East Timor, also known as Timor-Leste and official the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country that comprises half of the island of Timor in Southeast Asia, as well as a few other islands.
Timor-Leste Basics
East Timor shares a land border with Indonesia and its next closest neighbor is Australia.
Including the area on Timor and the islands, its land mass is 5,770 square miles, or 14,950 square kilometers. Its population is around 1.3 million people, and its capital and largest city is Dili.
East Timor became a Portuguese colony in the 16th century and remained one until 1975. After it declared independence, Indonesia invaded and committed abuses including torture and killings that are considered a genocide. Timor-Leste became the first new nation of the 21st century when it finally gained self determination in 2002.
The country has both a president and a prime minister, who is appointed by the parliament.
The country’s two official languages are Portuguese and Tetum, but more than 30 indigenous languages are spoken there. The vast majority of people there are Catholic.
Timor comes from timur, which means east in Malay, so the country’s name literally means East East.
East Timor National Symbols
The flag of Timor-Leste is mostly red, with a black triangle on top of a yellow triangle on the left side, and a white five pointed star on top of the black triangle. The flag was initially adopted in 1975.
At that time, the black said to represent colonial oppression, while yellow marks the struggle for independence, red for spilled blood and white hope for a better future.
When the country gained independence in 2002, the colors and their meanings were enshrined in the constitution. It says that black represents obscurantism (being deliberately imprecise in statements), which must be overcome. Yellow is for wealth, red the struggle for national liberation, and the white star is for peace and the light that guides the people.
The national anthem is “Pátria” or “Fatherland” and it, too, was first adopted in 1975 and re-adopted when the nation was born in 2002. I twas originally written and sung only in Portuguese, but now there is a Tetum version as well.
The only other national symbol mentioned on the government’s website is the national emblem, which features a crest in black, yellow and red surrounded by a white circle. The page explains that the crest symbolizes Mount Ramelau, the highest point in the country and on the island, which we’ll get back to in a minute.
Inside the black section there’s a white star with rays coming down, again representing peace and light. Below that is a red book flanked by ears of corn and rice, and the book is on top of a toothed wheel. Below that are a spear, rifle and bow. The portion with the book is a symbol of wisdom, while the weapons represent the struggles of resistance and national liberation.
The emblem also has the motto “unidade, acção, progresso,” or unity, action, progress and says these represent”the basic values of politics and moral underpinning the nation’s and people’s life.”
East Timor Activities for Kids
I mentioned Mount Ramelau above, and its worth learning more about because not only is it the highest point in the country, it’s also a sacred site devoted to the Virgin Mary, who is revered in the country. A large statue of her was erected at the top of the mountain in 1997 and it became a symbol of hope as the country struggled for freedom.
Another famous landmark in the country is the Cristo Rei, a statue of Jesus in Dili at the end of Cape Fatucama. It was a gift from Indonesia when that country considered Timor-Leste to be a province, but it too became a symbol of hope for the people that their independence would happen. This post from Jontynz has more of that story and some great pictures and video of other landmarks around Dili.
East Timor is part of what’s known as Wallacea, a biodiverse part of the world where there are some Asian animals and some African animals, and some animals that are unique to the area. Learn more about the animals of Timor-Leste.
Check out a traditional dance from Timor-Leste.
Find East Timor facts and worksheets at KidsKonnect. YOu can also find lots of resources at Teachers Pay Teachers.
Sources I could find on the Internet said the national dish would be ikan pepes, which is fish cooked in banana leaves. It’s often served with a curry sauce. You can find a recipe (which calls for whole fish) at Tastes from the Road. Learn more about Timor-Leste food at Travel Food Atlas.
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