East Timor (Update)

East Timor

Did you know?
Timor-Leste, meaning east-east in the official language Portuguese is also known as Timor Lorosa'e,in the national languageTetum, which means ‘rising sun’.


Region
South East Asia
Population
1,108,777 (2008 estimate)
Land
Geography: Mountainous central spine and coastal plains
Climate: Tropical - Hot and humid with distinct rainy and dry seasons.
People
Religion: Christian (99%), Muslim (1%) and animist
Languages Official: Portuguese and Tetum; Indonesian, English and 16 local languages including Galole, Mambae, and Kemak

Economy
GDP (PPP): $2,500
GDP per sector: Agriculture: 32.2%, Industry: 12.8%, Services: 55%
Government
Republic


Land

Physical geography

East Timor forms the eastern half of the island of Timor, an eastern island of the Indonesian archipelago. It includes a small area in the western half of the island around the town of Oecussi, as well as the small islands of Atauro and Jaco, 30 kilometres north of Dili, the capital. It has an area of 15,000 square kilometres, slightly larger than the area of Sydney which is 12,000 square kilometres. Rugged mountains run the length of the island with the highest point being Foho Tatamailau 2,963 metres. The southern coastal plain consists of swamps and river deltas. The rocky soil and low rainfall make farming difficult, often leading to food and water shortages in the dry season.
Climate

East Timor has extreme wet and dry seasons. From May to November, the north coast receives virtually no rain. The cooler central mountains and south coast may get showers during this time. When the wet comes, there are often floods. It is hot and humid on the coast, while in the mountains, day temperatures are warm to hot but nights are cool to chilly.

Environment

East Timor has a very fragile environment. Regular droughts and heavy seasonal rains have resulted in erosion, soil loss and diminished water quality, which in turn threaten coral reefs and fisheries. Widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to deforestation and soil erosion. The Sandalwood and Teak trees were over-harvested during Portuguese and Indonesian rule. In urban areas, pollution and waste is a problem. Flora includes ironwood, eucalyptus, black eucalyptus, redwood, sandalwood, cendana, and lontarwood. Fauna include deer, monkeys, cockatoos, horses, cows, and beo kakoaks. The black kite, shirt-toed eagle, Japanese sparrow eagle, and red-cheeked parrot are endangered.

Population

East Timor is primarily a rural country, with more than three-quarters of its people living outside the cities, in small villages and growing their own food. Dili, the capital, with a population of over 150,000 and Baucau are the two major towns.



People

Culture and ethnicity

There are regionally distinct groups made up of people of Malayo-Polynesian and Papuan background and also a small Chinese minority. Each of Timor’s thirteen districts is culturally and linguistically unique. Tetum, Galole, Mambae, and Kemak are spoken by significant numbers of people Stories, singing, music and dancing play an integral part in people’s lives. Women weave tais using distinctive designs and techniques, to represent their stories, records and beliefs.

The yellow of the flag represents the traces of colonialism, the black, represents the difficulties that need to be overcome, the red represents the struggle for national liberation and the white represents peace. The white star means the light that guides.

Health

Under-nutrition in children is very common with four in five households not having enough food for at least two months in a year. Malaria and tuberculosis affect a large segment of the population. Life expectancy at birth total population: 66.94 years (male: 64.6 years female: 69.39 years). Low immunisation rates contribute to the high child mortality rate of 42 deaths per 1,000 live births (male: 48.16 deaths/1,000 live births female: 35.49 deaths/1,000 live births).

Religion and beliefs

The Catholic Church has been a dominant institution in Timor since the arrival of the Portuguese. Catholics are the major religious group (92%). There are also Muslims (1.7%), Hindus (0.3%) and Buddhists, (0.1%). Many people hold beliefs connecting them to the spirits of the dead, through stones, animals, wells or streams.

Food and shelter

Rice is a staple food in East Timor. Maize, cassava, sweet potatoes and taro are grown. Other vegetables are beans, cowpeas, cabbage, spinach and onions. Poultry, pigs and goats are kept. Fish supplements the diet. Spices are used in a number of recipes. Fruits include bananas, coconuts, mangoes, papayas and watermelons.

Villagers live in a variety of traditional housing made from bush materials while people living in the towns tend to live in western style housing.



Economy

Wealth and poverty

Most people are subsistence farmers, and in some areas bartering is common with 42% below the poverty line or living on less than USD$1 per day.

Education

Most children attend primary school but shortage of teachers and resources limit its effectiveness. The adult literacy rate 58.6%.

Industries and products

Major industries revolve around the production of coffee, rice, maize, logging, fisheries, spices, coconuts and cacao. Vanilla, and possibly candlenut and palm oil, have the potential to become export earners in the future..

Trade

In 2005 East Timor exported $10 million worth of coffee, sandalwood, marble to the US, Germany, Portugal, Australia and Indonesia. It imported food, gasoline, kerosene and machinery worth $202 million. Oil and natural gas will become a greater income earner as the Timor Gap fields are developed.



Achievements and challenges

East Timor is extremely hopeful of building itself into a strong independent, democratic society. Drought, poverty, and many unresolved social and political tensions sometimes make East Timor an unstable country. There are still some internally displaced people resulting from the 2006 unrest.

Most people are subsistence farmers with only about a hectare of land, often on a steep slope. This land currently doesn't produce enough cereal to last a family for a year leading to high rates of malnutrition. The rapidly rising population means the struggle to provide adequate food is likely to worsen.

From April to June 2007, the Government of East Timor held presidential and parliamentary elections in a largely peaceful atmosphere with the support and assistance of UNMIT (the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste) and international donors.



Links with Australia

Australia and East Timor have a very close relationship, based on proximity and close people-to-people links. Australian Defence Forces fought the Japanese military in East Timor during World War 2, and Australian soldiers led the United Nations peacekeeping force during the unrest after the vote of independence in August 1999.

Many East Timorese settled or sought asylum in Australia in the years of Indonesian rule (1975-1999). In 2006 there were 9320 East Timor-born people living in Australia, predominantly in Victoria (5010) followed by New South Wales (2280), Northern Territory (1020) and Queensland (510).

Australian assistance to Timor-Leste focuses on supporting democracy, security and justice, strengthening economic development and management, improving delivery of health services, improving access to safe water and sanitation practices in rural districts and expanding vocational education opportunities for youth, and continuing assistance to improve food security and agricultural production.

Australia and East Timor have negotiated a treaty for sharing the oil and gas fields in the Timor Sea

Main sources:
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
http://www20.sbs.com.au/worldguide/index.php
http://hdr.undp.org/
http://www.dfat.gov.au/