Timor-Leste - Geography

Here, let us take a look at the Geography of Timor-Leste. The island of Timor is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest and easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands; the district of Oecussi is an exclave separated from Timor-Leste proper by Indonesia; Timor-Leste has the unique distinction of being the only Asian country located completely in the Southern Hemisphere. Mother's mean age at first birth is 23 years (2016 est.) (Note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49), whereas, the Maternal mortality ratio is 204 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Geographical data of Timor-Leste
Location Southeastern Asia, northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago; note - Timor-Leste includes the eastern half of the island of Timor, the Oecussi (Ambeno) region on the northwest portion of the island of Timor, and the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco
Geographic coordinates 8 50 S, 125 55 E
Map references Southeast Asia
Tarrain mountainous
Natural Resources gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble
Natural Hazards floods and landslides are common; earthquakes; tsunamis; tropical cyclones
Irrigated Land 350 sq km (2012)
Major rivers (by length in km)
Major aquifers
Land Boundaries 253 km
Border Countries Indonesia 253 km
Coastline 706 km
Climate tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons
Area
Total Area
Land Area 14,874 sq km
Water Area 0 sq km
comparative Area slightly larger than Connecticut; almost half the size of Maryland
Maritime Claims
Territorial sea 12 nm
Contiguous zone 24 nm
Exclusive fishing zone 200 nm
Elevations
Highest point Foho Tatamailau 2,963 m
Lowest point Timor Sea, Savu Sea, and Banda Sea 0 m
Land Use
Agricultural land 25.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: arable land arable land: 10.1% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent crops permanent crops: 4.9% (2018 est.)
Agricultural land: permanent pasture permanent pasture: 10.1% (2018 est.)
Forest 49.1% (2018 est.)
Other 25.8% (2018 est.)
Population Distribution

Most of the population concentrated in the western third of the country, particularly around Dili

People and Society

In Timor-Leste, the different Ethnic groups are such that we have: Austronesian (Malayo-Polynesian) (includes Tetun, Mambai, Tokodede, Galoli, Kemak, Baikeno), Melanesian-Papuan (includes Bunak, Fataluku, Bakasai), small Chinese minority

Population
Pop growth rate 2.04% (2024 est.)
Birth rate 29.7 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Death rate 5.5 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Health expenditure 9.9% of GDP (2020)
Physicians Density
Hospital bed Density
Total fertility rate 3.98 children born/woman (2024 est.)
Gross reproduction rate 1.92 (2024 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate 26.1% (2016)
Est married women (ages 15-49) 55.9% (2023 est.)
Literacy age 15 and over can read and write
Education expenditures 4.2% of GDP (2020 est.)
Net Migration rate -3.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)
Nationality Timorese | Timorese
Languages Tetun Prasa 30.6%, Mambai 16.6%, Makasai 10.5%, Tetun Terik 6.1%, Baikenu 5.9%, Kemak 5.8%, Bunak 5.5%, Tokodede 4%, Fataluku 3.5%, Waima'a 1.8%, Galoli 1.4%, Naueti 1.4%, Idate 1.2%, Midiki 1.2%, other 4.5% (2015 est.)
Religions Roman Catholic 97.6%, Protestant/Evangelical 2%, Muslim 0.2%, other 0.2% (2015 est.)
Age Structure
0-14 years 38.7% (male 299,929/female 283,416)
15-64 years 56.8% (male 418,493/female 437,727)
65 years and over 4.5% (2024 est.) (male 32,243/female 35,101)
Dependency Ratios
Total dependency ratio 90.3
Youth dependency ratio 59.4
Elderly dependency ratio 8.9
Potential support ratio 11.2 (2021 est.)
Median Age
Total 20.6 years (2024 est.)
Male 19.8 years
Female 21.3 years
Urbanization
Urban population 32.5% of total population (2023)
Rate of urbanization 3.31% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas (Pop) 281,000 DILI (capital) (2018).
Sex Ratio
At birth 1.07 male(s)/female
0-14 years 1.06 male(s)/female
15-64 years 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over 0.92 male(s)/female
Total population 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)
Infant Motality
Total 32.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)
Male 35.3 deaths/1,000 live births
Female 28.9 deaths/1,000 live births
Life Expectancy at birth
Total population 70.5 years (2024 est.)
Male 68.9 years
Female 72.3 years
Drinking Water Sources
Improved: urban urban: 98% of population
Improved: rural rural: 82.5% of population
Improved: total total: 87.4% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 2% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 17.5% of population
Unimproved: total total: 12.6% of population (2020 est.)
Sanitation facility acess
Improved: urban urban: 88.7% of population
Improved: rural rural: 56.1% of population
Improved: total total: 66.3% of population
Unimproved: urban urban: 11.3% of population
Unimproved: rural rural: 43.9% of population
Unimproved: total total: 33.7% of population (2020 est.)
Major Infectious diseases
Degree of risk very high (2023)
Food or waterborne diseases bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases dengue fever and malaria
Alcohol consumption per capita
Total 0.41 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Beer 0.27 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Wine 0.09 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Spirits 0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Other alcohols 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
Total 39.2% (2020 est.)
Male 67.6% (2020 est.)
Female 10.8% (2020 est.)
Child marriage
Women married by age 15 2.6%
Women married by age 18 14.9%
Men married by age 18 1.2% (2016 est.)
Demographic profile

Timor-Leste’s high fertility and population growth rates sustain its very youthful age structure – approximately 40% of the population is below the age of 15 and the country’s median age is 20.  While Timor-Leste’s total fertility rate (TFR) – the average number of births per woman – decreased significantly from over 7 in the early 2000s, it remains high at 4.3 in 2021 and will probably continue to decline slowly.  The low use of contraceptives and the traditional preference for large families is keeping fertility elevated.  The high TFR and falling mortality rates continue to fuel a high population growth rate of nearly 2.2%, which is the highest in Southeast Asia.  The country’s high total dependency ratio – a measure of the ratio of dependents to the working-age population – could divert more government spending toward social programs. Timor-Leste’s growing, poorly educated working-age population and insufficient job creation are ongoing problems.  Some 70% of the population lives in rural areas, where most of people are dependent on the agricultural sector.  Malnutrition and poverty are prevalent, with 42% of the population living under the poverty line as of 2014.

During the Indonesian occupation (1975-1999) and Timor-Leste’s fight for independence, approximately 250,000 Timorese fled to western Timor and, in lesser numbers, Australia, Portugal, and other countries. Many of these emigrants later returned.  Since Timor-Leste’s 1999 independence referendum, economic motives and periods of conflict have been the main drivers of emigration.  Bilateral labor agreements with Australia, Malaysia, and South Korea and the presence of Timorese populations abroad, are pull factors, but the high cost prevents many young Timorese from emigrating.  Timorese communities are found in its former colonizers, Indonesia and Portugal, as well as the Philippines and the UK.  The country has also become a destination for migrants in the surrounding region, mainly men seeking work in construction, commerce, and services in Dili.

All Important Facts about Timor-Leste

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Timor-Leste is found in South-Eastern Asia