East Timor

Categories: Geography | Travel | Asia | Countries
  • East Timor is a country in Southeast Asia. Its independence from Portugal was declared on November 28, 1975 and officially recognized on May 20, 2002, making it the first new nation of the 21st century.
  • History

    The island was originally colonized in the 16th Century by Portugal. In 1975 the eastern portion of the island declared its independence from Portugal, but was short lived. Although Portugal did withdrawal from the region, Indonesia stepped right in. In July, 1976 the United Nations recognized East Timor as a non-self governing province belonging to Indonesia. Natives fought Indonesian troops over the next two decades, until 1999, when the UN stepped in. A vote was held and 78% of the population selected independence from Indonesia. Their government formed over the following three years, leading up to their fully recognized independence on September 27, 2002.

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