East Timor

American  

[eest tee-mawr, tee-mawr] / ˈist ˈti mɔr, tiˈmɔr /

noun

1. a republic on the E half of Timor; the only Asian country that lies entirely within the Southern Hemisphere: Portuguese colony 1702–1975, though occupied by Japan 1943–1945; independent 1975–1976; annexed by Indonesia 1976; independent since 2002. 5,743 sq. mi. (14,874 sq. km). Dili.

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East Timor British  

noun

1. Official name: Timor-Leste.  a small country in SE Asia, comprising part of the island of Timor: colonized by Portugal in the 19th century; declared independence in 1975 but immediately invaded by Indonesia; under UN administration from 1999 and an independent state from 2002. It is mountainous with a monsoon climate; subsistence agriculture is the main occupation. Languages: Portuguese, Tetun (a lingua franca), and Bahasa Indonesia. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: US dollar. Capital: Dili. Pop: 1 172 390 (2013 est). Area: 14 874 sq km (5743 sq miles)

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Etymology

Origin of East Timor

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

Some had bogus flags from countries such as East Timor and Malawi.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

And, in a highly symbolic moment of unity, Asean formally welcomed East Timor as a member.

From BBC • Oct. 27, 2025

East Timor, also known by its Portuguese name Timor-Leste, is the youngest country in the region, having gained independence from Indonesia in 2002 after 24 years of occupation.

From Barron's • Oct. 26, 2025

Twenty years ago, Lacroix said, a united international community pushed in the same direction as the United Nations to restore peace to East Timor, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cambodia.

From Seattle Times • May 29, 2024

He had reported almost every war of the twentieth century, like the Spanish Civil War, and the genocide in East Timor, and bad stuff that happened in Africa.

From "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer