República Democrática de Timor-Leste

(Democratic Republic of East Timor)
[Português][Tetun][English][Bahasa Indonesia]


Official Name:

República Democrática de Timor-Leste


National Flag


Government Seal

Xanana Gusmao - President
President:
José Alexandre ‘Xanana’ Gusmão

Mari Alkatiri - Prime Minister
Prime Minister:
Marí Alkatiri

National Anthem: "Pátria"

Head of State:

President José Alexandre ‘Xanana’ Gusmão, Independent

Head of Government:

Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri, Fretilin [Government Structure]

The Constitution of the Democratic Republic:
[Português][Tetun][English][Bahasa Indonesia]

Date of State Formation:

28 November 1975, recognised internationally on 20 May 2002

Capital:

Dili

Major Cities:

Dili, Baucau, Ermera, Maliana

Official Languages:

Portuguese, Tetun

National Languages:

Tetun, Mambae, Makasae, and at least two dozen others. Tetun is only the first language of some 23% of the population. Immediately after Tetun is Mambae with 20% of the population. [The 2001 Survey of Sucos by ETTA, ADB, WB, UNDP]

Other languages:   Bahasa Indonesia, English  
Area:   18,900 km2  
Population:   794,298 in 2001 (UNDP)
Population Density per km2:   42
Life Expectancy:   57 years (UNDP)  
Literacy rate:   56% (UNDP)
Economy

Official Currency:

US$

GNP: 
GDP: US$380 million (UNDP projection for 2001)
Per capita GDP:  US$478 (UNDP projection for 2001)
Economy Type: Subsistence economy
Commodity:   Coffee (espected to bring US$100 million in 1999) [source Harvard International Review, Fall 1999]; Oil (with current proposed agreement with Australia, East Timor expects to pocket at least US$7 billion in royalties from Timor Gap over 20 years beginning in year 2004)
Religion
Roman Catholic (95%), Protestant, Moslem, animist beliefs, others.
Political Features:
State Type: Emergent democracy
Political Structure: Unitary
Executive: Dual
Assembly:
The National Parliament
One chamber
Party structure: Multi-party
Human rights rating: N/A
For more on the RDTL National Parliament, please click here.

Historical Dates

28 November 75 - Unilateral Proclamation of Independence by Fretilin

7 December 1975 - Invasion by the Republic of Indonesia under General Suharto

30 August 1999 - Referendum on autonomy proposed by the Republic of Indonesia

30 August 2001 - First democratic election in East Timor to elect a Constituent Assembly

22 March 2002 - The final draft of the Constitution is approved by the Constituent Assembly

20 May 2002 - International recognition of East Timor's independence


 THE CONSTITUTION OF DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF EAST TIMOR
[Português][Tetun][English][Bahasa Indonesia]

PICTURES FROM THE REVOLUTION

PICTURES: EAST TIMOR IN TRANSITION 2000-2002

East Timor Translation Services
For written and oral translations from Tetun (East Timor's co-official language)
English, Portuguese and Bahasa Indonesia and vice versa. Great rates!!

FRETILIN


East Timor Students Association of Victoria University
Victoria-Australia

BEGINNER'S TETUN COURSE AT MELBOURNE UNIVERSITY

BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES ON EAST TIMOR


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