Central & SE Asia / Australasia
Country profile: Timor Leste
Location: | 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 |
Climate: | tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons |
Terrain: | mountainous |
Size: | 15007 sq. km total (Land area: 0 sq. km ) |
Population: | 1,108,777 |
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 |
Government: | republic |
Capital city: | Dili |
Legal system: | UN-drafted legal system based on Indonesian law remains in place but is to be replaced by civil and penal codes based on Portuguese law; these have passed but have not been promulgated; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction |
Currency: | US dollar (USD) |
Licensing: |
Country profile
The Portuguese began to trade with the island of Timor in the early 16th century and colonized it in mid-century. Skirmishing with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty in which Portugal ceded the western portion of the island. Imperial Japan occupied Portuguese Timor from 1942 to 1945, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. East Timor declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November 1975 and was invaded and occupied by Indonesian forces nine days later. It was incorporated into Indonesia in July 1976 as the province of Timor Timur (East Timor). An unsuccessful campaign of pacification followed over the next two decades, during which an estimated 100,000 to 250,000 individuals lost their lives.
On 30 August 1999, in a UN-supervised popular referendum, an overwhelming majority of the people of Timor-Leste voted for independence from Indonesia. Between the referendum and the arrival of a multinational peacekeeping force in late September 1999, anti-independence Timorese militias - organized and supported by the Indonesian military - commenced a large-scale, scorched-earth campaign of retribution. The militias killed approximately 1,400 Timorese and forcibly pushed 300,000 people into western Timor as refugees.
The majority of the country's infrastructure, including homes, irrigation systems, water supply systems, and schools, and nearly 100% of the country's electrical grid were destroyed. On 20 September 1999 the Australian-led peacekeeping troops of the International Force for East Timor (INTERFET) deployed to the country and brought the violence to an end. On 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste was internationally recognized as an independent state. In late April 2006, internal tensions threatened the new nation's security when a military strike led to violence and a near breakdown of law and order in Dili. At the request of the Government of Timor-Leste, an Australian-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) deployed to Timor-Leste in late May.
In August, the UN Security Council established the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT), which included an authorized police presence of over 1,600 personnel. In subsequent months, many of the ISF soldiers were replaced by UN police officers; approximately 80 ISF officers remained as of January 2008. From April to June 2007, the Government of Timor-Leste held presidential and parliamentary elections in a largely peaceful atmosphere with the support and assistance of UNMIT and international donors.
Energy production and consumption
Oil | Gas | |
Production: | 94,420 bbl/day (2005) | |
Consumption: | ||
Exports: | ||
Imports: | ||
Reserves: | 200 billion cu m (1 January 2006 est.) | |
Major fields: |
Timor Leste - recent news
16 Apr 24 |
Timor Leste: Baron Oil provides update on Chuditch PSC operations AIM-listed Baron Oil has provided an update on operational activities and plans on the TL-SO-19-16 PSC ('Chuditch'), offshore Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. All operational work related to the Site Survey has now been successfully completed and discussions with a number of potential funding partners are ongoing. |
02 Apr 24 |
Timor Leste: Baron Oil provides update on Chuditch PSC operations AIM-listed Baron Oil has provided an update on operational activities on the TL-SO-19-16 Production Sharing Contract (the 'Chuditch PSC'), offshore Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, along with certain investor relations materials that are being made available. |
12 Feb 24 |
Timor Leste: Baron Oil provides operational update on Chuditch PSC - Drilling Site Survey Baron Oil has provided an update on operational activities on the TL-SO-19-16 Production Sharing Contract ('Chuditch PSC'), offshore Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. Baron's wholly owned subsidiary, SundaGas, has entered into contracts to conduct a survey at the planned drilling location for the Chuditch-2 appraisal well. |
08 Feb 24 |
Timor Leste: Baron Oil announces completion of farm-up with TIMOR GAP Baron Oil has confirmed that the Farm-Up Agreement between Baron's wholly owned subsidiary SundaGas and TIMOR GAP in relation to the TL-SO-19-16 Production Sharing Contract ('Chuditch PSC'), offshore Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, has completed. |
24 Jan 24 |
Timor Leste: Baron Oil announces signing of Chuditch farm-up agreement with Timor Gap Baron Oil has announced that the farm-up agreements between Baron's wholly owned subsidiary, SundaGas, and TIMOR GAP, in relation to the TL-SO-19-16 Production Sharing Contract ('Chuditch PSC'), offshore Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, have been signed. |
Timor Leste - more news
Other countries in this region
- Australia,
- Bangladesh,
- Brunei,
- Cambodia,
- China,
- Fiji,
- Hong Kong,
- India,
- Indonesia,
- Japan,
- Laos,
- Malaysia,
- Maldives,
- Mongolia,
- Myanmar,
- Nepal,
- New Zealand,
- North Korea,
- Pakistan,
- Palau,
- Papua New Guinea,
- Philippines,
- Singapore,
- South Korea,
- Sri Lanka,
- Taiwan,
- Thailand,
- Vietnam