Brief History. This small country has had its fair share of woes over the centuries. First colonized by the Portuguese and the Dutch in the 16th century, Timor Leste gained independence from Portugal in 1975. They weren't celebrating too long - only about 9 days - when Indonesian forces invaded and occupied the country. In 1976, the Indonesian government incorporated the country into their goverment and changed its name to East Timor. It wasn't long until unrest lest to bloodshed. Over the next two decaded many people lost their lives. In an effort to bring stability to the country, the United Nation sent a multinational peacekeeping force in September of 1999. Though they were late in keeping anti-independence militias from destroying much of the country's infrastructure, they did play an important role in eventually ending the violence.
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Country Information
Local name: Timor-Leste, Timor Lorosa'e (Tetum); Timor-Leste (Portuguese) Capital: Dili Population: 1,084,971 Government: Republic Currency: US Dollar (USD) Land size: 15,007 sq km Topography: mountainous Typical foods: Major exports: coffee, sandalwood, marble; note - potential for oil and vanilla exports |
Information on the People
Official language: Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian, English Other languages spoken: Tetum, Galole, Mambae, and Kemak. Note: In all, there are about 16 indigenous languages spoken by the people Religions: Roman Catholic 98%, Muslim 1%, Protestant 1% (2005) Literacy rate: 58.6% Male/Female Ratio: 1.034 males to every 1 female Life expectancy: 66.6 years Ethnic groups: Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian), Papuan, small Chinese minority Internet users: 1,000 Famous people: |
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