Timor-Leste

• 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

• tropical;
• hot, humid;
• distinct rainy and dry seasons

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

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

noun:

Timorese

adjective:

Timorese

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.)

degree of risk:

very high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

chikungunya, dengue fever and malaria (2009)

definition:

age 15 and over can read and write

total population:

58.6%

male:

NA

female:

NA (2002)

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

name:

Dili

geographic coordinates:

8 35 S, 125 36 E

time difference:

UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

• 28 November 1975 (independence proclaimed from Portugal);
• note - 20 May 2002 is the official date of international recognition of Timor-Leste's independence from Indonesia

• 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

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 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 theWorld 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 majority party or majority coalition as the prime minister

election results:

Taur Matan RUAK elected president in 2012; percent of vote - Taur Matan RUAK 61.23%, Francisco GUTTERES 38.7%

• 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

• Democratic Party or PD [Fernando de ARAUJO];
• National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction or CNRT [Xanana GUSMAO];
• National Democratic Union of Timorese Resistance or UNDERTIM [Cornelio DA Conceicao GAMA];
• National Unity Party or PUN [Fernanda BORGES];
• People's Party of Timor or PPT [Jacob XAVIER];
• Revolutionary Front of Independent Timor-Leste or FRETILIN [Mari ALKATIRI];
• Social Democratic Association of Timor or ASDT;
• Social Democratic Party or PSD [Zacarias Albano da COSTA];
• Sons of the Mountain Warriors or KOTA [Manuel TILMAN] (also known as Association of Timorese Heroes);
• (only parties in Parliament are listed)

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

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

• 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

agriculture:

64%

industry:

10%

services:

26% (2010)

lowest 10%:

4%

highest 10%:

27% (2007)

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

• 1 public TV broadcast station broadcasting nationally and 1 public radio broadcaster with stations in each of the 13 administrative districts;
• one commercial TV broadcast station broadcasting, a few commercial radio stations, and roughly a dozen community radio stations (2009)

total:

6,040 km

country comparison to the world: 149

paved:

2,600 km

unpaved:

3,440 km (2005)

total:

1

country comparison to the world: 151

by type:

passenger/cargo 1 (2010)

• 18 years of age for voluntary military service;
• no conscription;
• 18-month service obligation (2008)

males age 16-49:

305,643

females age 16-49:

293,052 (2010 est.)

males age 16-49:

243,120

females age 16-49:

251,061 (2010 est.)

male:

12,737

female:

12,389 (2010 est.)

• 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;
• many refugees who left Timor-Leste in 2003 still reside in Indonesia and refuse repatriation;
• in 2007, Australia and Timor-Leste signed a 50-year development zone and revenue sharing agreement in lieu of a maritime boundary