Timor-Leste Population: 1,172,390
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| 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. 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 forcibly pushed 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 100% 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. In late 2012, the UN Security Council voted to end its peacekeeping mission in Timor-Leste and both the ISF and UNMIT departed the country by the end of the year. |
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| Geography | |
| 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 | |
| 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 |
| Geographic coordinates: | 8 50 S, 125 55 E |
| Area: | total: 14,874 sq km land: 14,874 sq km water: 0 sq km Size comparison: slightly larger than Connecticut |
| Land Boundaries: | total: 228 km border countries: 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 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: | 140 sq km |
| Natural hazards: | floods and landslides are common; earthquakes; tsunamis; tropical cyclones |
| Current Environment Issues: | widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to deforestation and soil erosion |
| International Environment Agreements: | party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
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| People | |
| Population: | 1,172,390 note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 42.7% (male 257,340/female 243,174) 15-24 years: 19.7% (male 116,605/female 114,203) 25-54 years: 29.3% (male 166,048/female 177,024) 55-64 years: 4.8% (male 28,717/female 27,011) 65 years and over: 3.6% (male 20,428/female 21,840) (2013 est.) population pyramid: |
| Median age: | total: 22.8 years male: 22.8 years female: 22.9 years (2012 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 2.49% (2012 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 35.2 births/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Death rate: | 6.4 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2012 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 41.4 deaths/1,000 live births male: 44.7 deaths/1,000 live births female: 38 deaths/1,000 live births (2012 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 68.27 years male: 65.85 years female: 70.81 years (2012 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 5.22 children born/woman (2013 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | NA |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | NA |
| Nationality: | noun: Timorese adjective: Timorese |
| Ethnic groups: | Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian), Papuan, small Chinese minority |
| Religions: | Roman Catholic 98%, Muslim 1%, Protestant 1% (2005) |
| Languages: | Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian, English note: there are about 16 indigenous languages; Tetum, Galole, Mambae, and Kemak are spoken by a significant portion of the population |
| Literacy: | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 58.6% male: NA female: NA (2002) |
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| Government | |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (pronounced TEE-mor LESS-tay) 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 (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) |
| Independence: | 28 November 1975 (independence proclaimed from Portugal); note - 20 May 2002 is the official date of international recognition of Timor-Leste's independence |
| National holiday: | Proclamation of Independence Day, 28 November (1975) |
| Constitution: | 20 May 2002 (effective date) |
| 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 |
| Suffrage: | 17 years of age; universal |
| Executive branch: | chief of state: President Taur Matan RUAK (Jose Maria de VASCONCELOS) (since 20 May 2012); note - the president plays a largely symbolic role but is the commander in chief of the military and 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; Vice Prime Minister Fernando "Lasama" de ARAUJO (since 8 August 2012) cabinet: Council of Ministers (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: the president is elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); an election was held on 17 March 2012 with a run-off on 16 April 2012; following parliamentary elections, the president appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as the prime minister election results: Taur Matan RUAK elected president in 2012; percent of second-round vote - Taur Matan RUAK 61.23%, Francisco GUTTERES 38.7% |
| Legislative branch: | unicameral National Parliament (the number of seats can vary from 52 to 65; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms in a modified proportional representation system) elections: elections were held on 7 July 2012 (next to be held in July 2017) election results: percent of vote by party - CNRT 36%, FRETILIN 30%, PD 10%, Frenti-Mudanca 3%, others 21%; seats by party - CNRT 30, FRETILIN 25, PD 8, Frenti-Mudanca 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 "Lasama" de ARAUJO]; Frenti-Mudanca [Jose Luis GUTERRES]; National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction or CNRT [Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO]; Revolutionary Front of Independent Timor-Leste or FRETILIN [Mari ALKATIRI]; (only parties in Parliament are listed) |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | NA |
| International organization participation: | ACP, ADB, AOSIS, ARF, ASEAN (observer), CPLP, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PIF (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WMO |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Constancio da Conceicao PINTO chancery: 4201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 504,Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 966-3202 FAX: [1] (202) 966-3205 |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Judith R. FERGIN embassy: Avenida de Portugal, Praia dos Coqueiros, Dili mailing address: US Department of State, 8250 Dili Place, Washington, DC 20521-8250 telephone: (670) 332-4684 FAX: (670) 331-3206 |
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| Economy | |
| Since its 1999 independence, 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 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 in part because there are no production facilities in Timor-Leste. 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$9.3 billion as of December 2011. The economy continues to recover from the mid-2006 outbreak of violence and civil unrest, which disrupted both private and public sector economic activity. Government spending increased markedly from 2009 through 2012, primarily on basic infrastructure, including electricity and roads. 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. Timor-Leste had a balanced budget in 2012 with government expenditures of $1.7 billion focusing on development of public infrastructure. On the strength of its oil-wealth, the economy has achieved real growth of approximately 10% per year for the last several years, among the highest sustained growth rates in the world. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $10.63 billion (2012 est.) $9.662 billion (2011 est.) $8.736 billion (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $4.214 billion note: non-oil GDP (2012 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 10% (2012 est.) 10.6% (2011 est.) 9.5% (2010 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $9,500 (2012 est.) $8,800 (2011 est.) $8,200 (2010 est.) note: data are in 2012 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 25.6% industry: 18.1% services: 56.3% (2012 est.) |
| Labor force: | 418,200 (2009) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 64% industry: 10% services: 26% (2010) |
| Unemployment rate: | 18.4% (2010 est.) 20% (2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | 41% (2009 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 4% highest 10%: 27% (2007) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 31.9 (2007 est.) 38 (2002 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 9% (2012 est.) 13.5% (2011 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $1.7 billion expenditures: $1.7 billion (2012 est.) |
| Agriculture - products: | coffee, rice, corn, cassava (manioc), sweet potatoes, soybeans, cabbage, mangoes, bananas, vanilla |
| Industries: | printing, soap manufacturing, handicrafts, woven cloth |
| Industrial production growth rate: | 8.5% (2004 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 131.7 million kWh (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 189 |
| Electricity - consumption: | 67.59 million kWh (2011 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 0 kWh (2011 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 0 kWh (2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 0 cu m (2010 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 200 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) |
| Current account balance: | $2.375 billion (2011 est.) $1.161 billion (2007 est.) |
| Exports: | $18 million (2011 est.) $17.8 million (2010 est.) note: excludes oil |
| Exports - commodities: | oil, coffee, sandalwood, marble note: potential for vanilla exports |
| Imports: | $689 million (2011 est.) $439.1 million (2010 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | food, gasoline, kerosene, machinery |
| Debt - external: | |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $NA |
| Exchange rates: | the US dollar is used |
| Fiscal year: | calendar year |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 3,100 (2011) country comparison to the world: 214 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 614,200 (2011) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: rudimentary service in urban and some rural areas domestic: system suffered significant damage during the violence associated with independence; limited fixed-line services; mobile-cellular services have been expanding and are now available in urban and most rural areas international: country code - 670; international service is available in major urban centers |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .tl |
| Internet hosts: | 252 (2012) |
| Internet users: | 2,100 (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 6 (2012) country comparison to the world: 175 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2012) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 4 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 2 (2012) |
| Heliports: | 8 (2012) |
| Roadways: | total: 6,040 km paved: 2,600 km unpaved: 3,440 km (2005) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 1 by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2010) |
| Ports and terminals: | Dili |
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| Military | |
| Military branches: | Timor-Leste Defense Force (Forcas de Defesa de Timor-L'este, Falintil (F-FDTL)): Army, Navy (Armada) (2010) |
| Military service age and obligation: | 18 years of age for voluntary military service; no conscription; 18-month service obligation (2008) |
| Manpower available for military service: | males age 16-49: 305,643 females age 16-49: 293,052 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 243,120 females age 16-49: 251,061 (2010 est.) |
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