Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste, 2002 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. On 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century. That same year, relations with Indonesia were established and normalised, with Indonesia also supporting Timor-Leste's accession into ASEAN. The national government is a semi-presidential system, with the popularly elected president sharing power with a prime minister appointed by the National Parliament.
Seat of power: Dili
Rulers
Xanana Gusmão
President of East Timor, 2002–2007
A former rebel, he served as East Timor's first president since its re-establishment of independence. He has served as the tenth prime minister of Timor-Leste since 2023, previously serving as the sixth prime minister from 2007 to 2015.
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José Ramos-Horta
President of East Timor, 2007–2012
He was a co-recipient of the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize, along with Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, for working towards a just and peaceful solution to the conflict in East Timor. On 11 February 2008, he was shot during an assassination attempt.
Portrait of José Ramos-Horta: timor-leste.gov.tl, Public domain, file
Taur Matan Ruak
President of East Timor, 2012–2017
Before entering politics, he was the commander of the FALINTIL-Forças de Defesa de Timor-Leste, the military of East Timor. Leaving the military in 2011, he stood as an independent candidate in the 2012 presidential election and prevailed in the second round of the vote, held in April 2012.
Portrait of Taur Matan Ruak: Government of Timor-Leste, Public domain, file
Francisco Guterres
President of East Timor, 2017–2022
A member of Falintil, he was a leading figure in the armed resistance to the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. In the 2017 presidential election, he was elected as president, supported by former prime minister Xanana Gusmão and the CNRT.
Portrait of Francisco Guterres: Presidência da República de Timor-Leste, Public domain, file
José Ramos-Horta
President of East Timor, 2022 to today
He has been the seventh president of Timor-Leste since 2022, having previously been the fourth president from 2007 to 2012. He was re-elected to the presidency in 2022.
Portrait of José Ramos-Horta: timor-leste.gov.tl, Public domain, file
Culture
- Education has led to increasing literacy over the past half-century, especially in the two official languages of Portuguese and Tetun. High ethnic and linguistic diversity is reflected by the 30 indigenous languages spoken in the country.
- Most of the population practices Roman Catholicism, which coexists alongside strong local traditions and beliefs, especially in rural areas.
- Tatamailau is dedicated to the Virgin Mary and is the focus of an annual pilgrimage on the Feast of the Annunciation, held on or around 25 March.
Picture
Tatamailau, also called Mount Ramelau, is the highest point in Timor-Leste and also of Timor island at 2,963 m.
Image: Colin Trainor, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.