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

• the island of Timor is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest and easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands;
• the district of Oecussi is an exclave separated from Timor-Leste proper by Indonesia;
• Timor-Leste has the unique distinction of being the only Asian country located completely in the Southern Hemisphere

noun:

Timorese

adjective:

Timorese

total:

20.6 years (2024 est.)

male:

19.8 years

female:

21.3 years

at birth:

1.07 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.06 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.96 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.92 male(s)/female

total population:

0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

32.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

male:

35.3 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

28.9 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

70.5 years (2024 est.)

male:

68.9 years

female:

72.3 years

total:

0.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

beer:

0.27 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine:

0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits:

0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols:

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total:

39.2% (2020 est.)

male:

67.6% (2020 est.)

female:

10.8% (2020 est.)

women married by age 15:

2.6%

women married by age 18:

14.9%

men married by age 18:

1.2% (2016 est.)

• air pollution and deterioration of air quality;
• greenhouse gas emissions;
• water quality, scarcity, and access;
• land and soil degradation;
• forest depletion;
• widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to deforestation and soil erosion;
• loss of biodiversity

party to:

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

signed, but not ratified:

Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban

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

urban population:

32.5% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

3.31% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

particulate matter emissions:

20.47 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions:

0.5 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions:

4.74 megatons (2020 est.)

municipal:

100 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial:

2 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

agricultural:

1.07 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

conventional long form:

Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste

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

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"

note: pronounced TEE-mor LESS-tay

name:

Dili

geographic coordinates:

8 35 S, 125 36 E

time difference:

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

• 12 municipalities (municipios, singular municipio) and 1 special adminstrative region* (regiao administrativa especial);
• Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau, Bobonaro (Maliana), Covalima (Suai), Dili, Ermera (Gleno), Lautem (Lospalos), Liquica, Manatuto, Manufahi (Same), Oe-Cusse Ambeno* (Pante Macassar), Viqueque

note: administrative divisions have the same names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center name following in parentheses)

• 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

history:

drafted 2001, approved 22 March 2002, entered into force 20 May 2002

amendments:

• proposed by Parliament and parliamentary groups;
• consideration of amendments requires at least four-fifths majority approval by Parliament;
• passage requires two-thirds majority vote by Parliament and promulgation by the president of the republic;
• passage of amendments to the republican form of government and the flag requires approval in a referendum

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 José RAMOS-HORTA (since 20 May 2022)

head of government:

Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO (since 1 July 2023)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers; ministers proposed to the prime minister by the coalition in the Parliament and sworn in by the President of the Republic

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);
• last election held on 19 March 2022 with a runoff on 19 April 2022 (next to be held in April 2027);
• following parliamentary elections, the president appoints the leader of the majority party or majority coalition as the prime minister

election results:

2022 : José RAMOS-HORTA elected president in second round - RAMOS-HORTA (CNRT) 62.1%, Francisco GUTERRES (FRETILIN) 37.9%; 2017 : Francisco GUTERRES elected president; Francisco GUTERRES (FRETILIN) 57.1%, António da CONCEICAO (PD) 32.5%, other 10.4%

note: the president is commander in chief of the military and can veto legislation, dissolve parliament, and call national elections

description:

unicameral National Parliament (65 seats; members directly elected in a single nationwide constituency by closed, party-list proportional representation vote using the D'Hondt method to serve 5-year terms)

elections:

last held on 21 May 2023 (next to be held in May 2028)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - CNRT 41.5%, FRETILIN 25.8%, PD 9.3%, KHUNTO 7.5%, PLP 6%, other 9.9%;
• seats by party - CNRT 31, FRETILIN 19, PD 6, KHUNTO 5, PLP 4;
• composition - men 40, women 25, percentage women 38.5%

• Democratic Party or PD
• National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction or CNRT
• National Unity of the Sons of Timor (Haburas Unidade Nasional Timor Oan or KHUNTO)
• People's Liberation Party or PLP
• Revolutionary Front of Independent Timor-Leste or FRETILIN

chief of mission:

Ambassador José Luis GUTERRES (since 17 June 2024)

chancery:

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

telephone:

[1] (202) 966-3202

FAX:

[1] (202) 966-3205

email address and website:

[email protected]

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant), Chargé d'Affaires Marc WEINSTOCK (since August 2023)

embassy:

Avenida de Portugal, Praia dos Coqueiros, Dili

mailing address:

8250 Dili Place, Washington, DC 20521-8250

telephone:

(670) 332-4684, (670) 330-2400

FAX:

(670) 331-3206

email address and website:

[email protected]; https://tl.usembassy.gov/

• 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

• lower middle-income Southeast Asian economy;
• government expenditures funded via oil fund drawdowns;
• endemic corruption undermines growth;
• foreign aid-dependent;
• wide-scale poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy

total:

3.2% (2023 est.)

male:

3.1% (2023 est.)

female:

3.2% (2023 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

lowest 10%:

4% (2014 est.)

highest 10%:

24% (2014 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

total petroleum production:

5,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

4,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

production:

2.925 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

exports:

2.925 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

total subscriptions:

2,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:

(2022 est.) less than 1

general assessment:

• Timor-Leste has been moving forward with the regeneration of its economy and rebuilding key infrastructure, including telecommunications networks, that were destroyed during the years of civil unrest;
• fixed-line and fixed broadband penetration in Timor-Leste remains extremely low, mainly due to the limited fixed-line infrastructure and the proliferation of mobile connectivity;
• in an effort to boost e-government services;
• the number of subscribers through to 2026 is expected to develop steadily, though from a low base;
• by August 2020, Timor-Leste had three telecom service providers who jointly achieved a 98% network coverage nationally;
• the mobile broadband market is still at an early stage of development, strong growth is predicted over the next five years;
• at the end of 2020, the government issued new policy guidelines to maximize the use of spectrum in Timor-Leste;
• it invited mobile operators to submit applications for the allocation of spectrum in the 1800MHz, 2300MHz and 2600MHz bands;
• in November 2020, the government approved the deployment of a submarine fiber link connecting the south of the country to Australia via the North Western Cable System (NWCS) (2021)

domestic:

fixed-line services less than 1 per 100 and mobile-cellular services is 110 per 100 (2022)

international:

• country code - 670;
• international service is available;
• partnership with Australia telecom companies for potential deployment of a submarine fiber-optic link (NWCS);
• geostationary earth orbit satellite

total:

6,040 km

paved:

2,600 km

unpaved:

3,440 km (2008)

total:

1 (2023)

by type:

other 1

total ports:

1 (2024)

large:

0

medium:

0

small:

1

very small:

0

ports with oil terminals:

0

key ports:

Dili

• 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women;
• compulsory service was authorized in 2020 for men and women aged 18-30 for 18 months of service, but the level of implementation is unclear (2023)

the F-FDTL is a small and lightly equipped force with both external defense and internal security roles; it has two infantry battalions, a small air component, and a handful of naval patrol boats

since achieving independence, Timor-Leste has received security assistance from or has made defense cooperation arrangements with Australia, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Portugal, the UN, and the US (2024)