Timor-Leste Facts ( East Timor ) Rate this post Rate this post

A very popular spot for nature enthusiasts and thrill seekers, East Timor has the beaches with the best wildlife diversity for diving and the rugged terrain and parks for biking and camping. Get a diving suit and go to the vast white sand beaches then dive into clear blue waters filled with amazing sea creatures, from colorful fishes to corals to turtles to dolphins and sharks. The mountainous areas provide the best landscape for bikers, hikers, and campers to enjoy the rewards of nature in the form of amazing scenery. Lastly, get to relax and enjoy the peacefulness of the simplicity of life of the locals living in this country.

Important and Interesting Facts about Timor-Leste

East Timor or Timor-Leste is a country in Maritime Southeast Asia.It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor.

Much of the country is mountainous, and its highest is Tatamailau (also known as Mount Ramelau) at 2,963 metres (9,721 ft)

The easternmost area of East Timor consists of the Paitchau Range and the Lake Ira Lalaro area, which contains the county’s first conservation area, the Nino Konis Santana National Park.[38] It contains the last remaining tropical dry forested area within the country. It hosts a number of unique plant and animal species and is sparsely populated.

East Timor has a market economy that used to depend upon exports of a few commodities such as coffee, marble, oil, and sandalwood.

It is one of only two predominantly Christian nations in Southeast Asia,the other being the Philippines.

Tatamailau, or Tata Mailau, sometimes referred as Mount Ramelau, is the highest mountain in East Timor and also of Timor island at 2,986 m. The mountain is located approximately 70 km south of the capital Dili in the district of Ainaro.

Cristo Rei of Dili is an 88.6‑foot‑high statue of Jesus located atop a globe in Dili, East Timor. The statue was designed by Mochamad Syailillah, who is better known as Bolil.

Atauro Island is a small island situated 25km north of Dili, East Timor, on the extinct Wetar segment of the volcanic Inner Banda Arc, between the Indonesian islands of Alor and Wetar.

The Nino Konis Santana National Park is East Timor’s first national park. The park, established on 3 August 2007, covers 1,236 square kilometres. It links important bird areas such as Lore, Mount Paitchau, Lake Ira Lalaro, and Jaco Island.

Areia Branca beach and hinterland is a 2994 ha Important Bird Area in East Timor, a country occupying the eastern end of the island of Timor at the eastern end of the Lesser Sunda Islands group of Wallacea.

The Ombai Strait is the strait which separates the Alor Archipelago from the islands of Wetar, Atauro, and Timor in the Lesser Sunda Islands

Cool and Funny Facts about Timor-Leste

It is said that the island of Timor has a shape much similar to that of a crocodile.

In 1996, a Nobel Peace Prize was shared by two East Timorese activists named Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo and José Ramos-Horta, for their struggle to achieve freedom peacefully.

According to the ancient Austronesian (the natives of Timor) legends, Timor was formed after an ageing crocodile transformed into an island as compensation to a boy who helped the crocodile while it was unwell. The boy’s descendants are supposedly the natives of Timor.

To look at a map of Timor-Leste, it is easy to think that the people of Timor-Leste might have descended from the Indonesians, because of its proximity. This would be incorrect; they are descended from the aboriginal people of Australia.

Timor-Leste is the nation’s newest name. Before that it was East Timor. What makes that peculiar is that the word ‘Timor’, a word of both Indonesian and Portuguese origins, means east. That means the country was called ‘East-East.’

The largest cave on the island, called Lena Hara, was found by scientists in the 1960s. Exploration revealed fishhooks and beads made from shells that have been radiocarbon dated to around 30,000 years ago. This is considered evidence of a wave of migration in the area. Carved faces high up on the walls have been dated back 10,000 years, and there are also paintings that are thought to be between 2,000 and 6,000 years old.

Did you know that there is no West Timor, and the farther west you travel, the more East Timor you get?

Did you know, that East Timor has entered a bid to host the Olympic Games every year since 1980, and was offered to host the Olympics in 1996 but forgot to build any stadiums, so it went to America?

Did you know, all of the Wu-Tang Clan have summer homes in East Timor and Raekwon’s home was named ‘Lovely Home of the Month’ in February by East Timor Homes and Gardens Magazine? Also, his song Ice Cream, is the East Timor national song?

Did you know, that although East Timor has no newspapers, its Fish and Chips are best in the world?

Did you know, that in East Timor, rattlesnakes are turned into makeshift baseball bats by our eager children, using the resin and the varnish left around by Manny Ramirez, when he spends time in the country on his fishing expeditions?

Did you know, Bruce Springsteen wrote an album called Born in East Timor entirely on the Qanbus Lute, but it was turned down by his label so he angrily recorded a stupid album called Nebraska on the guitar and blues harp instead?

Historical and Cultural Facts about Timor-Leste