Korea, South (2006) | Timor-Leste (2007) | |
Administrative divisions | 9 provinces (do, singular and plural) and 7 metropolitan cities (gwangyoksi, singular and plural)
provinces: Cheju-do, Cholla-bukto (North Cholla), Cholla-namdo (South Cholla), Ch'ungch'ong-bukto (North Ch'ungch'ong), Ch'ungch'ong-namdo (South Ch'ungch'ong), Kangwon-do, Kyonggi-do, Kyongsang-bukto (North Kyongsang), Kyongsang-namdo (South Kyongsang) metropolitan cities: Inch'on-gwangyoksi (Inch'on), Kwangju-gwangyoksi (Kwangju), Pusan-gwangyoksi (Pusan), Soul-t'ukpyolsi (Seoul), Taegu-gwangyoksi (Taegu), Taejon-gwangyoksi (Taejon), Ulsan-gwangyoksi (Ulsan) |
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: 18.9% (male 4,844,083/female 4,368,139)
15-64 years: 71.9% (male 17,886,148/female 17,250,862) 65 years and over: 9.2% (male 1,818,677/female 2,678,914) (2006 est.) |
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 | rice, root crops, barley, vegetables, fruit; cattle, pigs, chickens, milk, eggs; fish | coffee, rice, corn, cassava, sweet potatoes, soybeans, cabbage, mangoes, bananas, vanilla |
Airports | 107 (2006) | 8 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 69
over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 21 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 11 under 914 m: 20 (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: 38
914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 35 (2006) |
total: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
Area | total: 98,480 sq km
land: 98,190 sq km water: 290 sq km |
total: 15,007 sq km
land: NA sq km water: NA sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly larger than Indiana | slightly larger than Connecticut |
Background | Korea was an independent kingdom for much of its millennia-long history. Following its victory in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905, Japan occupied Korea; five years later it formally annexed the entire peninsula. After World War II, a Republic of Korea (ROK) was set up in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula while a Communist-style government was installed in the north (the DPRK). During the Korean War (1950-53), US troops and UN forces fought alongside soldiers from the ROK to defend South Korea from DPRK attacks supported by China and the Soviet Union. An armistice was signed in 1953, splitting the peninsula along a demilitarized zone at about the 38th parallel. Thereafter, South Korea achieved rapid economic growth with per capita income rising to roughly 14 times the level of North Korea. In 1993, KIM Yo'ng-sam became South Korea's first civilian president following 32 years of military rule. South Korea today is a fully functioning modern democracy. In June 2000, a historic first North-South summit took place between the South's President KIM Dae-jung and the North's leader KIM Jong Il. | 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 | 10 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 26.77 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $195 billion
expenditures: $189 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
revenues: $107.7 million
expenditures: $73 million (2004 est.) |
Capital | name: Seoul
geographic coordinates: 37 34 N, 127 00 E time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
name: Dili
geographic coordinates: 8 35 S, 125 36 E time difference: UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | temperate, with rainfall heavier in summer than winter | tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons |
Coastline | 2,413 km | 706 km |
Constitution | 17 July 1948 | 22 March 2002 (based on the Portuguese model) |
Country name | conventional long form: Republic of Korea
conventional short form: South Korea local long form: Taehan-min'guk local short form: Han'guk abbreviation: ROK |
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 | 5.85 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 6.19 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | $153.9 billion (2005 est.) | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador Alexander VERSHBOW
embassy: 32 Sejong-no, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-710 mailing address: US Embassy Seoul, Unit 15550, APO AP 96205-5550 telephone: [82] (2) 397-4114 FAX: [82] (2) 738-8845 |
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 | chief of mission: Ambassador LEE Tae-sik
chancery: 2450 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-5600 FAX: [1] (202) 387-0205 consulate(s) general: Agana (Guam), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle |
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 | Military Demarcation Line within the 4-km wide Demilitarized Zone has separated North from South Korea since 1953; periodic maritime disputes with North Korea over the Northern Limit Line; South Korea and Japan claim Liancourt Rocks (Tok-do/Take-shima), occupied by South Korea since 1954 | 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 - donor | ODA, $423.3 million (2004) | - |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $184.7 million (2005 est.) |
Economy - overview | Since the early 1960s, South Korea has achieved an incredible record of growth and integration into the high-tech modern world economy. Four decades ago, GDP per capita was comparable with levels in the poorer countries of Africa and Asia. In 2004, South Korea joined the trillion dollar club of world economies. Today its GDP per capita is equal to the lesser economies of the EU. This success through the late 1980s was achieved by a system of close government/business ties, including directed credit, import restrictions, sponsorship of specific industries, and a strong labor effort. The government promoted the import of raw materials and technology at the expense of consumer goods and encouraged savings and investment over consumption. The Asian financial crisis of 1997-99 exposed longstanding weaknesses in South Korea's development model, including high debt/equity ratios, massive foreign borrowing, and an undisciplined financial sector. GDP plunged by 6.9% in 1998, then recovered 9.5% in 1999 and 8.5% in 2000. Growth fell back to 3.3% in 2001 because of the slowing global economy, falling exports, and the perception that much-needed corporate and financial reforms had stalled. Led by consumer spending and exports, growth in 2002 was an impressive 7%, despite anemic global growth. Between 2003 and 2005, growth moderated to about 4%. A downturn in consumer spending was offset by rapid export growth. In 2005, the government proposed labor reform legislation and a corporate pension scheme to help make the labor market more flexible, and new real estate policies to cool property speculation. Moderate inflation, low unemployment, an export surplus, and fairly equal distribution of income characterize this solid economy. | 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 | 321.1 billion kWh (2004) | NA kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2004) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2004) | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | 342.1 billion kWh (2004) | NA kWh |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Sea of Japan 0 m
highest point: Halla-san 1,950 m |
lowest point: Timor Sea, Savu Sea, and Banda Sea 0 m
highest point: Foho Tatamailau 2,963 m |
Environment - current issues | air pollution in large cities; acid rain; water pollution from the discharge of sewage and industrial effluents; drift net fishing | widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to deforestation and soil erosion |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
party to: Climate Change, Desertification |
Ethnic groups | homogeneous (except for about 20,000 Chinese) | Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian), Papuan, small Chinese minority |
Exchange rates | South Korean won per US dollar - 1,024.1 (2005), 1,145.3 (2004), 1,191.6 (2003), 1,251.1 (2002), 1,291 (2001) | the US dollar is used |
Executive branch | chief of state: President ROH Moo-hyun (since 25 February 2003)
head of government: Prime Minister HAN Myeong-sook (since 20 April 2006); Deputy Prime Ministers KIM Woo-sik (since 10 February 2006); KWON O-kyu (since 18 July 2006); KIM Shin-il (since 20 September 2006) cabinet: State Council appointed by the president on the prime minister's recommendation elections: president elected by popular vote for a single five-year term; election last held 19 December 2002 (next to be held in December 2007); prime minister appointed by president with consent of National Assembly; deputy prime ministers appointed by president on prime minister's recommendation election results: ROH Moo-hyun elected president; percent of vote - ROH Moo-hyun (MDP) 48.9%; LEE Hoi-chang (GNP) 46.6%; other 4.5% |
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 | 645,200 bbl/day (2004) | $10 million; note - excludes oil (2005 est.) |
Exports - commodities | semiconductors, wireless telecommunications equipment, motor vehicles, computers, steel, ships, petrochemicals | coffee, sandalwood, marble; note - potential for oil and vanilla exports |
Exports - partners | China 21.8%, US 14.6%, Japan 8.5%, Hong Kong 5.5% (2005) | Indonesia 100% (2006) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 July - 30 June |
Flag description | white with a red (top) and blue yin-yang symbol in the center; there is a different black trigram from the ancient I Ching (Book of Changes) in each corner of the white field | 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: 3.3%
industry: 40.3% services: 56.3% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: 8.5%
industry: 23.1% services: 68.4% (2004) |
GDP - real growth rate | 4% (2005 est.) | 1.8% (2005 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 37 00 N, 127 30 E | 8 50 S, 125 55 E |
Geography - note | strategic location on Korea Strait | 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 | 540 (2006) | 9 (2007) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 25% (2005 est.) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Illicit drugs | - | NA |
Imports | 2.263 million bbl/day (2004) | $202 million (2004 est.) |
Imports - commodities | machinery, electronics and electronic equipment, oil, steel, transport equipment, organic chemicals, plastics | food, gasoline, kerosene, machinery |
Imports - partners | Japan 18.5%, China 14.8%, US 11.8%, Saudi Arabia 6.2% (2005) | - |
Independence | 15 August 1945 (from Japan) | 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 | 5.9% (2005 est.) | 8.5% (2004 est.) |
Industries | electronics, telecommunications, automobile production, chemicals, shipbuilding, steel | printing, soap manufacturing, handicrafts, woven cloth |
Infant mortality rate | total: 6.16 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 6.54 deaths/1,000 live births female: 5.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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) | 2.8% (2005 est.) | 1.4% (2005) |
International organization participation | AfDB, APEC, APT, ARF, AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, CP, EAS, EBRD, FAO, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITU, LAIA, MIGA, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, ONUB, OPCW, OSCE (partner), PCA, PIF (partner), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNMIS, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO, ZC | 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 | 8,780 sq km (2003) | 1,065 sq km (est.) |
Judicial branch | Supreme Court (justices appointed by president with consent of National Assembly); Constitutional Court (justices appointed by president based partly on nominations by National Assembly and Chief Justice of the court) | 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 | 23.53 million (2005 est.) | NA |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 6.4%
industry: 26.4% services: 67.2% (2005 est.) |
agriculture: NA%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
Land boundaries | total: 238 km
border countries: North Korea 238 km |
total: 228 km
border countries: Indonesia 228 km |
Land use | arable land: 16.58%
permanent crops: 2.01% other: 81.41% (2005) |
arable land: 8.2%
permanent crops: 4.57% other: 87.23% (2005) |
Languages | Korean, English widely taught in junior high and high school | 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 | combines elements of continental European civil law systems, Anglo-American law, and Chinese classical thought | 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 Assembly or Kukhoe (299 seats - members elected for four-year terms; 243 in single-seat constituencies, 56 by proportional representation)
elections: last held 15 April 2004 (next to be held in April 2008; byelections held on 30 April 2005 and on 26 October 2005) election results: percent of vote by party - Uri 51%, GNP 41%, DLP 3%, DP 3%, others 2%; seats by party - Uri 144, GNP 127, DP 11, DLP 9, ULD 3, independents 5 note: percent of vote is for 2004 general election; seats by party reflect results of April and October 2005 byelections involving six and four seats respectively; MDP became DP in May 2005; United Liberal Democrats (ULD) merged with GNP in February 2006. (2006) |
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: 77.04 years
male: 73.61 years female: 80.75 years (2006 est.) |
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: 97.9% male: 99.2% female: 96.6% (2002) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 58.6% male: NA% female: NA% (2002) |
Location | Eastern Asia, southern half of the Korean Peninsula bordering the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea | 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 | Asia | Southeast Asia |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm; between 3 nm and 12 nm in the Korea Strait
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: not specified |
territorial sea: 12 nm
contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | total: 669 ships (1000 GRT or over) 8,634,188 GRT/13,733,624 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 157, cargo 193, chemical tanker 98, container 81, liquefied gas 22, passenger 5, passenger/cargo 24, petroleum tanker 57, refrigerated cargo 17, roll on/roll off 6, specialized tanker 3, vehicle carrier 6 foreign-owned: 22 (France 12, Japan 1, UK 2, US 7) registered in other countries: 365 (Belize 4, Cambodia 23, China 2, Cyprus 1, Georgia 1, Honduras 6, Hong Kong 6, Indonesia 1, Liberia 3, Malaysia 1, Malta 6, Marshall Islands 1, Panama 291, Singapore 17, unknown 2) (2006) |
by type: passenger/cargo 1 (2007) |
Military branches | Army, Navy, Republic of Korea Air Force (Han-guk Kong Goon), Marine Corps, National Maritime Police (coast guard) (2006) | Timor-Leste Defense Force (Forcas de Defesa de Timor-L'este, FDTL): Army, Navy (Armada) (2005) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $21.06 billion FY05 (2005 est.) | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 2.6% FY05 (2005 est.) | NA |
National holiday | Liberation Day, 15 August (1945) | Independence Day, 28 November (1975) |
Nationality | noun: Korean(s)
adjective: Korean |
noun: Timorese
adjective: Timorese |
Natural hazards | occasional typhoons bring high winds and floods; low-level seismic activity common in southwest | floods and landslides are common; earthquakes, tsunamis, tropical cyclones |
Natural resources | coal, tungsten, graphite, molybdenum, lead, hydropower potential | gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Pipelines | gas 1,482 km; refined products 827 km (2006) | - |
Political parties and leaders | Democratic Labor Party or DLP [MOON Seong-hyun]; Democratic Party or DP [HAHN Hwa-kap]; Grand National Party or GNP [KANG Jae-sup]; People-Centered Party or PCP [SHIN Kook-hwan]; Uri Party [KIM Geun-tae] | 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) |
Political pressure groups and leaders | Federation of Korean Industries; Federation of Korean Trade Unions; Korean Confederation of Trade Unions; Korean National Council of Churches; Korean Traders Association; Korean Veterans' Association; National Council of Labor Unions; National Democratic Alliance of Korea; National Federation of Farmers' Associations; National Federation of Student Associations | - |
Population | 48,846,823 (July 2006 est.) | 1,084,971
note: other estimates range as low as 800,000 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 15% (2003 est.) | 42% (2003 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.42% (2006 est.) | 2.059% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 61, FM 150, shortwave 2 (2005) | at least 1 (Timor-Leste has a state-run media oversight authority that oversees at least 1 radio station - frequency type NA) |
Railways | total: 3,472 km
standard gauge: 3,472 km 1.435-m gauge (1,361 km electrified) (2005) |
- |
Religions | no affiliation 46%, Christian 26%, Buddhist 26%, Confucianist 1%, other 1% | Roman Catholic 98%, Muslim 1%, Protestant 1% (2005) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.08 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.11 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.68 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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 | 19 years of age; universal | 17 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: excellent domestic and international services
domestic: NA international: country code - 82; 10 fiber-optic submarine cables - 1 Korea-Russia-Japan, 1 Korea-Japan-Hong Kong, 3 Korea-Japan-China, 1 Korea-Japan-China-Europe, 1 Korea-Japan-China-US-Taiwan, 1 Korea-Japan-China, 1 Korea-Japan-Hong Kong-Taiwan, 1 Korea-Japan; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) and 3 Inmarsat (1 Pacific Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean) |
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 | 23.745 million (2005) | 2,500 (2006) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 38.342 million (2005) | 49,100 (2006) |
Television broadcast stations | terrestrial stations 43; cable operators 59; relay cable operators 190 (2005) | 1 (Timor-Leste has a state-run media oversight authority that oversees at least 1 television station) |
Terrain | mostly hills and mountains; wide coastal plains in west and south | mountainous |
Total fertility rate | 1.27 children born/woman (2006 est.) | 3.45 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 3.7% (2005 est.) | 50% estimated; note - unemployment in urban areas reached 20%; data do not include underemployed (2001 est.) |
Waterways | 1,608 km (most navigable only by small craft) (2006) | - |