Timor-Leste

Australia/Oceania
Dili

Population

1.40M

Area

14,874 km²

GDP

$1.88B

GDP Per Capita

$4,200

Quick FAQs

Region

Australia/Oceania

Capital

Dili

ISO 3166

tl

Government Type

semi-presidential republic

Language

Tetun Prasa 30.6%, Mambai 16.6%, Makasai Learn more

ON THIS PAGE

About Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste is located in Southeastern Asia, northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago, and its terrain is mountainous. The climate is tropical, hot, and humid with distinct rainy and dry seasons. Dili serves as the capital, and Timor-Leste has a population of approximately 1.4 million people who speak Tetun Prasa, Mambai, Makasai, and many other local languages.

Timor-Leste has a lower middle-income Southeast Asian economy with government expenditures funded via oil fund drawdowns, though endemic corruption undermines growth. Key industries include printing, soap manufacturing, handicrafts, and woven cloth. The country possesses natural resources such as gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, and marble. Timor-Leste remains foreign aid-dependent and faces wide-scale poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy challenges.

Geography & Environment

Geographic Location

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

Geographic Coordinate

8 50 S, 125 55 E

Geographic Area

14,874 km²

Climate

tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons

Terrain

mountainous

Natural Hazards

N/A

Natural Resources

gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble

Geography Note

N/A

People & Society

Ave. Life Expentancy at Birth

67.9 years

Urbanization

32.50%

Population Growth Rate

1.28% (2025 est.)

Literacy Rate

N/A

Health Expendeture

5.6% of GDP (2021)

Education Expenditure

N/A

Languages

Tetun Prasa 30.6%, Mambai 16.6%, Makasai 10.5%, Tetun Terik 6.1%, Baikenu 5.9%, Kemak 5.8%, Bunak 5.5%, Tokodede 4%, Fataluku 3.5%, Waima'a 1.8%, Galoli 1.4%, Naueti 1.4%, Idate 1.2%, Midiki 1.2%, other 4.5% (2015 est.)

Religions

Catholic 90.7%, other 7.1%, Protestant Evangelical 1.9%; less than 1%: Islam, Buddhist, Hindu (2022 est.)

Government

Country Name

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

etymology

the name partly derives from the Indonesian and Malay word timur, meaning "east;" leste is the Portuguese word for "east," so "Timor-Leste" literally means "Eastern-East"

Economy

Economic Overview

lower middle-income Southeast Asian economy; government expenditures funded via oil fund drawdowns; endemic corruption undermines growth; foreign aid-dependent; wide-scale poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy

GDP Per Capita

$4,200

Unemployment Rate

N/A

Population Below Poverty Line

N/A

Industries

printing, soap manufacturing, handicrafts, woven cloth

Agricultural Products

maize, rice, coconuts, root vegetables, vegetables, cassava, other meats, pork, beans, coffee (2023)

Location

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