Was East Timor a Portuguese colony?

Portuguese Timor (Portuguese: Timor Português) refers to East Timor during the historic period in which it was a Portuguese colony that lasted between 1702 and 1975. During most of this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Dutch East Indies.

How was the East Timor genocide carried out?

In June 1976, TNI troops badly battered by a Fretilin attack exacted retribution against a large refugee camp housing 5–6,000 Timorese at Lamaknan near the West Timor border. After setting several houses on fire, Indonesian soldiers massacred as many as 4,000 men, women and children.

How many Portuguese are there in East Timor?

DILI (Reuters) – Portuguese is one of the two official languages in East Timor, but you can hardly hear it spoken in the streets of the young nation. The tiny country was a Portuguese colony for more than three centuries, but only an estimated 5 percent of its one million people now speak the European language.

When did Portuguese leave East Timor?

Decolonisation, coup, and independence. The decolonisation process instigated by the 1974 Portuguese revolution saw Portugal effectively abandon the colony of Portuguese Timor.

When was East Timor colonized by Portugal?

16th century
Colonized by Portugal in the 16th century, East Timor was known as Portuguese Timor for centuries. It was invaded by Indonesia in 1975, which occupied it until 1999.

What is the history of Portugal in East Timor?

Portuguese Timor (Portuguese: Timor Português) refers to East Timor during the historic period when it was a Portuguese colony that existed between 1702 and 1975. During most of this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Dutch East Indies.

Should Portuguese Timor join Republic of Indonesia?

One of Portuguese Timor political parties, the APODETI, run on a platform that Portuguese Timor should join Republic of Indonesia because of close ethnic relationship to the people of Indonesian Timor (part of Indonesian Province of East Nusa Tenggara) and various economic reasons (Timor Leste is a relatively poor in resource).

What is the etymology of the word timor leste?

Etymology. “Timor” derives from timur, the word for “east” in Indonesian language, which became recorded as Timor in Portuguese, thus resulting in the tautological toponym meaning “East East”: In Portuguese Timor-Leste ( Leste being the word for “east”); in Tetum Timór Lorosa’e ( Lorosa’e being the word for “east”…

When was the international border between East Timor and Indonesia drawn?

The definitive border was drawn by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 1916, and it remains the international boundary between East Timor and Indonesia. For the Portuguese, their colony of Portuguese Timor remained little more than a neglected trading post until the late nineteenth century.