Geography

• 14,874 square kilometres - mainly half one island
• Just under one million people- about half under 15
• Rugged mountainous country with terrible roads
• Highest mountain about 3,000 metres
• Soils with limited agricultural potential
• Tropical climate with very seasonal rainfall
• Dili is only about 700 kilometres from Darwin
  - the East Timorese are close neighbours

Short history before 1999

• More than 400 years of Portuguese colonial rule left a culture of dependency
• 25 years of Indonesian rule with more suppression and injustice
• Catholicism increased from about 30% to over 90% during that era
• Economy not self sufficient before 1999 destruction
• In 1997 GDP/person was US$246
• GDP only about half that after 1999 destruction
• In 1997:
  - life expectancy was 57 years
  - infant mortality was 124 per 1000 live births
  - about half the people over 10 had no schooling

From 1999 until 2004

• Overwhelming vote for independence in 1999
• Extreme militia violence destroyed most infrastructure
• Almost 75% of population were displaced and many were killed
• Australian army played a vital role in restoring order
• International aid seems to be declining now despite ongoing need

The Situation Now

• Education rightly seen as a priority for sustained self sufficiency
• Health and communication services are two other major issues
• Support needed to develop a viable market economy
• Growing concern that freedom has not brought prosperity
• Widespread fear due to outbreaks of violence since 2006

The table following is from a provisional report of the UNFPA Census of 2004. That report noted that while the overall population increase since 2001 was 17.4%, the fastest increases had been in Dili (39.3) and then in the western border areas of Oucussi (29.9%), Liquica (20.8%) and Bobonaro (17.8%). This in part reflects a recovery from the fighting and movement of people to escape the violence in 1999 which was extreme in the western border districts. The eastern districts have generally recorded the slowest growth since 2001.

The Bobinaro district has six sub-districts with populations reported after the 2004 census as follows - Atabae 9,553; Balibo 13,602; Bobonaro 22,021; Cailaco 8,405; Lolotoe 7,021 and Maliana 21,783 making a total population of 82,385. Towns of the same names are the respective subdistrict administrative centres. The locations of these towns as well as the other East Timor districts and their capitals are shown on the East Timor map that can be accessed by the link above.

Friends and Partners with East Timor (FPET) has mainly been linked with the Atabae parish which coincides with the Atabae subdistrict. In the future it may however link with others in the Bobonaro district or the other western border districts.

At present other Catholic parishes in Brisbane have relationships in the Bobonaro district. Sunnybank parish is linked with Maliana parish and Kedron parish is linked with Balibo parish. Many other groups have some linkage with various localities in East Timor, including some in the Bobinaro district.

Atabae Parish or sub-district covers an area of about 300 square kilometres adjacent to the West Timor border. It includes a western coastal strip and some rugged mountains rising to almost 1,000 metres. The Loes River, one of the few permanently flowing rivers in East Timor, defines the northern and eastern boundary. Being on the northern side of the island, the rainfall is generally similar to the 900mm annual rainfall of Dili. There is limited rain in April to June and very little from July to October. It is warm to hot all the year on the coast but the mountains have cooler nights and a bit more rainfall than the surrounding areas.

There are about 9,000 people living in more than 20 villages of varying size. Family size averages about 4.7 persons but there are many widows and orphans. The main town and sub-district centre, also called Atabae, is located on the coast and is home to over 2,000 people. Three other villages each have 800 to 1,000 people. These are Aidabaslala and Coilima located by the Loes River and Rairobo high in the central mountain area. The remaining villages are somewhat smaller and are quite scattered. Most people have to walk between villages and services are extremely limited.