timor-leste, formerly known as east timor, became the world's newest, independent, democratic nation, in may 2002. situated north west of darwin, between australia and indonesia, east timor is already beginning to draw small numbers of travelers to the island. with its beautiful, unspoiled beaches, world class scuba diving, spectacular landscapes and rich history, it is easy to see why.
brief history of east timor
for centuries the people of east timor lived a subsistent farming life-style in isolated hamlets, scattered throughout the mountainous region and spoke many different languages and dialects.
in 1512 the arrival of sailors and merchants from portugal, resulted in the colonization of the island that would last for over the next 400 years.
during world war ii, timor was invaded by the japanese who stayed for over 3 years, causing devastation and human misery. during the time of japanese occupation approximately 50,000 timorese lost their lives. following the war, portuguese rule was restored in east timor, but development of the country was slow, leaving the timorese society almost unchanged.
on 28th november 1975, following an attempted coup and clashes between rival political contenders, the democratic republic of timor-leste was proclaimed. within 7 days, the new nation was invaded by indonesia and thousands more timorese were to lose their lives, during the next 24 years of indonesian control.
in 1999, a united nations sponsored referendum, led to the people of timor-leste voting overwhelmingly in favour of independence. the declaration of independence was finally implemented on the 20th of may 2002, creating the first constitutional government of timor-leste.
