|
Tetum |
|
People Group: |
Tetum |
 |
| Location: |
Indonesia |
| Population: |
465,000 |
| Religion: |
Roman Catholic |
| % Christian: |
99.0% |
| % Evangelical: |
Unknown |
| Ministry
Resources: |
Bible Portions |
|
|
Total People Group
Population: |
661,000 |
Other countries People
Group Linked to: |
East Timor |
____________________________________________________________ |
|
Additional Information:
West Timor
is the western and Indonesian portion of the island of Timor and part of
the province of East Nusa Tenggara, (Indonesian: Nusa Tenggara Timur).
 During
the colonial period it was known as "Dutch Timor" and was a centre of
Dutch loyalists during the Indonesian National Revolution (1945 - 1949).
From 1949 to 1975 it was known as "Indonesian Timor".
The name "West Timor" is an oxymoron
in the Indonesian language, as it translates literally to "West East".
On the other hand, East Timor becomes a redundancy when translated into
Indonesian: "East East".
History
European colonization of Timor began
in the 16th century. Although the Portuguese claimed the island of Timor
in 1520, the Dutch (in the form of the Dutch East India Company) settled
West Timor in 1640, forcing the Portuguese out to East Timor. The
subsequent collapse of the company meant that in 1799 the area returned
to official Dutch rule. Finally, in 1914 the border between East and
West Timor was finalized by a treaty between Holland and Portugal that
was originally signed in 1859 and modified in 1893.
West Timor had the status of
residentie within the Dutch East Indies.
Japan conquered the island during
World War II in early 1942. Upon Indonesian independence, West Timor
became part of the new Republic of Indonesia.
On 6 September 2000, three UNHCR staff
members were attacked and killed in Atambua, a town in West Timor.
Geography
West Timor is a political region that
comprises the western half of Timor island with the exception of
Oecussi-Ambeno district (which is politically part of East Timor) and
forms a part of the Indonesian province of Nusa Tenggara Timur, (NTT or
East Nusa Tenggara). The land area of West Timor is 15,850 km.
Rote Island, the southernmost island
of Indonesia, is southwest of West Timor.
West Timor's largest town and chief
port is Kupang.
Population
West Timor's main religions are
Catholic (56%), Protestant (35%) and Islam (8%). There are approximately
1.4 million inhabitants, some of whom are refugees who fled the 1999
violence in East Timor.
In addition to the national language,
Indonesian, native languages belonging to the Fabronic Stock of the
Austronesian group of languages are spoken in West Timor, the
others in East Timor. These languages are Ndaonese, Rotinese, and Helong.
Knowledge of Dutch is now limited to the older generations.
Economy
West Timor has an average unemployment
rate of 80%. 30% of the population lived below the poverty line in 1998;
as of 2000 it was 80%. The economy is mainly agricultural, using slash
and burn methods to produce corn, rice, coffee, copra and fruit. Some
timber harvesting is undertaken, producing eucalyptus, sandalwood, teak,
bamboo and rosewood.
Back to People
Group Listing
| 
