+670 is the dialing code for East Timor.
East Timor is Asia’s youngest country. It became independent in May 2002 after a quarter of a century of Indonesian occupation. The country lies in the middle of the Indonesian island world and is made up of the eastern half of the island of Timor, which otherwise belongs to Indonesia. Nowadays East Timor has good relations with the old occupation power. The country’s economy is based on coffee exports and oil and natural gas extraction.
- Abbreviationfinder: Brief profiles of East Timor, including geography, history, politics, economics as well as common acronyms about this country.
Geography and climate
East Timor occupies the eastern half of the island of Timor in the Southeast Asian island world, while the western part of Timor is Indonesian territory. The land is on the surface slightly larger than Blekinge and Skåne together. In East Timor there is a tropical monsoon climate.
Also the islands east, north and west of Timor belong to Indonesia. A few tens of miles south of East Timor lies Australia’s northwest coast. East Timor also includes the small exclave Oekussi Ambeno on the north coast of West Timor as well as the islands of Ataúro and Jaco outside Timor.
The topography is dominated by a mountain range that runs in an east-west direction and whose highest peak is Foho Tata Mailau, which rises 2 963 meters above sea level. The mountain range includes some extinguished volcanoes that have given fertile soils in their quarters, but the soil in general is usually thin.
From the mountains a multitude of rivers flow, which during intense rainy periods overflow as they reach the lowlands along the coasts. Savannah dominates nature, and plant and wildlife resemble that in Australia.
In East Timor, rainy and dry periods alternate. The dry periods dominate. The south coast has a rainy season between December and June with a short break in March. Up to 3,000 mm of rain falls annually. In the north, it rains between December and February and in the driest areas the rainfall is about 300 mm annually.
In the mountain areas, the rain can be intense and floods occur. However, drought is a major problem and every three or four years East Timor usually suffers from severe drought.
Country Facts
Geography
| Cultivated land | 25.1 % |
| Land area | 14874 km 2 |
Population and health
| Population development | 2.42 ‰ |
| Urban population (Urbanization) | 32.8 % |
| Death rate | 6.1 per 1000 residents |
| Life expectancy: Women | 69.37 years |
| Life expectancy: Men | 66.17 years |
| Birth rate | 34.16 births per 1000 residents |
| HDI index | 0.595 |
| Population | 1231116 |
| Infant mortality | 37.54 deaths / 1000 births |
Population Graph Source: Countryaah.com
Energy
| Electricity, production | 349 million kWh |
| Energy consumption per resident | 60.2 kg. oil per resident |
| Natural gas, production | million cubic meters |
| Crude oil, production | million tons |
Infrastructure
| Internet users | 1.0 per 100 residents |
| Mobile subscriptions | 56 per 100 residents |
| Passenger cars | per 1000 residents |
Business and economics
| Unemployment | 11% of the workforce |
| GDP | 5600 per resident |
| Primary occupations | 64 % |
| Secondary profession | 10 % |
| Tertiary professions | 26 % |
FACTS – GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
Surface
14 919 km2 (2018) 1
Time
Swedish +8 hours
Adjacent country (s)
Indonesia, sea border with Australia
Capital with number of residents
Dili 222,300
Other major cities
Ermera 36 300, Baucau 17 500, Maliana 12 200 (census 2015)
Highest mountain
Foho Tata Mailau (2,963 m asl)
Largest lake
According to Surubel
Average Precipitation / year
300-3,000 mm (varies in different parts of the country)
Average / day
26 °C on the coast, lower in the mountains
1st Source: Europa World Plus
2012
December
The UN concludes its efforts
On New Year’s Eve, the UN will end its peacekeeping efforts. UN personnel have been gradually leaving the country since October, when East Timor’s own forces formally assumed responsibility for maintaining the order.
November
Australia-led force is taken home
The Australian-led peace and security force of 460 Australian and New Zealand soldiers is taken home. The force now ceases operations and the last soldiers leave East Timor in April 2013.
September
US Secretary of State visiting
As the first US Secretary of State since East Timor’s independence in 2002, Hillary Clinton visits the country during a tour of the region. Clinton meets with Prime Minister Gusmão and President Ruak, and emphasizes his support for the country. The visit is seen as a support for East Timor’s quest to become a member of the Southeast Asian cooperation organization Asean.
August
The UN force should be taken home
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon will visit East Timor for two days and for talks with President Taur Matan Ruak, among others. In a speech to the newly elected parliament, Ban Ki-Moon says that the UN believes that East Timor is now ready to take responsibility for its own security and that the UN force should be taken home.
The coalition government is presented
Prime Minister Gusmão presents his new coalition government. Foreign Minister becomes José Luís Guterres, while Cirilo José Cristóvão receives ministerial responsibility for defense and security matters. Emília Pires remains in the post of finance minister.
July
Protests against coalition government
Negotiations for a new coalition government begin. Protest protests erupt in Dili and surrounding areas in the middle of the month when CNRT states it will form a government coalition with DP and Frenti-Mudanҫa, and that Fretilin will not be included in the government. The protests become violent and a man is killed. But the East Timorese police are being praised by the UN for its way of quickly calming down the situation.
CNRT becomes the largest party
The choice is made under calm conditions. Governing CNRT now becomes the largest party with close to 37 percent of the vote, giving 30 of the 65 seats. The country’s former largest party, the old Independence Party Fretilin, receives almost 30 percent of the vote (25 seats). The Democratic Party, which has been a member of the last government, receives just over 10 percent of the vote (8 seats). The small party Frenti-Mudanҫa gets the remaining 2 seats. Frenti-Mudanҫa is a breakaway party from Fretilin and is led by Deputy Prime Minister José Luis Guterres. The turnout is just under 75 percent. The UN commends the election arrangements, which increases the likelihood that the international force will be taken home later in the year.
The Oil Fund’s biggest choice
The big question ahead of the July 7 parliamentary elections is how to best utilize the oil fund (see Natural Resources and Energy), which has grown to the equivalent of US $ 10.5 billion. In addition, the UN has announced that the international peacekeeping force should be withdrawn towards the end of the year, if the elections take place under peaceful conditions.
June
Justice ministers receive prison sentences
Minister of Justice Maria Lúcia Lobato is sentenced to five years in prison for corruption, abuse of power and counterfeiting.
May
Ten years of independence
On May 20, East Timor celebrates the 10th anniversary of the country’s independence. On the same day, Taur Matan Ruak assumes the office of President. Among the dignitaries on site in Dili are Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
April
Tuar Matan Ruak becomes president
Taur Matan Ruak wins by a wide margin in the second and decisive round of the presidential election. He wins with just over 61 percent of the vote over Guterres, which gets close to 39 percent. The turnout is 73 percent.
March
Quiet election day
The day of the presidential election will be calm. A large group of international election observers are in place. “Lu Olo” Guterres gets 29 percent of the vote, Taur Matan Ruak 26 percent and Ramos Horta 17 percent. President Ramos-Horta acknowledges defeat and congratulates Guterres and Ruak, who will meet in a second round of elections on April 16. The turnout is 78 percent.
February
The electoral movement begins
The electoral movement before the presidential election begins. CNRT and Fretilin agree to jointly strive for the electoral movement not to become violent, which is largely successful. (29/2)
January
Presidential elections will be held in March
President Ramos Horta announces presidential elections until March 17, 2012 and announces that parliamentary elections will be held in June (it will be postponed until July). At the end of the month, Ramos Horta announces that he is running for re-election. Among the 13 presidential candidates are also Parliament’s President Fernando “Lasama” de Araújo, his representative Fretilin leader Francisco Guterres “Lu Olo” and former Defense Chief Taur Matan Ruak, who during the occupation was the commander of Falintil. Lasama is the leader of the Democratic Party, which is popular with the young generation of East Timorese. Taur Matan Ruak, who is running for independence, is supported by the CNRT government and Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão, while “Lu Olo” Guterres is supported by Fretilin.
Ramos Horta becomes UN envoy in Guinea-Bissau
Former President Ramos Horta is appointed UN Special Envoy to Guinea-Bissau, a country that, like East Timor, used to be a Portuguese colony. Ramos Horta will take up the post on January 31.