East Timor (province) in the context of "Timor-Leste"

Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and the islands of Atauro and Jaco, for a total land area of 14,950 square kilometres (5,770 sq mi). Timor-Leste shares a land border with Indonesia to the west; Australia is the country's southern neighbour, across the Timor Sea. Dili, on the north coast of Timor, is its capital and largest city.

Timor was settled over time by various Papuan and Austronesian peoples, which created a diverse mix of cultures and languages linked to Southeast Asia and Melanesia. East Timor came under Portuguese influence in the sixteenth century, remaining a Portuguese colony until 1975. Internal conflict preceded a unilateral declaration of independence and an Indonesian invasion and annexation. The subsequent Indonesian occupation was characterised by extreme abuses of human rights, including torture and massacres, a series of events named the East Timor genocide. Resistance continued throughout Indonesian rule and in 1999, a United Nations–sponsored act of self-determination led Indonesia to relinquish control of the territory. On 20 May 2002, Timor-Leste became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century. That same year, relations with Indonesia were established and normalised, with Indonesia also supporting Timor-Leste's accession into ASEAN.

The Indonesian occupation of East Timor began in December 1975 and lasted until October 1999. After centuries of Portuguese colonial rule in East Timor, the 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal led to the decolonisation of its former colonies, creating instability in East Timor and leaving its future uncertain. After a small-scale civil war, the pro-independence Fretilin declared victory in the capital city of Dili and declared an independent East Timor on 28 November 1975.

Following the "Balibo Declaration" that was signed by representatives of Apodeti, UDT, KOTA and the Trabalhista Party on 30 November 1975, Indonesian military forces invaded East Timor on 7 December 1975, and by 1979 they had all but destroyed the armed resistance to the occupation. On 17 July 1976, Indonesia formally annexed East Timor as its 27th province and declared the province of Timor Timur (East Timor).

Timor-Leste is divided into 14 municipalities (Portuguese: municípios, Tetum: munisípiu), which are former districts. One municipality is also a Special Administrative Region (SAR). The municipalities are divided into administrative posts (former subdistricts), and further subdivided into sucos (villages). Atauro Island was initially a part of Dili Municipality, but became a separate municipality on 1 January 2022. The borders between Cova Lima and Ainaro and between Baucau and Viqueque were changed in 2003.

The municipalities in Timor-Leste are largely inherited from the earlier regencies of the Indonesian province, all of which were created on 30 July 1976 during the New Order.

The Cristo Rei of Dili (Christ the King of Dili) statue (Portuguese: Estátua do Cristo Rei de Díli, Tetum: Estátua Cristo Rei Dili) is a 27.0-metre-high (88.6 ft) colossal statue of Jesus Christ situated atop a globe at Cape Fatucama in Dili, Timor-Leste. It is one of the country's main tourist attractions.

The statue was designed, and its construction supervised, by Mochamad Syailillah, who is better known as "Bolil". It was officially unveiled by President Suharto of Indonesia in 1996 as a gift from the Indonesian Government to the people of Timor Timur, the then Indonesian province.

The Democratic Republic of East Timor (Portuguese: República Democrática de Timor-Leste, Tetum: Repúblika Demokrátika de Timór-Lorosa'e), or simply East Timor or Timor-Leste (Portuguese: Timor-Leste, Tetum: Timór-Lorosa'e) was a state that was unilaterally proclaimed on the territory of present-day Timor-Leste on 28 November 1975 by Fretilin prior to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor nine days later on 7 December 1975.

Its sovereignty was recognised by a small number of states, before it was invaded and subsequently annexed by Indonesia on 17 July 1976. Following continued resistance and growing international pressure, Timor-Leste became independent on 20 May 2002.

An independence referendum was held in Indonesian-occupied East Timor on 30 August 1999, organised by United Nations Mission in East Timor. The referendum's origins lay with the request made by the President of Indonesia, B. J. Habibie, to the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 27 January 1999, for the United Nations to hold a referendum, whereby East Timor would be given choice of either greater autonomy within Indonesia or independence.

Voters rejected the proposed special autonomy, leading to their separation from Indonesia. This led to mass violence and the destruction of infrastructure in East Timor, before the UN Security Council ratified the resolution on 15 September for the formation of a multinational force (INTERFET) to be immediately sent to East Timor to restore order and security and end the humanitarian crisis. East Timor would officially achieve recognised independence on 20 May 2002.