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Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) - Timor-Leste (2007)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2006) z Timor-Leste (2007)

 British Indian Ocean Territory (2006)Timor-Leste (2007)
 British Indian Ocean TerritoryTimor-Leste
Administrative divisions - 13 administrative districts; Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau, Bobonaro (Maliana), Cova-Lima (Suai), Dili, Ermera, Lautem (Los Palos), Liquica, Manatuto, Manufahi (Same), Oecussi (Ambeno), Viqueque
Age structure - 0-14 years: 35.7% (male 196,825/female 190,454)


15-64 years: 61.1% (male 337,816/female 325,094)


65 years and over: 3.2% (male 16,823/female 17,959) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products - coffee, rice, corn, cassava, sweet potatoes, soybeans, cabbage, mangoes, bananas, vanilla
Airports 1 (2006) 8 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


over 3,047 m: 1 (2006)
total: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways - total: 5


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Area total: 54,400 sq km


land: 60 sq km; Diego Garcia 44 sq km


water: 54,340 sq km


note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago of 55 islands
total: 15,007 sq km


land: NA sq km


water: NA sq km
Area - comparative land area is about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC slightly larger than Connecticut
Background Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia. 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 Timor-Leste from 1942 to 1945, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese defeat in World War II. Timor-Leste 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-Leste. 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 March of 2006, a military strike led to violence and a near breakdown of law and order. Over 2,000 Australian, New Zealand, and Portuguese police and peacekeepers deployed to Timor-Leste in late May. Although many of the peacekeepers were replaced by UN police officers, 850 Australian soldiers remained as of 1 January 2007.
Birth rate - 26.77 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget - revenues: $107.7 million


expenditures: $73 million (2004 est.)
Capital - name: Dili


geographic coordinates: 8 35 S, 125 36 E


time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons
Coastline 698 km 706 km
Constitution - 22 March 2002 (based on the Portuguese model)
Country name conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory


conventional short form: none


abbreviation: BIOT
conventional long form: Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste


conventional short form: Timor-Leste


local long form: Republika Demokratika Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum]; Republica Democratica de Timor-Leste [Portuguese]


local short form: Timor Lorosa'e [Tetum]; Timor-Leste [Portuguese]


former: East Timor; Portuguese Timor
Death rate - 6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Dependency status overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador Hans G. KLEMM


embassy: Avenida de Portugal, Praia dos Conqueiros, Dili


mailing address: US Department of State, 8250 Dili Place, Washington, DC 20521-8250


telephone: (670) 332-4684


FAX: (670) 331-3206
Diplomatic representation in the US none (overseas territory of the UK) chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Constancio PINTO


chancery: 4201 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: 202 966-3202


FAX: 202 966-3205


consulate(s) general: New York
Disputes - international Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago including Diego Garcia; in 2001 the former inhabitants of the Chagos Archipelago, evicted in 1965 and now residing chiefly in Mauritius, were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricts access to the largest island in the chain; Timor-Leste-Indonesia Boundary Committee has resolved all but a small portion of the land boundary, but discussions on maritime boundaries are stalemated over sovereignty of the uninhabited coral island of Pulau Batek/Fatu Sinai in the north and alignment with Australian claims in the south; many refugees who left Timor-Leste in 2003 still reside in Indonesia and refuse repatriation; Australia and Timor-Leste agreed in 2005 to defer the disputed portion of the boundary for 50 years and to split hydrocarbon revenues evenly outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty
Economic aid - recipient - $184.7 million (2005 est.)
Economy - overview All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing. The country makes money by selling fishing licenses and postage stamps. In late 1999, about 70% of the economic infrastructure of Timor-Leste was laid waste by Indonesian troops and anti-independence militias, and 300,000 people fled westward. Over the next three years, however, a massive international program, manned by 5,000 peacekeepers (8,000 at peak) and 1,300 police officers, led to substantial reconstruction in both urban and rural areas. By the end of 2005, all refugees either returned or resettled in Indonesia. The country faces great challenges in continuing the rebuilding of infrastructure, strengthening the infant civil administration, and generating jobs for young people entering the work force. The development of oil and gas resources in nearby waters has begun to supplement government revenues ahead of schedule and above expectations - the result of high petroleum prices - but the technology-intensive industry does little to create jobs for the unemployed, because there are no production facilities in Timor and the gas is piped to Australia. The parliament in June 2005 unanimously approved the creation of a Petroleum Fund to serve as a repository for all petroleum revenues and preserve the value of Timor-Leste's petroleum wealth for future generations. The mid-2006 outbreak of violence and civil unrest disrupted both private and public sector economic activity. Real non-oil GDP growth in 2006 is estimated to have been negative. The underlying economic policy challenge the country faces remains how best to use oil-and-gas wealth to lift the non-oil economy onto a higher growth path and reduce poverty.
Electricity - consumption NA kWh NA kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports - 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports - 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military NA kWh
Elevation extremes lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m
lowest point: Timor Sea, Savu Sea, and Banda Sea 0 m


highest point: Foho Tatamailau 2,963 m
Environment - current issues NA widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to deforestation and soil erosion
Environment - international agreements - party to: Climate Change, Desertification
Ethnic groups - Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian), Papuan, small Chinese minority
Exchange rates - the US dollar is used
Executive branch chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)


head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Tony HUMPHRIES (since February 2005); note - both reside in the UK


cabinet: NA


elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch
chief of state: President Jose RAMOS-HORTA (since 20 May 2007); note - the president plays a largely symbolic role but is able to veto legislation, dissolve parliament, and call national elections


head of government: Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO (since 8 August 2007), note - he formerly used the name Jose Alexandre GUSMAO; Deputy Prime Minister Jose Luis GUTERRES (since 8 August 2007)


cabinet: Council of Ministers


elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 9 April 2007 with run-off on 8 May 2007 (next be be held in May 2012); following elections, president appoints leader of majority party or majority coalition as prime minister


election results: Jose RAMOS-HORTA elected president; percent of vote - Jose RAMOS-HORTA 69.2%, Francisco GUTTERES 30.8%
Exports - $10 million; note - excludes oil (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities - coffee, sandalwood, marble; note - potential for oil and vanilla exports
Exports - partners - Indonesia 100% (2006)
Fiscal year - 1 July - 30 June
Flag description white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag red, with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a slightly longer yellow arrowhead that extends to the center of the flag; there is a white star in the center of the black triangle
GDP - composition by sector - agriculture: 8.5%


industry: 23.1%


services: 68.4% (2004)
GDP - real growth rate - 1.8% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 6 00 S, 71 30 E; note - Diego Garcia 7 20 S, 72 25 E 8 50 S, 125 55 E
Geography - note archipelago of 55 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility Timor comes from the Malay word for "East"; the island of Timor is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest and easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands
Heliports - 9 (2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs - NA
Imports - $202 million (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities - food, gasoline, kerosene, machinery
Independence - 28 November 1975 (independence proclaimed from Portugal); note - 20 May 2002 is the official date of international recognition of Timor-Leste's independence from Indonesia
Industrial production growth rate - 8.5% (2004 est.)
Industries - printing, soap manufacturing, handicrafts, woven cloth
Infant mortality rate - total: 44.46 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 50.47 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 38.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) - 1.4% (2005)
International organization participation - ACP, ARF, AsDB, CPLP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PIF (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO
Irrigated land 0 sq km 1,065 sq km (est.)
Judicial branch - Supreme Court of Justice - constitution calls for one judge to be appointed by National Parliament and rest appointed by Superior Council for Judiciary; note - until Supreme Court is established, Court of Appeals is highest court
Labor force - NA
Labor force - by occupation - agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
Land boundaries 0 km total: 228 km


border countries: Indonesia 228 km
Land use arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (2005)
arable land: 8.2%


permanent crops: 4.57%


other: 87.23% (2005)
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
Legal system the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply UN-drafted legal system based on Indonesian law remains in place but are to be replaced by civil and penal codes based on Portuguese law; these have passed but have not been promulgated; has not accepted compulsury ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch - unicameral National Parliament (number of seats can vary from 52 to 65; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: last held on 30 June 2007 (next elections to be held in June 2012)


election results: percent of vote by party - FRETILIN 29%, CNRT 24.1%, ASDT-PSD 15.8%, PD 11.3%, PUN 4.5%, KOTA-PPT (Democratic Alliance) 3.2%, UNTERDIM 3.2%, others 8.9%; seats by party - FRETILIN 21, CNRT 18, ASDT-PSD 11, PD 8, PUN 3, KOTA-PPT 2, UNDERTIM 2
Life expectancy at birth - total population: 66.6 years


male: 64.28 years


female: 69.04 years (2007 est.)
Literacy - definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 58.6%


male: NA%


female: NA% (2002)
Location archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia 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, the Oecussi (Ambeno) region on the northwest portion of the island of Timor, and the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco
Map references Political Map of the World Southeast Asia
Maritime claims territorial sea: 3 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
Merchant marine - by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2007)
Military - note defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016 -
Military branches - Timor-Leste Defense Force (Forcas de Defesa de Timor-L'este, FDTL): Army, Navy (Armada) (2005)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - NA
National holiday - Independence Day, 28 November (1975)
Nationality - noun: Timorese


adjective: Timorese
Natural hazards NA floods and landslides are common; earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical cyclones
Natural resources coconuts, fish, sugarcane gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble
Net migration rate - 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Political parties and leaders - Democratic Party or PD [Fernando de ARAUJO]; National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction or CNRT [Xanana GUSMAO]; National Democratic Union of Timorese Resistance or UNDERTIM [Cornelio DA Conceicao GAMA]; National Unity Party or PUN [Fernanda BORGES]; People's Party of Timor or PPT [Jacob XAVIER]; Revolutionary Front of Independent Timor-Leste or FRETILIN [Francisco Guterres Lu OLO]; Social Democratic Association of Timor or ASDT [Francisco Xavier do AMARAL]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Mario CARRASCALAO]; Sons of the Mountain Warriors or KOTA [Clementino dos Reis AMARAL] (also known as Association of Timorese Heroes)
Population no indigenous inhabitants


note: approximately 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s; in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in November 2004, there were approximately 4,000 UK and US military personnel and civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2006 est.)
1,084,971


note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line - 42% (2003 est.)
Population growth rate - 2.059% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998) at least 1 (Timor-Leste has a state-run media oversight authority that oversees at least 1 radio station - frequency type NA)
Religions - Roman Catholic 98%, Muslim 1%, Protestant 1% (2005)
Sex ratio - at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.033 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.039 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.937 male(s)/female


total population: 1.034 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage - 17 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available


domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet


international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)
general assessment: rudimentary service limited to urban areas


domestic: fixed and wireless service available; system suffered significant damage during the violence associated with independence


international: country code - 670; international service is available in major urban centers
Telephones - main lines in use NA 2,500 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular - 49,100 (2006)
Television broadcast stations 1 (1997) 1 (Timor-Leste has a state-run media oversight authority that oversees at least 1 television station)
Terrain flat and low (most areas do not exceed two meters in elevation) mountainous
Total fertility rate - 3.45 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate - 50% estimated; note - unemployment in urban areas reached 20%; data do not include underemployed (2001 est.)
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