East Timor

Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, is a sovereign state located in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse, and the islands of Atauro and Jaco. The country shares a land border with Indonesia and is situated across the Timor Sea from Australia. Dili, on the north coast of Timor, serves as its capital and largest city. East Timor was a Portuguese colony until 1975, when it declared independence, followed by an Indonesian invasion and annexation. After a period of Indonesian occupation, a UN-sponsored act of self-determination led to Indonesia relinquishing control in 1999. Timor-Leste became a new sovereign state on May 20, 2002.