Category: East Timor

East Timor is situated in Southeast Asia and the country is a part of the island of Timor. The capital of East Timor is Dili. The early settlers of the country were indigenous groups from Australia and New Guinea who arrived there about 40,000 years back. Austronesians came to Timor around 3000 BC and then proto-Malays came to the country. In 1769, Portuguese colonized eastern half of the Timor whereas Dutch colonized the western half of Timor. In the year 1975, independence was declared unilaterally, but Indonesia was fearful of imagining about an independent communist country within Indonesian archipelago and Western countries were supportive on the matter.

Indonesia occupied East Timor in 1976 which was a period of brutality and violence. East Timor got independence from Indonesia in the year 2002. President is the head of the state in East Timor, but the role of the President is symbolic except for veto power in some kinds of legislation. Prime Minister is the head of the government and Timorese parliament is unicameral. The country is still building the government institutions and administration. About 70% of the economy was damaged by Indonesia. The currency of East Timor is US dollar. Some of the major industries are soap manufacturing, woven cloth, printing and handicrafts.

East Timor has a total population of one million and the majority of the population is concentrated in and around Dili. Some of the ethnic groups of East Timor are Tetum, Mambae, Tukudedt, Galoli, Kemak and Baikeno. The official languages of East Timor are Tetum and Portuguese. Other major languages spoken by the people are English and Indonesian and fifteen indigenous languages are also spoken by the people of East Timor. East Timor is one among the two Roman Catholic countries in Asia and the other country is Philippines. About 97% of the total population is Roman Catholics and the religious minorities are Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus.

The country is famous for its tourist destinations in Southeast Asia such as shopping malls, monuments, parks, ruined structures, architectural structures and museums. Mount Ramelau in Ainaro is the highest point of the country where you can enjoy the nature by trekking. East Timor is famous for its beaches such as Areia Branca beach, Atauro, Com, Pasir Putih and Oecussi beach. Com is best for activities such as snorkeling and fishing. Cape Fatucama is a famous tourist destination as the coastal area has several shopping areas and good restaurants.

Fatusub is an ancient hilltop fort which should not be forgotten while visiting the country. Laga is a popular tourist sport where you can find tunnels built by Japanese during World War II. Maubara is a place where you can find several rocky beaches and the gorgeous Ombai strait. In Maubara, the tourists can enjoy watching some of the Portuguese and Indonesian structures where the architectural marvels are showing the history of that region. Dili, the capital has the best natural scenic spots and several structures worth exploring. Aileu is a beautiful region of East Timor where you can find several historical and natural attractions.