

semi-presidential republic

13 administrative districts; Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau, Bobonaro (Maliana), Cova-Lima (Suai), Dili, Ermera (Gleno), Lautem (Los Palos), Liquica, Manatuto, Manufahi (Same), Oecussi (Ambeno), Viqueque

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

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

drafted 2001, approved 22 March 2002, entered into force 20 May 2002 (2016)

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

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

17 years of age; universal

Democratic Party or PD

Frenti-Mudanca [Jose Luis GUTERRES]

Kmanek Haburas Unidade Nasional Timor Oan or KHUNTO

National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction or CNRT [Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO]

People's Liberation Party or PLP [Taur Matan RUAK]

Revolutionary Front of Independent Timor-Leste or FRETILIN [Mari ALKATIRI]

NA

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

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

Mount Ramelau; national colors: red, yellow, black, white

Since independence in 1999, Timor-Leste has faced great challenges in rebuilding its infrastructure, strengthening the civil administration, and generating jobs for young people entering the work force. The development of offshore oil and gas resources has greatly supplemented government revenues. This technology-intensive industry, however, has done little to create jobs in part because there are no production facilities in Timor-Leste. Gas is currently piped to Australia for processing, but Timor-Leste has expressed interest in developing a domestic processing capacity.

In June 2005, the National Parliament unanimously approved the creation of the Timor-Leste 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 $16 billion, as of mid-2016. Oil accounts for over 90% of government revenues, and the drop in the price of oil in 2014-16 has led to concerns about the long-term sustainability of government spending. Timor-Leste compensated for the decline in price by exporting more oil. The Ministry of Finance maintains that the Petroleum Fund is sufficient to sustain government operations for the foreseeable future.

Annual government budget expenditures increased markedly between 2009 and 2012 but dropped significantly through 2016. Historically, the government failed to spend as much as its budget allowed. The government has focused significant resources on basic infrastructure, including electricity and roads, but limited experience in procurement and infrastructure building has hampered these projects. 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.

$6.597 billion (2016 est.)

$7.093 billion (2015 est.)

$5.805 billion (2014 est.)

$2.703 billion (2016 est.)

5% (2016 est.)

4% (2015 est.)

4.3% (2014 est.)

$5,400 (2016 est.)

$5,300 (2015 est.)

$5,200 (2014 est.)

coffee, rice, corn, cassava (manioc, tapioca), sweet potatoes, soybeans, cabbage, mangoes, bananas, vanilla

printing, soap manufacturing, handicrafts, woven cloth

3% (2016 est.)

286,700 (2016 est.)

4.4% (2014 est.)

3.9% (2010 est.)

41.8% (2014 est.)

31.9 (2007 est.)

38 (2002 est.)

12% of GDP (2016 est.)

-76.1% of GDP (2016 est.)

0% of GDP (2016)

0% of GDP (2015)

calendar year

-1.3% (2016 est.)

0.6% (2015 est.)

14.22% (31 December 2016 est.)

13.5% (31 December 2015 est.)

$464.1 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$397.7 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$733.9 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$642.4 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$-200 million (31 December 2016 est.)

$-127 million (31 December 2015 est.)

$NA

$-523 million (2016 est.)

$224.8 million (2015 est.)

$20 million (2016 est.)

oil, coffee, sandalwood, marble

$558.6 million (2016 est.)

food, gasoline, kerosene, machinery

$311.5 million (31 December 2014 est.)

$687 million (31 December 2013 est.)

the US dollar is used

0 kWh (2015 est.)

0 kWh (2015 est.)

0 kWh (2015 est.)

0 kWh (2015 est.)

NA kW (2015 est.)

49,240 bbl/day (2016 est.)

74,230 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

3,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2014 est.)

3,055 bbl/day (2014 est.)

7.7 billion cu m (2015 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

7.7 billion cu m (2015 est.)

0 cu m (2013 est.)

200 billion cu m (1 January 2006 es)

500,000 Mt (2013 est.)

7 TV stations (2 nationwide satellite coverage; 3 terrestrial coverage, mostly in Dili; 2 cable) and 21 radio stations (3 nationwide coverage) (2017)

.tl

4W (2016)

6 (2013)

8 (2013)

2.56% of GDP (2015)

2.12% of GDP (2014)

2.42% of GDP (2013)

2.58% of GDP (2012)

1.79% of GDP (2011)

Timor-Leste Defense Force (Falintil-Forcas de Defesa de Timor-L'este, Falintil (F-FDTL)): Army, Navy (Armada) (2013)

18 years of age for voluntary military service; 18-month service obligation; no conscription but, as of May 2013, introduction of conscription was under discussion (2013)

three stretches of land borders with Timor-Leste have yet to be delimited, two of which are in the Oecussi exclave area, and no maritime or Economic Exclusion Zone boundaries have been established between the countries; maritime boundaries with Indonesia remain unresolved; in 2007, Australia and Timor-Leste signed a 50-year development zone and revenue sharing agreement in lieu of a maritime boundary

NA