fbpx

KidsKonnect

East Timor Facts & Worksheets

The Democratic Republic of East Timor, or Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia that is known for its long-fought independence from Portugal and from its close neighbor, Indonesia.

Search for Worksheets

Worksheets /Social Studies /Geography /Countries /East Timor Facts & Worksheets
Premium
East Timor Worksheets
Not ready to purchase a subscription? Click to download the free sample version   Download sample

The Democratic Republic of East Timor, or Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia that is known for its long-fought independence from Portugal and from its close neighbor, Indonesia. It is the smallest country in area and population in Southeast Asia.

See the fact file below for more information on the East Timor or alternatively, you can download our 26-page East Timor worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

GENERAL FACTS

  • Dili, also known as City of Peace, is the capital of East Timor. It is the largest city, central port, and commercial center of the country.
  • As of 2018, the population in East Timor was 1.3 million. Residents here are referred to as Timorese.
  • The total area of East Timor is 14,609 sq km, making it the smallest country in Southeast Asia.
  • The name Timor is a variant of the Malay word timur, which means “east”.
  • The island of Timor is also known as Crocodile Island.
  • Legend has it that the island’s mountains and hills were once the back and scales of a crocodile that helped a little boy who was the ancestor of the Timorese.
  • After over 400 years of Western colonization, East Timor was declared independent on November 28, 1975.
  • Currently, East Timor has a republic as its form of government, with a president and a prime minister.

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE

  • Aside from the eastern side of the island of Timor, the smaller islands of Atauro and Jaco are also included in East Timor, as is Oecussi-Ambeno, a small area inside the west side of Timor.
  • The west side of Timor is known as the province of Nusa Tenggara Timur (NTT), which is part of Indonesia.
  • East Timor is bordered by the Timor Sea to the southeast, the Wetar Strait to the north, the Ombai Strait to the northwest, and the province of NTT to the southwest.
  • After Indonesia, the closest neighbor to East Timor is Australia.
  • The eastern part of the island is rugged, with the highest mountain peak being Mount Tatamailau (9,721 feet).
  • As in other Southeast Asian countries, the area has a dry tropical climate and moderate rainfall, producing shrubs and grass in the lowlands, together with coconut palms and eucalyptus trees.
  • Aside from hilly areas covered with sandalwood, there are hot springs and numerous mountain streams.

DEMOGRAPHICS

  • Most of the population in East Timor are of Papuan, Malayan, and Polynesian origin.
  • Tetun is the largest indigenous group in the island, accounting for 25% of the population.
  • Mambae, who are found in the mountains, constitute 10% of the population. Other groups include Kemak, Bunak, and Fataluku, each making up less than 5% of the population.
  • There are about 40 different Papuan and Malayan languages or dialects spoken in the country.
  • Two official languages are Portuguese, although spoken by only a small fraction, and Tetum, an Austronesian language.
  • Indonesian and English are considered to be languages used for work.
  • There is no official religion, but most people practice Christianity (Roman Catholicism) in East Timor. Other religions include Islam and Protestantism.

HISTORY

  • Before the Portuguese came, the island of Timor was populated by around 60 small kingdoms that lived on the trade of sandalwood with Chinese and Indian merchants. An abundance of sandalwood attracted European explorers.
  • During the colonial era of the 17th century, the Portuguese and the Dutch fought over the island of Timor.
  • The Portuguese ended up ruling over the eastern side, while the Dutch controlled the western half, including Indonesia.
  • As a colony of Portugal, East Timor was neglected and exploited for its resources, especially sandalwood and coffee exports.
  • During World War II, Japan and Australia fought in the country, causing nearly 50,000 East Timorese deaths.
  • When the Dutch gave up their colonies in the East Indies, including West Timor, Indonesia was born. East Timor remained a colony of Portugal until 1975.
  • When the Portuguese abruptly pulled out after 455 years of rule over East Timor, the island was left vulnerable. After 9 days, Indonesia invaded East Timor and made it an annex.
  • Under the pretext of anti-colonialism and using the fear of communism, Indonesia invaded East Timor on December 7, 1975, through Operation Komodo, a massive air and sea invasion. Indonesia ruled the country with violence and brutality.
  • During a visit from the United Nations in 1991, the grave Dili Massacre was caught on camera. Tapes were smuggled to Australia and broadcasted to the world.
  • The United States, Australia, and Portugal condemned Indonesia, which led to the resignation of President Suharto.
  • In 2002, the independent Democratic Republic of East Timor was born with a winning vote for Xanana Gusmāo, a militant who led the resistance against Indonesia, as the first president.

CULTURE AND ECONOMY

  • Timorese cultural heritage is a multi-layered combination of traditional Timorese, Portuguese, Chinese, and Indonesian influences.
  • Cultural motifs are incorporated into the design of tais (hand-woven textiles), basket work, and wood carving.
  • As a heavily Catholic country, churches and buildings in the capital of Dili are built in Portuguese style.
  • The most traditional architecture in East Timor is the totem house.
  • Timorese are passionate about sports, especially football. They consistently participate in international sporting events, such as the Southeast Asian Games and the Olympics.
  • Agriculture plays an important role in the country’s economy. The people in rural areas are engaged in small-scale fishing, forestry, and farming.
  • Extraction of oil reserves from the Timor Sea is the primary source of the economy’s development.

East Timor Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the East Timor across 26 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use East Timor worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Democratic Republic of East Timor, or Timor-Leste, which is an island country in Southeast Asia that is known for its long-fought independence from Portugal and from its close neighbor, Indonesia. It is the smallest country in area and population in Southeast Asia.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • East Timor Facts
  • Fact Chart
  • Timor or False
  • Mapping East Timor
  • Name Scramble
  • Series of Events
  • Influences Checklist
  • Totem House Sketch
  • Districts By Size
  • Team Timor
  • Touring Timor Leste

Link/cite this page

If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.

Link will appear as East Timor Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, August 7, 2020

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

Related Resources