East Timor is a small country in the eastern half of Timor island, previously colonized by Portugal and later annexed by Indonesia. The country gained independence in 2002 after a long struggle, but remains volatile and has minimal tourism infrastructure.
East Timor, also known as East Timor, is a small country in the eastern half of the island of Timor, the other half of which is part of Indonesia. The country covers just 5,700 square miles (15,000 sq km), making it barely larger than the state of Connecticut. Until recently it was part of Indonesia as a whole and was the first new country of the 21st century.
The island was first settled by a European power in the mid-16th century when the Portuguese settled there. It continued to be regarded as a trading post by the Portuguese until the mid-19th century, when fighting with the Dutch became too much to bear. A treaty was signed giving the western half of the island to the Dutch, who eventually lost it to Indonesian independence after WWII.
Portugal retained control of the eastern half of the island after World War II, but spent very little energy or money supporting East Timor. As a result, East Timor has languished somewhat, with low levels of education and infrastructure development . Meanwhile, Indonesia made it clear that it had no interest in East Timor, stating that their only colonial interest in the region was that of Dutch Papua (Western Irizia).
When the Carnation Revolution happened in Portugal in 1974, all the remaining Portuguese colonies started the road to independence. This included the small region of East Timor. A governor was appointed and started putting things in place to facilitate open elections. Three major parties arose, one of which was the independent leftist Revolutionary Front of East Timor, which was seen by many as a Marxist group. Indonesia viewed the prospect of a leftist group in the middle of its territories as highly undesirable, and both Australia and the United States appeared to support this view.
At the end of 1975 East Timor declared independence. Nine days later Indonesia invaded, using almost exclusively US military equipment. The invasion was brutal, with 50,000 to 200,000 people killed and reports of mass graves and rapes emerging. The territory was annexed by Indonesia, although it was never officially recognized by the United Nations.
For the next twenty-five years an independence movement continued to rage in East Timor. The Indonesian government responded with force in everything, and estimates of total deaths during this era range from 100,000 to 200,000, 10% to 25 % of total population. By the 1990s, thanks in no small part to dedicated activists advancing the East Timorese cause globally, worldwide public support for East Timorese independence had grown immensely. Eventually the United Nations and a number of nations militarily supported a liberation effort, which ultimately led to the independence of East Timor, in mid-2002.
The situation in East Timor remains quite volatile and it is recommended that anyone planning to visit first check with the State Department for the latest security updates. If you visit, it’s a good idea to stay away from protests or demonstrations. Tourism infrastructure in East Timor remains minimal, but there are beautiful beaches and rural settings for those willing to put in a little effort. Flying to East Timor is also tricky, but if you time it right you can find a flight from Australia or Bali to the capital Dili.
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