Ongoing civil unrest since this time has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, forcing children and families into temporary shelter at camps for the internally displaced. Across the country only two per cent of children aged 3-5 years attend any form of early childhood development (ECD) education program.High infant and under-five mortality rates are of particular concern, as are the number of lives lost to preventable causes, such as malaria, diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections. A large proportion of Timor's population lack access to safe drinking water, causing high incidences of waterborne diseases. Domestic and street violence is also a major issue affecting women and children.
Country facts
Timor Leste came into being in May 2002 after a long struggle for independence. The Portuguese colony declared independence in 1975, but it was short-lived as Indonesia invaded. Over the next 20 years, between 100,000 and 250,000 people lost their lives in the ensuing violence.In 1999, under a UN referendum, the East Timorese voted for independence, but violence erupted as anti-independence militia and the Indonesian military resumed the campaign of terror which left 1,000 people dead and 80 per cent of the nation's infrastructure in ruins. The long-awaited presidential elections in April 2002 followed the restoration of order in 1999 after an international peacekeeping force took control.
Jose Ramos-Horta and Xanana Gusmao, the former prime minister and president respectively, swapped roles following election results in 2007.
- Population: 1.1 million
- Capital: Dili
- Major languages: Tetum (official), Portuguese (official), Indonesian, English, indigenous languages
- Major religions: Roman Catholicism
- Life expectancy: 59.7 years
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