Where is East Timor located?

East Timor, or Timor-Leste, is an island country in the eastern Lesser Sunda Islands, at the southern end of the Malay Archipelago. It occupies the eastern half of Timor Island, along with the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and the enclave of Ambeno on Timor's northwestern coast. East Timor is bounded by the Timor Sea to the southeast, the Wetar Strait to the north, the Ombai Strait to the northwest, and the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara to the southwest. Dili is East Timor's capital and largest city.

Who were the first people to live in East Timor?

The coastal inhabitants of Timor are largely of Indonesian Malay ancestry, having driven the predominantly Melanesian aboriginal peoples to the mountains. The Tetum people, who are of Melanesian and Indonesian-Malay stock, may be descendants of invaders who brought Indonesian culture to Timor. The Atoni people inhabit the central and western plains and mountains of the island.

Which countries have controlled East Timor in the past?

East Timor has been under the control of several countries throughout its history. The Portuguese first settled on the island of Timor in 1520, followed by the Spanish in 1522. In 1613, the Dutch took control of the western portion of the island. The British governed the island briefly from 1812 to 1815. Treaties in 1860 and 1893 (effective in 1914) settled Portuguese sovereignty over the eastern half of Timor. Japanese forces occupied Timor during World War II. In December 1975, Indonesian forces invaded and occupied East Timor, declaring it a province of Indonesia in 1976. In 1999, East Timor was granted independence under UN supervision and achieved full sovereignty in 2002.

Why did Indonesia invade East Timor in 1975?

In 1975, Indonesia forcibly intervened in East Timor and declared it an Indonesian province in 1976. This action followed political changes in Portugal that created uncertainty about the colony's future. The invasion occurred after Fretilin, a major political party, gained control and declared East Timor's independence in November 1975. Indonesia's intervention faced domestic and international criticism and led to a harsh struggle to suppress resistance from the Fretilin independence movement. The United States, with the approval of President Gerald R. Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, remained a firm ally of Indonesia, providing aid, diplomatic support, and military training to the Suharto regime. Tens of thousands of East Timorese died resisting Indonesian control.

How did East Timor become an independent country?

After centuries of Portuguese colonization, East Timor was invaded by Indonesia in 1975 and declared its province in 1976. Tens of thousands of East Timorese died resisting the occupation. Under international pressure, Indonesia authorized a referendum on August 30, 1999, where almost 80% of voters chose independence. Indonesia's parliament rescinded the annexation, and East Timor became a UN-supervised territory. In April 2002, Xanana Gusmão was elected East Timor’s first president, achieving full sovereignty shortly after.

What challenges has East Timor faced since gaining independence?

Since gaining independence in 2002, East Timor has faced significant challenges. Tensions remained high, requiring a continued UN security presence. Political crises, such as the attempted assassination of President José Ramos-Horta in 2008, further destabilized the country. Economically, East Timor has struggled with a heavy dependence on hydrocarbon production and widespread poverty. While there has been some economic growth, many citizens have not experienced improved living conditions. East Timor continues to seek membership in ASEAN , but its application remains unresolved.

history of East Timor

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Images

Map of East Timor (Timor-Leste) on Timor Island, showing its boundaries with Indonesia, major cities such as Dili, Baucau, and Suai, and the exclave of Ambeno. An inset locator map highlights East Timor's position in Southeast Asia.

Crowd of East Timorese people cheering and waving East Timor national flags during a parade in Dili, with a clear sky in the background.

Taur Matan Ruak stands at a podium smiling and raising both arms in a victory gesture, with supporters and campaign banners behind him in Dili, East Timor.

history of East Timor

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Top Questions

Where is East Timor located?
East Timor, or Timor-Leste, is an island country in the eastern Lesser Sunda Islands, at the southern end of the Malay Archipelago. It occupies the eastern half of Timor Island, along with the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and the enclave of Ambeno on Timor's northwestern coast. East Timor is bounded by the Timor Sea to the southeast, the Wetar Strait to the north, the Ombai Strait to the northwest, and the Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara to the southwest. Dili is East Timor's capital and largest city.
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Who were the first people to live in East Timor?
The coastal inhabitants of Timor are largely of Indonesian Malay ancestry, having driven the predominantly Melanesian aboriginal peoples to the mountains. The Tetum people, who are of Melanesian and Indonesian-Malay stock, may be descendants of invaders who brought Indonesian culture to Timor. The Atoni people inhabit the central and western plains and mountains of the island.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Which countries have controlled East Timor in the past?
East Timor has been under the control of several countries throughout its history. The Portuguese first settled on the island of Timor in 1520, followed by the Spanish in 1522. In 1613, the Dutch took control of the western portion of the island. The British governed the island briefly from 1812 to 1815. Treaties in 1860 and 1893 (effective in 1914) settled Portuguese sovereignty over the eastern half of Timor. Japanese forces occupied Timor during World War II. In December 1975, Indonesian forces invaded and occupied East Timor, declaring it a province of Indonesia in 1976. In 1999, East Timor was granted independence under UN supervision and achieved full sovereignty in 2002.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why did Indonesia invade East Timor in 1975?
In 1975, Indonesia forcibly intervened in East Timor and declared it an Indonesian province in 1976. This action followed political changes in Portugal that created uncertainty about the colony's future. The invasion occurred after Fretilin, a major political party, gained control and declared East Timor's independence in November 1975.

Indonesia's intervention faced domestic and international criticism and led to a harsh struggle to suppress resistance from the Fretilin independence movement. The United States, with the approval of President Gerald R. Ford and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, remained a firm ally of Indonesia, providing aid, diplomatic support, and military training to the Suharto regime. Tens of thousands of East Timorese died resisting Indonesian control.
5 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How did East Timor become an independent country?
After centuries of Portuguese colonization, East Timor was invaded by Indonesia in 1975 and declared its province in 1976.

Tens of thousands of East Timorese died resisting the occupation. Under international pressure, Indonesia authorized a referendum on August 30, 1999, where almost 80% of voters chose independence. Indonesia's parliament rescinded the annexation, and East Timor became a UN-supervised territory.

In April 2002, Xanana Gusmão was elected East Timor’s first president, achieving full sovereignty shortly after.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What challenges has East Timor faced since gaining independence?
Since gaining independence in 2002, East Timor has faced significant challenges. Tensions remained high, requiring a continued UN security presence. Political crises, such as the attempted assassination of President José Ramos-Horta in 2008, further destabilized the country.

Economically, East Timor has struggled with a heavy dependence on hydrocarbon production and widespread poverty. While there has been some economic growth, many citizens have not experienced improved living conditions. East Timor continues to seek membership in ASEAN, but its application remains unresolved.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

history of East Timor, survey of the notable events and people in the history of East Timor from the 16th century to the present. The country occupies the eastern half of the island of Timor, which it shares with Indonesia. East Timor is in the Lesser Sunda Islands, at the southern end of the Malay Archipelago between the Pacific and Indian oceans. Its capital and largest city is Dili, on the country’s northern coast.

The Portuguese first settled on Timor in 1520, and the Spanish arrived in 1522. The Dutch took possession of the western portion of the island in 1613. The British governed the island in 1812–15. The Dutch and the Portuguese fought for supremacy over Timor, and Portuguese sovereignty over the island’s eastern half was settled by treaties in 1860 and 1893, although the latter became effective only in 1914. Japanese forces occupied Timor during World War II. East Timor province, including the Ambeno enclave, thereafter remained in Portuguese possession until 1975, when one of the major political parties there, Fretilin (Frente Revolucionária do Timor-Leste Independente [Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor]), gained control of much of the territory and in November declared its independence as the Democratic Republic of East Timor. Early in December Indonesian forces invaded and occupied the area, and in 1976 Indonesia declared it to be an integral part of that country as the province of East Timor (Timor Timur).

Over the next two decades, tens of thousands of East Timorese died (some observers claim as many as 200,000 perished) resisting the Indonesian occupation and annexation or as a result of famine and disease. In response to mounting international pressure, the Indonesian government authorized a referendum there for August 30, 1999, to determine the future of East Timor. Almost four-fifths of the voters supported independence, and the Indonesian parliament rescinded Indonesia’s annexation of the territory. East Timor was returned to its preannexation status of independence but as a non-self-governing territory under UN supervision. However, the transfer of power was accompanied by violence perpetrated by anti-independence militants. Hundreds of people were killed, and thousands fled to the western half of the island; refugees subsequently began returning home.

East Timor: independenceA crowd waving national flags in Dili after East Timor gained its independence, May 20, 2002.

In April 2002 Xanana Gusmão—leader of the National Council of Timorese Resistance (Conselho Nacional de Resistência Timorense; CNRT), one of the former opposition groups—was elected East Timor’s first president. The territory achieved full status as a sovereign state shortly thereafter. Prime Minister José Ramos-Horta—who had been a corecipient of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Peace—was elected president in May 2007 and succeeded Gusmão. Tensions within the country remained high, however, as indicated by the continued presence of a UN security mission in the country. The situation only worsened after Ramos-Horta swore in Gusmão as prime minister of a coalition government even though the CNRT—renamed, with the same acronym, the National Congress for the Reconstruction of Timor (Congresso Nacional de Reconstrução do Timor)—finished second to Fretilin in the July 2007 parliamentary elections.

Taur Matan RuakTaur Matan Ruak after winning the presidential runoff election, 2012.

In February 2008 President Ramos-Horta was seriously injured when he was shot by militant forces in an attempted assassination. He subsequently recovered and served the remainder of his term. Ramos-Horta was unsuccessful in his bid for a second presidential term in 2012, however, and he was succeeded in office by the country’s former army chief, Taur Matan Ruak.

Gusmão’s government weathered the political crisis of 2007–08 and began efforts to improve East Timor’s economy. The country did achieve some significant economic growth during Gusmão’s first term as prime minister, but much of that growth was tied to the heavy dependence on hydrocarbon production. A large proportion of the population still lived in deep poverty, and Gusmão’s government was criticized for having done little to improve conditions for those citizens.

East Timor applied for membership in ASEAN in 2011. When Indonesia’s permanent representative to ASEAN intimated in May 2016 that East Timor would become a member of the organization in 2017, it appeared as if the country’s long wait to join ASEAN was almost over. However, when the Joint Communiqué of ASEAN’s foreign ministers’ meeting was issued in July, it only “looked forward” to “continued discussion” that would take into consideration the results of several feasibility studies, thus leaving the issue of East Timor’s membership unresolved.

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The CNRT won a plurality (but not a majority) of seats in the 2012 legislative elections, and Gusmão was again able to form a coalition government. One notable development during his second administration was the departure of the last members of the UN security mission by early 2013. In January 2014 Gusmão announced his intention to step down as prime minister. He delayed that action until mid-February 2015, when he was succeeded by Rui Maria de Araújo of Fretilin, who appointed Gusmão to the post of minister for planning and strategic investment.

With the support of Gusmão and the CNRT, Fretilin’s candidate in the March 2017 presidential election, Francisco Guterres, captured more than 57 percent of the ballots in the first round of voting to exceed the 50 percent threshold necessary to preclude a runoff, and he became the country’s fourth president. A member of the “75 Generation” of resistance fighters who led the struggle for independence, Guterres was better known by his nom de guerre, Lú-Olo. He had run for the presidency unsuccessfully twice before. In 2018 Taur Matan Ruak became prime minister.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Adam Augustyn.

history of East Timor

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