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119-629: These islands are located off the eastern end of East Timor . Wetar is the largest island in the group. To the west, the Ombai Strait separates Wetar from Alor Island , part of East Nusa Tenggara . The Wetar Strait separates Wetar from Timor to the south. Even though included in the Indonesian Maluku province political division, the southwestern islands are geographically part of the Lesser Sunda Islands . Rainfall

238-589: A Timorese Democratic Union (UDT) coup attempt in August 1975, and unilaterally declared independence on 28 November 1975. Fearing a communist state within the Indonesian Archipelago, the Indonesian military launched an invasion of East Timor on 7 December 1975. Indonesia declared East Timor its 27th province on 17 July 1976. The United Nations Security Council opposed the invasion, and

357-550: A dependent territory . Most sovereign states, but not all countries, are members of the United Nations . There is no universal agreement on the number of "countries" in the world since several states have disputed sovereignty status, limited recognition and a number of non-sovereign entities are commonly considered countries. The definition and usage of the word "country" are flexible and have changed over time. The Economist wrote in 2010 that "any attempt to find

476-426: A rai nain , who was generally associated with the primary sacred house of the kingdom. These polities were numerous and saw shifting alliances and relations, but many were stable enough that they survived from initial European documentation in the 16th century until the end of Portuguese rule. From perhaps the thirteenth century, the island exported sandalwood , which was valued both for its use in crafting and as

595-526: A 2005 essay, "Unsettlement": ...What is this thing country? What does country mean? ... I spoke with others who said country meant Home, but who added the caveat that Home resided in people rather than places – a kind of portable Country... I tried to tease out some ways in which non-Indigenous people have understood country. I made categories: Country as Economy. Country as Geography. Country as Society. Country as Myth. Country as History. For all that I walked, slept, breathed and dreamed Country,

714-590: A clear definition of a country soon runs into a thicket of exceptions and anomalies." Areas much smaller than a political entity may be referred to as a "country", such as the West Country in England, "big sky country" (used in various contexts of the American West ), "coal country" (used to describe coal-mining regions ), or simply "the country" (used to describe a rural area ). The term "country"

833-540: A combination of many different feelings, and language relating to one's homeland, including ethnic, cultural, political, or historical aspects. It encompasses a set of concepts closely related to nationalism , mostly civic nationalism and sometimes cultural nationalism . Several organizations seek to identify trends to produce economy country classifications. Countries are often distinguished as developing countries or developed countries . The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs annually produces

952-649: A country in its own right, called constituent countries. The Danish Realm consists of Denmark proper , the Faroe Islands , and Greenland . The Kingdom of the Netherlands consists of the Netherlands proper , Aruba , Curaçao , and Sint Maarten . The United Kingdom consists of England , Scotland , Wales , and Northern Ireland . Dependent territories are the territories of a sovereign state that are outside of its proper territory. These include

1071-463: A five-year term. The number of seats can vary from a minimum of fifty-two to a maximum of sixty-five. Parties must achieve 3% of the vote to enter parliament, with seats for qualifying parties allocated using the D'Hondt method . Elections occur within the framework of a competitive multi-party system. Upon independence, power was held by the Fretilin political party, which was formed shortly before

1190-457: A government not under another, and the capacity to interact with other states. The declarative theory outlined in the 1933 Montevideo Convention describes a state in Article 1 as: The Montevideo Convention in Article 3 implies that a sovereign state can still be a sovereign state even if no other countries recognise that it exists. As a restatement of customary international law ,

1309-462: A government priority. In addition to climate change, local ecosystems are threatened by deforestation, land degradation, overfishing, and pollution. East Timor's fauna is diverse and contains a number of endemic and threatened species. The Timor and Wetar deciduous forests region, which covers the entire island, has 38 mammal species. East Timor's two endemic mammal species are the Timor shrew and

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1428-524: A minimum of 102,800 conflict-related deaths in the period between 1974 and 1999, including approximately 18,600 killings and 84,200 excess deaths from hunger and illness. The total number of conflict-related deaths during this period is difficult to determine due to a lack of data. One estimate based on Portuguese, Indonesian, and Catholic Church data suggests it may have been as high as 200,000. Repression and restrictions counteracted improvements in health and education infrastructure and services, meaning there

1547-412: A number of non-sovereign entities are commonly called countries. No definition is binding on all the members of the community of nations on the criteria for statehood. State practice relating to the recognition of a country typically falls somewhere between the declaratory and constitutive approaches. International law defines sovereign states as having a permanent population, defined territory,

1666-885: A role it shares with the National Police of East Timor . These forces remain small: 2,200 soldiers in the regular army and 80 in a naval component. A single aircraft and seven patrol boats are operated, and there are plans to expand the naval component. There is some military cooperation with Australia, Portugal, and the United States. East Timor is divided into fourteen municipalities, which in turn are subdivided into 64 administrative posts, 442 sucos (villages), and 2,225 aldeias (hamlets). The municipalities are: Aileu , Ainaro , Atauro , Baucau , Bobonaro , Cova Lima , Dili , Ermera , Lautém , Liquiçá , Manatuto , Manufahi , Oecusse , and Viqueque . The existing system of municipalities and administrative posts

1785-630: A second general election in May 2018. In June 2018, former president and independence fighter, Taur Matan Ruak , became the new prime minister. José Ramos-Horta again became president on 20 May 2022 after winning the April 2022 presidential election runoff against Francisco Guterres. The political system of East Timor is semi-presidential , based upon the Portuguese system . The constitution establishes both this separation of executive powers between

1904-436: A separate " country of origin " in international trade, such as Hong Kong , Greenland , and Macau . Symbols of a country may incorporate cultural , religious or political symbols of any nation that the country includes. Many categories of symbols can be seen in flags, coats of arms, or seals. Most countries have a long name and a short name. The long name is typically used in formal contexts and often describes

2023-537: A single national district in a party-list system. One in three of all candidates presented by political parties must be women. This system promotes a diversity of political parties, but gives voters little influence over the individual candidates selected by each party. Women hold more than a third of parliamentary seats, with parties required by law to run female candidates, but they are less prominent at other levels and within party leadership. Political divisions exist along class lines and along geographical lines. There

2142-585: A single site in East Timor was 642 different fish species, ranking second out of surveyed sites after Indonesia's Raja Ampat Islands . Additionally, the reefs appeared to have suffered limited damage from coral bleaching and rising ocean temperatures compared to other sites in the Coral Triangle. However, despite being in relatively pristine condition, the reefs remain threatened by climate change and habitat destruction, especially blast fishing. It

2261-561: A source of perfume. Timor was included in Southeast Asian, Chinese, and Indian trading networks by the fourteenth century, exporting sandalwood, honey, and wax. The island was recorded by the Majapahit Empire as a source of tribute. It was sandalwood that attracted European explorers to the island in the early sixteenth century. Early European presence was limited to trade, with the first Portuguese settlement being on

2380-666: Is Timór Lorosa'e ( Lorosa'e can be literally translated as ' where the sun rises ' ). The official names under its constitution are "Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste" in English, " República Democrática de Timor-Leste " in Portuguese, and " Repúblika Demokrátika Timór-Leste " in Tetum. The official short form of the name is "Timor-Leste", and it uses the ISO codes TLS & TL. Cultural remains at Jerimalai on

2499-425: Is a special administrative region with some autonomy. The National Police of East Timor and Timor Leste Defence Force have held a monopoly on violence since 2008 and very few guns are present outside of these organisations. While there are allegations of abuse of power, there is some judicial oversight of police and public trust in the institution has grown. An active civil society functions independently of

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2618-656: Is administratively composed of seventeen districts ( kecamatan ), whose areas (in km) and 2013 officially estimated populations are listed below.: The districts are formally grouped into three archipelagoes – the Terselatan Group (including Wetar, as well as Kisar and Romang Islands), the Lemola Group (Letti, Moa and Lakor) and the Babar Group (including the Damer and Sermata Islands). The areas (in km) and

2737-512: Is also a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries . Continuing bilateral donors include Australia, Portugal, Germany, and Japan, and East Timor has a reputation for effectively and transparently using donor funds. Good relations with Australia and with Indonesia are a policy goal for the government, despite historical and more-recent tensions. These countries are important economic partners and provide most transport links to

2856-488: Is also used as a qualifier descriptively, such as country music or country living . The word country comes from Old French contrée , which derives from Vulgar Latin ( terra ) contrata ("(land) lying opposite"; "(land) spread before"), derived from contra ("against, opposite"). It most likely entered the English language after the Franco-Norman invasion during the 11th century. In English

2975-421: Is also used for the sense of native sovereign territory , such as the widespread use of Indian country in the United States. The term "country" in English may also be wielded to describe rural areas , or used in the form "countryside." Raymond Williams , a Welsh scholar, wrote in 1975: 'Country' and 'city' are very powerful words, and this is not surprising when we remember how much they seem to stand for in

3094-556: Is an accepted version of this page East Timor , also known as 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 exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-western half, and the minor islands of Atauro and Jaco . The western half of the island of Timor is administered by Indonesia . Australia

3213-480: Is an act of sovereignty pertaining each member of the international community, an act to be taken individually, and it is, therefore, up to member states and each OAU power [to decide] whether to recognise or not the newly independent state. Some countries, such as Taiwan , Sahrawi Republic and Kosovo have disputed sovereignty and/or limited recognition among some countries. Some sovereign states are unions of separate polities, each of which may also be considered

3332-493: Is believed that this has most affected large marine species such as sharks; despite the diversity of the reefs, there were a significant lack of sharks recorded in the surveys of 2016. East Timor's isolation and lack of tourism are believed to have helped preserve the reefs, as opposed to tourist-heavy locales such as Bali, where the abundance of tourism has negatively affected the health of the reefs. The Timorese government and local residents of Atauro have made attempts to preserve

3451-527: Is broadly a divide between eastern and western areas of the country, stemming from differences that arose under Indonesian rule. Fretilin in particular is strongly linked to the Eastern areas. Political parties are more closely associated with prominent personalities more than with ideology. The National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction became the main opposition to Fretilin, following its establishment to allow Xanana Gusmão to run for Prime Minister in

3570-452: Is characterised by a number of coral reef systems that have been determined to be at risk. There are around 41,000 terrestrial plant species in the country. Forests covered 35% of East Timor's land in the mid-2010s. The forests of the northern coast, central uplands, and southern coast are distinct. East Timor is home to the Timor and Wetar deciduous forests ecoregion. There is some environmental protection in law, but it has not been

3689-436: Is common, with over half of children showing stunted growth . While 91% of married working age (15–49) men were employed as of 2016, only 43% of married working age women were. There are small disparities in favour of men in terms of home and land ownership and owning a bank account. The eastern three municipalities, which contain around a quarter of the population, has less poverty than the western areas, which contain 50% of

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3808-464: Is derived from timur , meaning ' east ' in Malay , thus resulting in a tautological place name meaning ' East East ' . In Indonesian , this results in the name Timor Timur (the name of the former de facto Indonesian province ; Timor Leste is used instead to refer to the country). In Portuguese, the country is called Timor-Leste ( Leste meaning ' east ' ). In Tetum , it

3927-425: Is high, ranging from around 70% to 85%. The political system has wide public acceptance. The head of state of East Timor is the president of the republic , who is elected by popular vote for a five-year term, and can serve a maximum of two terms. Formally, the directly elected president holds relatively limited powers compared to those in similar systems, with no power over the appointment and dismissal of

4046-498: Is limited with a dry season between October and December when some of the islands appear as dry savannah. The Barat Daya Islands except Wetar are part of the Banda Sea Islands moist deciduous forests ecoregion . Wetar and Timor comprise the Timor and Wetar deciduous forests ecoregion. Most of the islands are barren, infertile and minimally forested. Together with Timor , Nusa Tenggara , Sulawesi , and most of Maluku,

4165-429: Is mostly cash-based, with little commercial credit available from banks. Remittances from overseas workers add up to around $ 100 million annually. Country A country is a distinct part of the world , such as a state , nation , or other political entity . When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state , states with limited recognition , constituent country , or

4284-413: Is not clear how they should be assessed. We attribute so many different kinds of properties to countries, speaking as though a country can feature wheat fields waving or be girt by sea, can have a founding date and be democratic and free, can be English speaking, culturally diverse, war torn or Islamic. Melissa Lucashenko , an Aboriginal Australian writer, expressed the difficulty of defining "country" in

4403-503: Is over 1.34 million at the 2022 census, and is heavily skewed towards young people due to a high fertility rate. Education has led to increasing literacy over the past half-century, especially in the two official languages of Portuguese and Tetum . High ethnic and linguistic diversity is reflected by the 30 indigenous languages spoken in the country. The majority of the population is Catholic , which coexists alongside strong local traditions and beliefs, especially in rural areas. "Timor"

4522-454: Is poor. The capital and largest city is Dili. The second-largest city is the eastern town of Baucau . The climate is tropical with relatively stable temperatures throughout the year. A wet season lasts from December to May throughout the country, and lasts slightly longer in the south and the interior due to the effect of a monsoon from Australia. During this period, rainfall can reach 222–252 millimetres (8.7–9.9 in) per month. In

4641-610: Is specified by Articles 5 and 71 of the 2002 constitution to be governed by a special administrative policy and economic regime. Law 3/2014 of 18 June 2014 implemented this constitutional provision, which went into effect in January 2015, turning Oecusse into a Special Administrative Region. The region began operating its own civil service in June 2015. In January 2022 the island of Atauro , formerly an Administrative Post of Dili, became its own municipality. Due to its small population, which

4760-462: Is strongly affected by government spending. Growth has been slow, averaging just 2.5% per year from 2011 to 2021. Most of the country is very poor, with just more than 40% living under the national poverty line. This poverty is especially prevalent in rural areas, where many are subsistence farmers or fishermen. Even in urban areas, the majority are poor. Overall, women are poorer than men, often being employed in lower-paying careers. Malnutrition

4879-501: Is the country's southern neighbour, separated by the Timor Sea . The country's size is 14,950 square kilometres (5,770 sq mi). Dili , on the north coast of Timor, is its capital and largest city. Timor was settled by Papuan and Austronesian peoples, which are reflected in the country's diverse mix of cultures and languages, displaying links to Southeast Asia and Melanesia . East Timor came under Portuguese influence in

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4998-410: The constitutive theory a state is a legal entity of international law if, and only if, it is recognised as sovereign by at least one other country. Because of this, new states could not immediately become part of the international community or be bound by international law, and recognised nations did not have to respect international law in their dealings with them. In 1912, L. F. L. Oppenheim said

5117-697: The Coral Triangle biodiversity hotspot. The easternmost area of East Timor consists of the Paitchau Range and the Lake Ira Lalaro area, which contains the country's first conservation area, the Nino Konis Santana National Park . It contains the last remaining tropical dry forested area within the country. It hosts a number of unique plant and animal species and is sparsely populated. The northern coast

5236-768: The Inner Banda Arc , a volcanic island arc created by the collision of the Indo-Australian Plate and the Eurasian Plate . Romang and Damar are volcanic; Wetar consists mostly of oceanic crust that was pushed to the surface by the colliding plates. The Barat Daya and Banda islands constitute an inner arc; the outer arc, which includes Timor, the Tanimbar Islands , and the Kai Islands , is mostly made up of oceanic crust lifted up by

5355-709: The Iris lorikeet , S. i. rubripileum . Along with the Solomon Islands , Papua New Guinea , the Philippines , Indonesia , Malaysia and Australia , East Timor is one of the countries located in the Coral Triangle , the site of the most biodiverse coral reefs in the world. In particular, Atauro Island 's coral reefs have been recognized as having the highest average fish biodiversity of any site surveyed, with reef sites off Atauro carrying an average of 253 different species. The highest number of species recorded from

5474-632: The Timorese horseshoe bat . The country's and region's largest mammal, the Javan rusa , and its only native marsupial, the Northern common cuscus , are both believed to have been introduced to the island in prehistoric times by settlers from the Lesser Sunda Islands and New Guinea , respectively. Other mammals found in East Timor include the Crab-eating macaque , a large number of species of bats, and

5593-627: The United Kingdom , Russia , and the Soviet Union ). These are sometimes referred to as national anthems even though they are not sovereign states (for example, " Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau " is used for Wales, part of the United Kingdom). A positive emotional connection to a country a person belongs to is called patriotism . Patriotism is a sense of love for, devotion to, and sense of attachment to one's country. This attachment can be

5712-521: The United States dollar , producing its own coins to facilitate smaller transactions. The economy is generally open to foreign investment, although a prohibition on foreigners owning land means many require a local partner in the country. Competition is limited by the small size of the economy, rather than any government barriers. There are far more imports than exports, and prices for goods are often higher than in nearby countries. Inflation

5831-606: The World Economic Situation and Prospects Report classifies states as developed countries, economies in transition, or developing countries. The report classifies country development based on per capita gross national income (GNI). The UN identifies subgroups within broad categories based on geographical location or ad hoc criteria. The UN outlines the geographical regions for developing economies like Africa, East Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, Latin America, and

5950-624: The overseas territories of New Zealand , the dependencies of Norway , the British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies , the territories of the United States , the external territories of Australia , the special administrative regions of China , the autonomous regions of the Danish Realm, Åland , Overseas France , and the Caribbean Netherlands . Some dependent territories are treated as

6069-464: The resignation of Indonesian President Suharto , the new President BJ Habibie , prompted by a letter from Australian Prime Minister John Howard , decided to hold a referendum on independence. A UN-sponsored agreement between Indonesia and Portugal allowed for a UN-supervised popular referendum in August 1999. A clear vote for independence was met with a punitive campaign of violence by East Timorese pro-integration militias supported by elements of

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6188-436: The sucos are the level of government that is linked to community identities, rather than any high level of administration. Such relationships, however, are associated specifically with the kinship groups within that land, rather than the land itself. Relationships between sucos also reflect customary practices, for example through the reciprocal exchanging of support for local initiatives. Laws passed in 2004 provided for

6307-541: The 19th century, national flags came to represent most of the states of Europe. Flags also began fostering a sense of unity between different peoples, such as the Union Jack representing a union between England and Scotland , or began to represent unity between nations in a perceived shared struggle, for example, the Pan-Slavic colors or later Pan-Arab colors . As Europeans colonized significant portions of

6426-668: The 19th century, some national anthems predate this period, often existing as patriotic songs long before designation as national anthem. Several countries remain without an official national anthem. In these cases, there are established de facto anthems played at sporting events or diplomatic receptions. These include the United Kingdom (" God Save the King ") and Sweden ( Du gamla, Du fria ). Some sovereign states that are made up of multiple countries or constituencies have associated musical compositions for each of them (such as with

6545-417: The 2007 parliamentary elections . While both major parties have been relatively stable, they remain led by an "old guard" of individuals who came to prominence during the resistance against Indonesia. Politics and administration is centred in the capital Dili , with the national government responsible for most civil services. Oecusse , separated from the rest of the country by Indonesian territory,

6664-592: The 2020 fiscal year, the World Bank defines low-income economies as countries with a GNI per capita of $ 1,025 or less in 2018; lower-middle-income economies as countries with a GNI per capita between $ 1,026 and $ 3,995; upper-middle-income economies as countries with a GNI per capita between $ 3,996 and $ 12,375; high-income economies as countries with a GNI per capita of $ 12,376 or more.. It also identifies regional trends. The World Bank defines its regions as East Asia and Pacific, Europe and Central Asia, Latin America and

6783-562: The Barat Daya Islands are part of Wallacea , the group of Indonesian islands that are separated by deep water from both the Australian and Asian continental shelves. The islands of Wallacea have never been linked by land to either Asia or Australia , and as a result have few mammals and a mix of flora and fauna from both continents. Among the islands within the archipelago are (from west to east): The islands are part of

6902-708: The Caribbean. The 2019 report recognizes only developed countries in North America, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. The majority of economies in transition and developing countries are found in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The World Bank also classifies countries based on GNI per capita. The World Bank Atlas method classifies countries as low-income economies, lower-middle-income economies, upper-middle-income economies, or high-income economies. For

7021-512: The Indonesian invasion and led its resistance. Given its history, Fretilin viewed itself as the natural party of government and supported a multi-party system, expecting the development of a dominant-party system . Support from the United Nations and the international community, both before and after independence, allowed the nascent political system to survive shocks such as the 2006 crisis . Candidates in parliamentary elections run in

7140-615: The Indonesian military. In response, the Indonesian government allowed a multinational peacekeeping force, INTERFET , to restore order and aid East Timorese refugees and internally displaced persons. On 25 October 1999, the administration of East Timor was taken over by the UN through the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET). INTERFET deployment ended in February 2000 with

7259-717: The Montevideo Convention merely codified existing legal norms and its principles, and therefore does not apply merely to the signatories of international organizations (such as the United Nations ), but to all subjects of international law as a whole. A similar opinion has been expressed by the European Economic Community , reiterated by the European Union , in the principal statement of its Badinter Committee , and by Judge Challis Professor , James Crawford . According to

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7378-453: The UN handed over operational control of the police force to the East Timor authorities. The United Nations ended its peacekeeping mission on 31 December 2012. Francisco Guterres of the centre-left Fretilin party became president in May 2017. The leader of Fretilin, Mari Alkatiri , formed a coalition government after the July 2017 parliamentary election. This government soon fell, leading to

7497-503: The aquatic mammal, the Dugong . East Timor also has its own native horse breed, the Timor pony . East Timor's terrestrial biodiversity is most visible in its native bird species. As of 2022, a total of 289 bird species are found in East Timor. Significantly threatened bird species include the endangered Timor green pigeon and Wetar ground dove and the critically endangered Yellow-crested cockatoo . East Timor has an endemic subspecies of

7616-661: The boundary region between Asia and Oceania, along with the Lesser Sundas, Sulawesi , and the Maluku Islands . The island is surrounded by the Ombai and Wetar Straits of the rougher Banda Sea in the north, and the calmer Timor Sea in the south. East Timor shares the island with Indonesia, with Indonesian territory separating the Oecusse exclave from the rest of the country. The island of Atauro lies north of

7735-611: The build-up to the mid-year presidential elections , the process was peaceful overall and José Ramos-Horta was elected president. In June 2007, Gusmão ran in the parliamentary elections and became prime minister at the head of the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction (CNRT) party. In February 2008, Ramos-Horta was critically injured in an attempted assassination ; Prime Minister Gusmão also faced gunfire separately but escaped unharmed. Australian reinforcements were immediately sent to help keep order. In March 2011,

7854-481: The capital of Dili are on average better off, although they remain poor by international standards. The small size of the private sector means the government is often the customer of public businesses. A quarter of the national population works in the informal economy , with the official public and private sectors employing 9% each. Of those of working age, around 23% are in the formal sector , 21% are students, and 27% are subsistence farmers and fishers. The economy

7973-429: The civil administration. In the end, the existing districts were kept and renamed municipalities in 2009, and received very few powers. In 2016 changes were made so that each municipality is led by a civil servant appointed by the central government. This civil servant is advised by locally elected leaders. The isolated Oecusse municipality, which has a strong identity and is fully surrounded by Indonesian territory,

8092-693: The collision, and wraps around south and east of the inner arc. Unlike much of the rest of the Maluku Islands, the Barat Daya Islands did not participate in the inter-island trade over the centuries. Damar was the region's only island to have produced spice. Too remote from the centre of the Malukan spice trade, the Dutch destroyed the nutmeg trees on Babar. Bugis and Makarassarese annually sailed to coral-rich Luang to purchase reef products such as trepang and mother of pearl . The Maluku Barat Daya Regency

8211-463: The council of ministers, also holds some formal legislative powers. The judiciary operates independently, although there are instances of executive interference. Some courts shift between locations, to improve access for those in more isolated areas. Despite political rhetoric, the constitution and democratic institutions have been followed by politicians, and changes of government are peaceful. Elections are run by an independent body, and turnout

8330-768: The country from 1999. The final one, the United Nations Integrated Mission in East Timor , began after the 2006 East Timorese crisis and concluded in 2012. East Timor formally applied to join ASEAN in 2011, and was granted observer status and accepted "in principle" in November 2022. Despite the nationalist political leadership promoting closer ties with Melanesian states, the country has targeted ASEAN membership since before its independence, with its leaders stating that joining Pacific bodies would have precluded ASEAN membership. ASEAN membership

8449-419: The country's form of government. The short name is the country's common name by which it is typically identified. The International Organization for Standardization maintains a list of country codes as part of ISO 3166 to designate each country with a two-letter country code . The name of a country can hold cultural and diplomatic significance. Upper Volta changed its name to Burkina Faso to reflect

8568-499: The country. China has also increased its presence by contributing to infrastructure in Dili. The relationship with Australia was dominated from before independence by disputes over natural resources in the ocean between them , hampering the establishment of a mutually agreed border. The dominance of Australian hard power led East Timor to utilise public diplomacy and forums for international law to push their case. The dispute

8687-481: The dry season, it drops to 12–18 millimetres (0.47–0.71 in). The country is vulnerable to flooding and landslides that occur as a result of heavy rain, especially when rainfall levels are increased by the La Niña effect. The mountainous interior is cooler than the coasts. Coastal areas are heavily dependent on groundwater , which faces pressure from mismanagement, deforestation , and climate change . While

8806-510: The eastern tip of East Timor have been dated to 42,000 years ago. The first known inhabitants are those who arrived during the Australo-Melanesian migration through the region, likely bringing the precursors to today's Papuan languages . A later migration of Austroasiatic -speakers is suspected, although no such languages remain. The arrival of Austronesian peoples brought new languages , and merged with existing cultures on

8925-515: The election of some suco officials, but assigned these positions no formal powers. An updated law in 2009 established the expected mandate of these positions, although it continued to leave them outside of the formal state system, reliant on municipal governments to provide formal administration and services. Further clarification was given in 2016, which entrenched the treatment of sucos and aldeias more as communities than formal levels of administration. Despite this lack of formal association with

9044-467: The end of French colonization, and the name of North Macedonia was disputed for years due to a conflict with the similarly named Macedonia region in Greece . The ISO 3166-1 standard currently comprises 249 countries, 193 of which are sovereign states that are members of the United Nations. Originally, flags representing a country would generally be the personal flag of its rulers; however, over time,

9163-566: The end of World War II. Portugal began investment in the colony in the 1950s, funding education and promoting coffee exports, but the economy did not improve substantially and infrastructure improvements were limited. Yearly growth rates remained low, near 2%. Following the 1974 Portuguese revolution , Portugal effectively abandoned its colony in Timor, and civil war between East Timorese political parties broke out in 1975. The Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin) resisted

9282-404: The experience of human communities. In English, 'country' is both a nation and a part of a 'land'; 'the country' can be the whole society or its rural area. In the long history of human settlements, this connection between the land from which directly or indirectly we all get our living and the achievements of human society has been deeply known. The unclear definition of "country" in modern English

9401-474: The first new sovereign state of the 21st century. That same year, relations with Indonesia were established and normalized, with Indonesia also supporting East Timor's accession into ASEAN . The national government runs on a semi-presidential system , with the popularly elected president sharing power with a prime minister appointed by the National Parliament . Power is centralised under

9520-508: The following, regarding constitutive theory: International Law does not say that a State is not in existence as long as it is not recognised, but it takes no notice of it before its recognition. Through recognition only and exclusively a State becomes an International Person and a subject of International Law. In 1976 the Organisation of African Unity define state recognition as: ..the recognition of an independent and sovereign state

9639-417: The four districts which comprised Pulau Pulau Wetar District are listed under Wetar Selatan District. (b) the 2010 populations of Kisar Utara and Kepulauan Roma Districts are included under the figure for Kisar Selatan District (formerly called Pulau Pulau Terselatan District), from which they were split off. (c) the 2010 population of Lakor District is included in the figure for Moa District, from which it

9758-490: The government states is insufficient to elect a Municipal Assembly, there are plans to convert Atauro to a Special Economic Zone similar to Oecusse. Administration in the lowest levels of the administrative system of East Timor, the aldeias and sucos , generally reflects traditional customs, reflecting community identity and relationships between local households. Sucos generally contain 2,000 to 3,000 inhabitants. Their long persistence and links to local governance means

9877-486: The government, as do media outlets. Civil society organisations are concentrated in the capital, including student groups. Due to the structure of the economy, there are no powerful trade unions. The Catholic Church has strong influence in the country. International cooperation has always been important to East Timor; donor funds made up 80% of the budget before oil revenues began to replace them. International forces also provided security, with five UN missions sent to

9996-410: The international boundary between the successor states Indonesia and East Timor, respectively. For the Portuguese, East Timor remained little more than a neglected trading post, with minimal investment in infrastructure and education, until the late nineteenth century. Even when Portugal established actual control over the interior of its colony, investment remained minimal. Sandalwood continued to be

10115-399: The island had developed an interconnected series of polities governed by customary law. Small communities, centred around a particular sacred house, were part of wider sucos (or principalities), which were themselves part of larger kingdoms led by a liurai . Authority within these kingdoms was held by two individuals , with the worldly power of the liurai balanced by the spiritual power of

10234-420: The island. Almost half of the country has a slope of at least 40%. The south is slightly less mountainous, and has some plains near the coastline. The highest point is Tatamailau (also known as Mount Ramelau) at 2,963 metres (9,721 ft). Most rivers dry up at least partially during the dry season. Outside of some coastal areas and river valleys, the soil is shallow and prone to erosion, and its quality

10353-555: The island. Timorese origin myths recount settlers sailing around the eastern end of the island before landing in the south. These people are sometimes noted as being from the Malay Peninsula or the Minangkabau highlands of Sumatra . Austronesian migration to Timor may be associated with the development of agriculture on the island. While information is limited about the political system of Timor during this period,

10472-454: The language still would not come. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state , states with limited recognition , constituent country , or a dependent territory . A sovereign state is a political entity that has supreme legitimate authority over a part of the world. There is no universal agreement on the number of "countries" in the world since several states have disputed sovereignty status, and

10591-504: The main export crop and coffee exports became significant in the mid-nineteenth century. At the beginning of the twentieth century, a faltering domestic economy prompted the Portuguese to extract greater wealth from its colonies, which was met with East Timorese resistance. The colony was seen as an economic burden during the Great Depression and received little support or management from Portugal. During World War II, Dili

10710-476: The main land border with Indonesia is 125 kilometres (78 mi) long, and the Oecusse land border is around 100 kilometres (62 mi) long. Maritime borders exist with Australia to the south and Indonesia elsewhere. East Timor has an exclusive economic zone of 77,051 km (29,750 sq mi). The interior of the country is mountainous, with ridges of inactive volcanic mountains extending along

10829-450: The mainland, with the fourth area being the small island of Jaco . The Savu Sea lies north of Oecusse. The country is about 265 kilometres (165 mi) long and 97 kilometres (60 mi) wide, with a total land area of 14,874 square kilometres (5,743 sq mi). This territory is situated between 8′15S – 10′30S latitude and 125′50E – 127′30E longitude. The country's coastline covers around 700 kilometres (430 mi), while

10948-518: The national government, although many local leaders have informal influence. The country maintains a policy of international cooperation, and is a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries , an observer of the Pacific Islands Forum , and an applicant for ASEAN membership. The country remains relatively poor, with an economy that relies heavily on natural resources, especially oil, and foreign aid. The total population

11067-442: The nearby island of Solor . Early Portuguese presence on Timor was very limited; trade was directed through Portuguese settlements on nearby islands. Only in the 17th century did they establish a more direct presence on the island, a consequence of being driven out of other islands by the Dutch. After Solor was lost in 1613, the Portuguese moved to Flores . In 1646, the capital moved to Kupang on Timor's west, before Kupang too

11186-439: The population. Sixty-six per cent of families are in part supported by subsistence activities; however, the country as a whole does not produce enough food to be self-sustaining, and thus relies on imports. Agricultural work carries the implication of poverty, and the sector receives little investment from the government. Ninety-four per cent of domestic fish catch comes from the ocean, especially coastal fisheries. Those in

11305-412: The populations at the 2010 census and 2020 census, together with the official estimates as at mid 2023, are listed below. The table also includes the locations of the district administrative centres, the number of administrative villages in each district (totaling 117 rural desa and 1 urban kelurahan – the latter being Tiakur on Moa Island), and its post code. Notes: (a) the 2010 populations for

11424-499: The practice of using personal banners as flags of places was abandoned in favor of flags that had some significance to the nation, often its patron saint. Early examples of these were the maritime republics such as Genoa which could be said to have a national flag as early as the 12th century. However, these were still mostly used in the context of marine identification. Although some flags date back earlier, widespread use of flags outside of military or naval context begins only with

11543-489: The president and the prime minister; and the separation of powers between the executive, legislature, and judiciary. Individuals are not allowed to participate in both the legislature and the executive branch. The legislature is intended to provide a check on the executive; in practice the executive has maintained control of the legislature under all political parties, reflecting the dominance of individual leaders within political parties and coalitions. The executive, through

11662-415: The prime minister and the council of ministers. However, as they are directly elected, past presidents have wielded great informal power and influence. The president does have the power to veto government legislation, initiate referendums, and to dissolve parliament in the event that it is unable to form a government or pass a budget. If the president vetoes a legislative action, the parliament can overturn

11781-400: The reefs through education of local citizens, rejecting harmful development projects, and placing emphasis on traditional laws of preserving nature, called Tara Bandu . The economy of East Timor is a market economy , although it is dependent upon the export of a few commodities and has a large public sector. Internally, market operations are limited by widespread poverty. The country uses

11900-504: The relationships between 'country' and 'nation' are so different from one [place] to the next as to be impossible to fold into a dichotomous opposition as they are into a promiscuous fusion." Areas much smaller than a political state may be referred to as countries, such as the West Country in England, "big sky country" (used in various contexts of the American West ), "coal country" (used to describe coal-mining regions in several sovereign states) and many other terms. The word "country"

12019-561: The rise of the idea of the nation state at the end of the 18th century and particularly are a product of the Age of Revolution . Revolutions such as those in France and America called for people to begin thinking of themselves as citizens as opposed to subjects under a king, and thus necessitated flags that represented the collective citizenry, not just the power and right of a ruling family. With nationalism becoming common across Europe in

12138-402: The sixteenth century, remaining a Portuguese colony until 1975. Internal conflict preceded a unilateral declaration of independence and an Indonesian invasion and annexation . Resistance continued throughout Indonesian rule and in 1999, a United Nations–sponsored act of self-determination led to Indonesia relinquishing control of the territory. On 20 May 2002, as Timor-Leste , it became

12257-599: The state, suco leaders hold great influence and are often seen by their community as representatives of the state. They have responsibilities usually associated with civic administration. Located between Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, the island of Timor is the largest of the Lesser Sunda Islands , which lie within the Malay Archipelago . As such, Timor forms part of the Wallacea region,

12376-463: The study of flags, vexillology , at both professional and amateur levels, emerged. After World War II, Western vexillology went through a phase of rapid development, with many research facilities and publications being established. A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. Though the custom of an officially adopted national anthem became popular only in

12495-400: The temperature is thought to have experienced a small increase due to climate change, there has been little change in annual rainfall. Coastal ecosystems around the country are diverse and varied, with vary spatially between the north and south coastlines, as well as between the eastern tip and areas more to the west. These ecosystems include coral reefs , as the country's waters are part of

12614-504: The territory's nominal status in the UN remained as "non-self-governing territory under Portuguese administration". Fretilin resisted the invasion, initially as an army, holding territory until November 1978, and then as a guerrilla resistance. The Indonesian occupation of Timor was marked by violence and brutality. A detailed statistical report prepared for the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor cited

12733-679: The transfer of military command to the UN. On 30 August 2001, the East Timorese voted in their first election organised by the UN to elect members of the Constituent Assembly. On 22 March 2002, the Constituent Assembly approved the Constitution. By May 2002, more than 205,000 refugees had returned. On 20 May 2002, the Constitution of the Democratic Republic of East Timor came into force and East Timor

12852-411: The veto with a two-thirds majority. The prime minister is chosen by the parliament, with the president appointing the leader of the majority party or coalition as prime minister of East Timor and the cabinet on the proposal of the latter. As head of government , the prime minister presides over the cabinet. Representatives in the unicameral National Parliament are elected by popular vote to

12971-411: The word has increasingly become associated with political divisions, so that one sense, associated with the indefinite article – "a country" – is now frequently applied as a synonym for a state or a former sovereign state. It may also be used as a synonym for "nation". Taking as examples Canada , Sri Lanka , and Yugoslavia , cultural anthropologist Clifford Geertz wrote in 1997 that "it is clear that

13090-460: The world, they exported ideas of nationhood and national symbols, including flags, with the adoption of a flag becoming seen as integral to the nation-building process. Political change, social reform, and revolutions combined with a growing sense of nationhood among ordinary people in the 19th and 20th centuries led to the birth of new nations and flags around the globe. With so many flags being created, interest in these designs began to develop and

13209-562: Was recognised as independent by the UN. The Constituent Assembly was renamed the National Parliament, and Xanana Gusmão was elected as the country's first president. On 27 September 2002 the country became a UN member state. In 2006, a crisis of unrest and factional fighting forced 155,000 people to flee their homes; the United Nations sent in security forces to restore order. The following year, Gusmão declined to run for another term. While there were minor incidents in

13328-593: Was established during Portuguese rule. While decentralisation is mentioned in the constitution, administrative powers generally remain with the national government operating out of Dili. Upon independence there was debate about how to implement decentralisation; various proposed models would create different levels of administration between the sucos and the central government. In most proposals, there were no specific provisions for suco -level governance, and they were expected to continue to exist as mostly traditional spaces, identifying communities rather than being part of

13447-504: Was further commented upon by philosopher Simon Keller: Often, a country is presumed to be identical with a collection of citizens. Sometimes, people say that a country is a project, or an idea, or an ideal. Occasionally, philosophers entertain more metaphysically ambitious pictures, suggesting that a country is an organic entity with its own independent life and character, or that a country is an autonomous agent, just like you or me. Such claims are rarely explained or defended, however, and it

13566-517: Was little overall improvement in living standards; economic growth mostly benefited immigrants from elsewhere in Indonesia. A huge expansion of education was intended to increase Indonesian language use and internal security as much as it was for development. The 1991 massacre of more than 200 demonstrators by the Indonesian military was a turning point for the independence cause, and brought increased international pressure on Indonesia. Following

13685-495: Was lost to the Dutch in 1652. The Portuguese then moved to Lifau , in what is now East Timor's Oecusse exclave. Effective European occupation in the east of the island only began in 1769, when the city of Dili was founded, although actual control remained highly limited. A definitive border between the Dutch and Portuguese parts of the island was established by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 1914 and remains

13804-720: Was occupied by the Allies in 1941, and later by the Japanese beginning in 1942. The mountainous interior of the colony became the scene of a guerrilla campaign , known as the Battle of Timor . Waged by East Timorese volunteers and Allied forces against the Japanese, the struggle killed between 40,000 and 70,000 East Timorese civilians. The Japanese eventually drove the last of the Australian and Allied forces out in early 1943. Portuguese control resumed, however, after Japanese surrender at

13923-479: Was resolved in 2018 following conciliation procedures before the Permanent Court of Arbitration , when the two states established by treaty a maritime boundary between them along with an agreement on natural resource revenues. The Timor Leste Defence Force (F-FDTL) was established in 2001, replacing Falintil , and was restructured following the events of 2006. It is responsible not only for safeguarding against external threats, but also for addressing violent crime,

14042-537: Was sought for economic and security reasons, including to improve the relationship with Indonesia. Nonetheless, the process has been slow due to a lack of support from some ASEAN states. East Timor is thus an observer to the Pacific Islands Forum and the Melanesian Spearhead Group . More broadly, the country is a leader within the Group of Seven Plus (g7+) , an organisation of fragile states . It

14161-479: Was split off. (d) the 2010 population of Pulau Wetang District is included in the figure for Babar Barat District (formerly called Pulau Pulau Babar District), from which it was split off. (e) the 2010 populations of Pulau Masela and Daweloor Dawera Districts are included under the figure for Babar Timur District, from which they were split off. 7°45′S 126°15′E  /  7.75°S 126.25°E  / -7.75; 126.25 East Timor This

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