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Map of East Timor
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-western half, and the minor islands of Atauro and Jaco. The western half of the island of Timor is administered by Indonesia. Australia is the country's southern neighbour, separated by the Timor Sea. The country's size is 14,950 square kilometres (5,770 sq mi). Dili, on the north coast of Timor, is its capital and largest city.
Timor was settled over time by various Papuan and Austronesian peoples, which created a diverse mix of cultures and languages linked to both Southeast Asia and Melanesia. East Timor came under Portuguese influence in the sixteenth century, remaining a Portuguese colony until 1975. Internal conflict preceded a unilateral declaration of independence and an Indonesian invasion and annexation. Resistance continued throughout Indonesian rule and in 1999, a United Nations–sponsored act of self-determination led to Indonesia relinquishing control of the territory. On 20 May 2002, as Timor-Leste, it became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century. That same year, relations with Indonesia were established and normalized, with Indonesia also supporting East Timor's accession into ASEAN.
The national government runs on a semi-presidential system, with the popularly elected president sharing power with a prime minister appointed by the National Parliament. Power is centralised under the national government, although many local leaders have informal influence. The country maintains a policy of international cooperation, and is a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, an observer of the Pacific Islands Forum, and an applicant for ASEAN membership. The country remains relatively poor, with an economy that relies heavily on natural resources, especially oil, and foreign aid.
The total population is over 1.34 million at the 2022 census, and is heavily skewed towards young people due to a high fertility rate. Education has led to increasing literacy over the past half-century, especially in the two official languages of Portuguese and Tetum. High ethnic and linguistic diversity is reflected by the 30 indigenous languages spoken in the country. The majority of the population is Catholic, which coexists alongside strong local traditions and beliefs, especially in rural areas. (Full article...)
Olinda Morais (born September 22, 1951), whose resistance name was By Mally, is a politician from East Timor. She is a member of the Democratic Party (Partido Democrático) (PD).
Morais was born in Loré, Lautém District, Portuguese Timor. She attended school only up to fourth grade. Despite this, she became a teacher. During the Indonesian occupation of East Timor, she fought against the invaders for fourteen years, until the end of 1991. Morais was married to Aluc Descart, a FALINTIL commander in the eastern region, with whom she had a son. Rather than have their 17-month-old son living in the forest with the guerillas, they sent him to be cared for by family in Lospalos; however, he was adopted by an Indonesian colonel and taken to Jakarta. Morais was not reunited with her son until 2003. (Full article...)
Image 4Major General Peter Cosgrove (right) Australian commander of the United Nations backed peace keeping operation (INTERFET) to East Timor. (from History of East Timor)
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