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

agricultural land:

25.1%;

• arable land 10.1%;
• permanent crops 4.9%;
• permanent pasture 10.1%

forest:

49.1%

other:

25.8% (2011 est.)

• 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:

1.07 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.03 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.93 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.91 male(s)/female

total population:

1.01 male(s)/female (2016 est.)

degree of risk:

very high

food or waterborne diseases:

bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

vectorborne diseases:

dengue fever and malaria (2016)

total number:

10,510

percentage:

4% (2002 est.)

conventional long form:

Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

conventional short form:

Timor-Leste

note: pronounced TEE-mor LESS-tay

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

etymology:

• "timor" derives from the Indonesian and Malay word "timur" meaning "east";
• "leste" is the Portuguese word for "east", so "Timor-Leste" literally means "Eastern-East";
• the local [Tetum] name "Timor Lorosa'e" translates as "East Rising Sun"

name:

Dili

geographic coordinates:

8 35 S, 125 36 E

time difference:

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

• 20 May 2002 (from Indonesia);
• note - 28 November 1975 was the date independence was proclaimed from Portugal;
• 20 May 2002 was the 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

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Timor-Leste

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

10 years

chief of state:

• President Taur Matan RUAK, aka 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 - formerly Jose Alexandre GUSMAO (since 8 August 2007);
• Vice Prime Minister Fernando "Lasama" de ARAUJO (since 8 August 2012)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers proposed by the prime minister and appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 17 March 2012 with a runoff 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 runoff; percent of vote - Taur Matan RUAK (independent) 61.2%, Francisco GUTTERES (Frenti-Mudanca) 38.8%

• 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)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Domingos Sarmento ALVES (since 21 May 2014)

chancery:

4201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 504, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 966-3202

FAX:

[1] (202) 966-3205

chief of mission:

Ambassador Karen STANTON (since 16 January 2015)

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, which is expanding with the entrance of new competitors

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 (2015)

• 1 public TV broadcast station broadcasting nationally and 1 public radio broadcaster with stations in each of the 13 administrative districts;
• 1 commercial TV broadcast station, 3 commercial radio stations, and roughly 20 community radio stations (2012)

total:

6,040 km

paved:

2,600 km

unpaved:

3,440 km (2005)

country comparison to the world: 150

total:

1

by type:

passenger/cargo 1 (2010)

country comparison to the world: 151

• 18 years of age for voluntary military service;
• 18-month service obligation;
• no conscription but, as of May 2013, introduction of conscription was under discussion (2013)

• 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;
• in 2007, Australia and Timor-Leste signed a 50-year development zone and revenue sharing agreement in lieu of a maritime boundary

current situation:

• Timor Leste is a source and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking;
• Timorese women and girls from rural areas are lured to the capital with promises of legitimate jobs or education prospects and are then forced into prostitution or domestic servitude, and other women and girls may be sent to Indonesia for domestic servitude;
• Timorese family members force children into bonded domestic or agricultural labor to repay debts;
• foreign migrant women are vulnerable to sex trafficking in Timor Leste, while men and boys from Burma, Cambodia, and Thailand are forced to work on fishing boats in Timorese waters under inhumane conditions

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List – Timor Leste does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking;
• however, it is making significant efforts to do so;
• in 2014, legislation was drafted but not finalized or implemented that outlines procedures for screening potential trafficking victims;
• law enforcement made modest progress, including one conviction for sex trafficking, but efforts are hindered by prosecutors’ and judges’ lack of expertise in applying anti-trafficking laws effectively;
• the government rescued two child victims with support from an NGO but did not provide protective services (2015)