| GEOGRAPHY |
| Country name: |
conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste
conventional short form: East Timor
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: Portuguese Timor |
| Capital: |
Dili |
| Location: |
Southeastern Asia, northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago; note - East Timor 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 |
| Geographic
Coordinates: |
8 50 S, 125 55 E |
| Area: |
total: 15,007 sq km
land: NA
water: NA |
| Area
Comparative: |
slightly larger than Connecticut |
| Land
Boundaries: |
total: 228 km
border countries: Indonesia 228 km |
| Coastline: |
706 km |
| Maritime
Claims: |
territorial sea: NA
exclusive economic zone: NA
continental shelf: NA
exclusive fishing zone: NA |
| Climate: |
tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons |
| Terrain: |
mountainous |
| Elavation
Extremes: |
lowest point: Timor Sea, Savu Sea, and Banda Sea 0 m
highest point: Foho Tatamailau 2,963 m |
| Natural
Resources: |
gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble |
| GOVERNEMENT |
| Governement
Type: |
Republic |
| Administratives
Divisions: |
13 administrative districts; Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau, Bobonaro (Maliana), Cova-Lima (Suai), Dili, Ermera, Lautem (Los Palos), Liquica, Manatuto, Manufahi (Same), Oecussi (Ambeno), Viqueque |
| Independence |
28 November 1975 (date of proclamation of independence from Portugal); note - 20 May 2002 is the official date of international recognition of East Timor's independence from Indonesia |
| National
Holiday: |
Independence Day, 28 November (1975) |
| Constitution: |
22 March 2002 (based on the Portuguese model) |
| Legal
System; |
UN-drafted legal system based on Indonesian law remains in place but will be replaced by civil and penal codes based on Portuguese law (2004) |
| Suffrage |
17 years of age; universal |
| Executive
Branch: |
chief of state: President Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO (since 20 May 2002); note - the president plays a largely symbolic role but is able to veto some legislation; he formerly used the name Jose Alexandre GUSMAO
head of government: Prime Minister Mari Bin Amude ALKATIRI (since 20 May 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 14 April 2002 (next to be held in April 2007); after the first legislative elections, the leader of the majority party was appointed prime minister by the president, suggesting a precedent for the future
election results: Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO elected president; percent of vote - Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO 82.7%, Francisco Xavier do AMARAL 17.3% |
| Legislative
Branch: |
unicameral National Parliament (number of seats can vary, minimum requirement of 52 and a maximum of 65 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms); note - for its first term of office, the National Parliament is comprised of 88 members on an exceptional basis
elections: (next to be held August 2006); direct elections for national parliament were never held; elected delegates to the national convention named themselves legislators instead of having elections; hence the exceptional numbers for this term of the national parliament.
election results: percent of vote by party - FRETILIN 57.37%, PD 8.72%, PSD 8.18%, ASDT 7.84%, UDT 2.36%, PNT 2.21%, KOTA 2.13%, PPT 2.01%, PDC 1.98%, PST 1.78%, independents/other 5.42%; seats by party - FRETILIN 55, PD 7, PSD 6, ASDT 6, PDC 2, UDT 2, KOTA 2, PNT 2, PPT 2, UDC/PDC 1, PST 1, PL 1, independent 1 |
| Judicial
Branch: |
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 |
| Political
parties and Leaders: |
Associacao Social-Democrata Timorense or ASDT [Francisco Xavier do AMARAL]; Christian Democratic Party of Timor or PDC [Antonio XIMENES]; Christian Democratic Union of Timor or UDC [Vicente da Silva GUTERRES]; Democratic Party or PD [Fernando de ARAUJO]; Liberal Party or PL [leader NA]; Maubere Democratic Party or PDM [leader NA]; People's Party of Timor or PPT [Jacob XAVIER]; Revolutionary Front of Independent East Timor or FRETILIN [Lu OLO]; Social Democrat Party of East Timor or PSD [Mario CARRASCALAO]; Socialist Party of Timor or PST [leader Avelino COELHO]; Sons of the Mountain Warriors (also known as Association of Timorese Heroes) or KOTA [Clementino dos Reis AMARAL]; Timor Democratic Union or UDT [Joao CARRASCALAO]; Timor Labor Party or PTT [Paulo Freitas DA SILVA]; Timorese Nationalist Party or PNT [Abilio ARAUJO]; Timorese Popular Democratic Association or APODETI [Frederico Almeida-Santos DA COSTA] |
| PEOPLE |
| Population: |
1,040,880
note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 (July 2005 est.) |
| Age structure: |
0-14 years: 37.1% (male 196,108/female 189,753)
15-64 years: 59.9% (male 318,173/female 305,479)
65 years and over: 3% (male 15,353/female 16,014) (2005 est.) |
| Median age: |
total: 20.41 years
male: 20.46 years
female: 20.35 years (2005 est.) |
| Nationality: |
noun: Timorese
adjective: Timorese |
| Ethnic groups: |
Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian), Papuan, small Chinese minority |
| Religions: |
Roman Catholic 90%, Muslim 4%, Protestant 3%, Hindu 0.5%, Buddhist, Animist (1992 est.) |
| Languages: |
Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian, English
note: there are about 16 indigenous languages; Tetum, Galole, Mambae, and Kemak are spoken by significant numbers of people |
| COMUNICATIONS |
| Telephones - main
lines in use: |
NA |
| Telephones - mobile
cellular: |
NA |
| Telephone system: |
NA |
| Radio broadcast
stations: |
AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA |
| Television broadcast
stations: |
NA |
| Internet country
code: |
.tp |
| Internet hosts: |
|
| Internet users: |
NA |
| TRANSPORT |
| Railways: |
|
| Highways: |
total: 3,800 km
paved: 428 km
unpaved: 3,372 km (1995) |
| Waterways: |
|
| Pipelines: |
|
| Ports and harbors: |
NA |
| Merchant marine: |
|
| Airports: |
8 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
paved runways: |
total: 3
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Airports - with
unpaved runways: |
total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
| Heliports: |
1 (2004 est.) |
