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Oceania · The modern island states
Timor-Leste
2002–present
Timor-Leste is the first new state of the twenty-first century: independent on 20 May 2002 after a referendum, a violent withdrawal and a United Nations administration, and one of the poorest countries in Asia, with an economy that depends almost entirely on oil and gas revenue and a petroleum fund that is its main asset.
- Existed
- 2002–present
- Shown on the map
- 2006–present
- Peak area
- 19k km²
- Region
- Oceania
At a glance
| Name | Timor-Leste; East Timor |
| Dates | 2002–present (the site draws 2006–2024) |
| Where | The eastern half of Timor island, plus Atauro and Oecusse |
| Capital | Dili |
| Population | About 1.4 million |
| Languages | Tetum and Portuguese, with Indonesian and English as working languages |
| Economy | Petroleum revenue; coffee, agriculture and aid |
| Independence | 20 May 2002 |
How did independence happen?
Through a referendum and a war. Indonesia invaded in 1975 and occupied the territory for twenty-four years. In 1999, under an agreement between Indonesia and Portugal, the United Nations held a referendum: 78.5 per cent voted for independence, and the Indonesian-backed militias responded with a campaign of violence that destroyed much of the country's infrastructure.
An Australian-led international force, INTERFET, restored order; the UN administered the territory until 2002; and independence was proclaimed on 20 May 2002. The country's first years were dominated by reconstruction and by the politics of the veterans' generation.
What happened in 2006?
A political and security crisis. A dispute within the army led to the dismissal of some 600 soldiers, who protested; the protest escalated into violence in Dili, with gang fighting and the collapse of the police and army chain of command. The United Nations commission of inquiry later found that up to 38 people had been killed, and rejected claims of a massacre at Taci Tolu that had circulated at the time.
An Australian-led force returned, and the UN ran another mission until 2012. The crisis also drew in the wider Pacific: Australia and New Zealand provided the troops, and Papua New Guinea contributed police.
What is the economy?
Oil and gas, and very little else. The Joint Petroleum Development Area in the Timor Sea produces revenue that goes into a petroleum fund, which finances most of the state budget; the fund's balance peaked and is now being drawn down. Coffee is the main agricultural export; most people farm for subsistence.
The country's long-term problem is that the oil will run out and the non-oil economy is small. Successive governments have spent heavily on infrastructure and on veterans' pensions, and the fund's sustainability is the central economic question.
What is the politics?
A semi-presidential system with a president and a prime minister, and a parliament elected by proportional representation. The country has had repeated changes of government, and its politics are dominated by the generation that fought for independence — José Ramos-Horta, Xanana Gusmão and Mari Alkatiri — and by the question of what comes after them.
Common myths about Timor-Leste
| Myth | What the evidence says |
|---|---|
| Independence came in 1999 | The referendum was in 1999; independence was proclaimed on 20 May 2002. |
| The 2006 crisis killed hundreds in a massacre | The UN inquiry found up to 38 killed and rejected the Taci Tolu massacre claim. |
| The country is wealthy from oil | It has significant petroleum revenue but a small non-oil economy and a depleting fund. |
| Timor-Leste is the poorest country in Asia | It is among the poorest, with a largely subsistence economy. |
| The 1999 vote was close | 78.5 per cent voted for independence. |
| Portuguese is the only official language | Tetum and Portuguese are both official. |
| The country is a province of Indonesia | It is independent, recognised by Indonesia in 1999 and by the UN in 2002. |
Timeline of Timor-Leste
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1975 | Indonesian invasion |
| 30 August 1999 | Independence referendum: 78.5% |
| 1999 | Militia violence; INTERFET deploys |
| 20 May 2002 | Independence |
| 2006 | Political and security crisis |
| 2006–12 | UN mission |
| 2012 | UN withdrawal |
What the map shows next
At 2015 on the map Timor-Leste is a young oil state, and the Australian relationship over the Timor Sea is central.
At 2024 on the map the petroleum fund is being drawn down, and PNG is its regional partner.
Common questions
- When did Timor-Leste become independent?
- On 20 May 2002.
- What was the 1999 referendum?
- A UN-supervised vote in which 78.5 per cent chose independence.
- What was INTERFET?
- The Australian-led international force that restored order in 1999.
- What happened in 2006?
- A crisis after the dismissal of soldiers, with up to 38 killed according to the UN inquiry.
- What is the economy based on?
- Petroleum revenue, coffee and subsistence agriculture.
- What is the petroleum fund?
- A sovereign wealth fund holding the country's oil and gas revenue.
- What are the official languages?
- Tetum and Portuguese.
- Who are its founding leaders?
- José Ramos-Horta, Xanana Gusmão and Mari Alkatiri.
- Why does the map start in 2006?
- It is a dataset date; independence was 2002.
- Is Timor-Leste a member of ASEAN?
- It has been seeking membership and was granted observer status; accession is still pending.
Sources
Every source below was consulted while writing this entry.
- UNTAET and UNMIT records.
- The 2006 UN Commission of Inquiry report.
- Timor-Leste National Statistics Directorate.
- Petroleum Fund annual reports.
- Kingsbury, on Timor-Leste's independence.
Data sources for the map
- Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC BY 4.0).
- Historical Basemaps (GPL-3.0).
This entry was written from the sources above and last updated .
Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0: reuse it with a credit to The World Through Time and a link to this page.
Border geometry for the map itself comes from Cliopatria v0.12 (Seshat Global History Databank, CC-BY-4.0).
See Timor-Leste in its world
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