Editing Timor

{{Short description|Island in Indonesia and Timor-Leste}}
{{about|the island in Southeast Asia|the sovereign state|Timor-Leste|the part of Indonesia|West Timor|other uses|Timor  (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox islands
| name               = Timor
| image              = Timor island2.png
| image_caption      = Timor as seen from space in 1989
| native_name        = {{ubl|{{nativename|tet|Illa Timór}}|{{nativename |pt|Ilha de Timor}}|{{nativename |id|Pulau Timor}}}}
| native_name_link   = 
| pushpin_map        = Timor#Indonesia
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Timor
| location           = [[Southeast Asia]]
| coordinates        = {{coord|9|14|S|124|56|E|type:isle_scale:2500000|display=inline,title}}
| total_islands      = 
| major_islands      = 
| area_km2           = 30777
| rank               = 44th
| highest_mount      = [[Mount Ramelau|Ramelau]]
| elevation_m        = 2963
| elevation_ft       = 9720
| country            = {{flag|Timor-Leste}}
| country_admin_divisions_title = 
| country_admin_divisions = 
| country_largest_city = [[Dili]]
| country_largest_city_population = 277,488 {{As of|2023|lc=y}}
| country1           = {{flag|Indonesia}}
| country1_admin_divisions_title = Province
| country1_admin_divisions = {{Flag|East Nusa Tenggara}}
| country1_largest_city = [[Kupang]] ([[West Timor]])
| country1_largest_city_population = 474,801 {{As of|2024|lc=y}}
| population         = 3,311,735
| population_as_of   = 2020
| density_km2        = 107.6
| ethnic_groups      = 
| image_map          = Timor-map.png
| map_caption        = Political division of Timor between [[Indonesia]] and [[Timor-Leste]]
}}

'''Timor''' ({{langx|pt|Ilha de Timor}}, {{langx|tet|Illa Timór}}, {{langx|id|Pulau Timor}}) is an [[island]] at the southern end of [[Maritime Southeast Asia]], in the north of the [[Timor Sea]]. The island is [[Indonesia–Timor-Leste border|divided]] between the [[sovereign state]]s of [[Timor-Leste]] in the eastern part and [[Indonesia]] in the western part. The Indonesian part, known as [[West Timor]], constitutes part of the [[Provinces of Indonesia|province]] of [[East Nusa Tenggara]]. Within West Timor lies an [[exclave]] of Timor-Leste called [[Oecusse District]]. The island covers an area of {{convert|30777|km2|0|abbr=off}}. The name is a variant of ''timur'', [[Malay language|Malay]] for "east"; it is so called because it lies at the eastern end of the [[Lesser Sunda Islands]]. Mainland [[Australia]] is less than 500&nbsp;km away, separated by the Timor Sea.

{{anchor|Religion|Language|Ethnic groups}}

== Language, ethnic groups and religion == <!--[[Timorese language]] redirects here-->
{{See also|Languages of Timor-Leste|Timoric languages|Tetum language}}
[[File:Timor Sprache en.png|thumb|left|Language map of Timor]]

Anthropologists identify eleven distinct [[Ethnolinguistic group|ethno-linguistic groups]] in Timor. The largest are the [[Atoni]] of western Timor and the [[Tetum language|Tetum]] of central and eastern Timor.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite book |last=Taylor |first=Jean Gelman |title=Indonesia: Peoples and Histories |url=https://archive.org/details/indonesia00jean |url-access=registration |pages=[https://archive.org/details/indonesia00jean/page/378 378]|publisher=[[Yale University Press]] |year=2003 |location= New Haven and London |isbn=978-0-300-10518-6}}</ref> Most indigenous Timorese languages belong to the [[Timor–Babar languages|Timor–Babar]] branch of the [[Austronesian languages]] spoken throughout the Indonesian archipelago. Although lexical evidence is lacking,<ref name="HoltonRobinson">{{cite book |editor1-last=Klamer |editor1-first=Marian |author1=Gary Holton |author2=Laura C. Robinson |chapter=The linguistic position of the Timor-Alor-Pantar languages |title=The Alor-Pantar languages |date=2014}}</ref> the [[Papuan languages|non-Austronesian languages]] of Timor are thought to be related to languages spoken on [[Halmahera]] and in [[Western New Guinea]].<ref name=autogenerated1 /> Some are so mixed that it is difficult to tell which family they descend from.

The official languages of Timor-Leste are [[Tetum language|Tetum]] and [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]], while in West Timor it is [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]], although Uab Meto (also known as Dawan language) is the local Atoni language spoken throughout [[Kupang Regency|Kupang]], [[South Central Timor Regency|South Central Timur]] and [[North Central Timor Regency|North Central Timur]] Regencies. Indonesian, a standardized dialect of Malay, is also widely spoken and understood in Timor-Leste.<ref>Uri Tadmor (2008). "Grammatical borrowing in Indonesian". In Yaron Matras; Jeanette Sakel (eds.). Grammatical Borrowing in Cross-Linguistic Perspective. Walter de Gruyter. p. 301. {{ISBN|978-3-11-019919-2}}.</ref>

[[Christianity]] is the dominant religion throughout the island of Timor, at about 90% of the population. However, it is unequally distributed as West Timor is 58% Protestant and 37% Catholic, and Timor-Leste is 98% Catholic and 1% Protestant. [[Islam]] and [[animism]] make up most of the remainder at about 5% each across the island.

== Geography ==
{{See also|Geography of Timor-Leste|Geography of West Timor}}

Timor is located north of [[Australia]] and [[Oceania]], and is one of the easternmost [[Sunda Islands]] and the easternmost of [[Lesser Sunda Islands]]. Together with [[Sumba]], [[Babar Island|Babar]] and associated smaller islands, Timor forms the southern outer [[archipelago]] of the [[Lesser Sunda Islands]] with the inner islands of [[Flores]], [[Alor Island|Alor]] and [[Wetar]] to the north, and beyond them [[Sulawesi]]. 

Timor is the principal island of the [[Outer Banda Arc]], which is being uplifted by arc-continent collision with the [[Australian continent]]. Timor consists mostly of rocks from the Australian continental margin that are accreted to the Banda Arc. It occupies a forearc position in front of the active volcanic arc that forms the islands in the Flores region to the north. The orientation of the main axis of the island also differs from its neighbors. These features have been explained as the result of being on the northern edge of the [[Indo-Australian Plate]] as it meets the [[Eurasian Plate]] and pushes into [[Southeast Asia]].<ref>Audley-Charles, M.G. (1987) "Dispersal of Gondwanaland: relevance to evolution of the Angiosperms" ''In'': Whitmore, T.C. (ed.) (1987) ''Biogeographical Evolution of the Malay Archipelago'' Oxford Monographs on Biogeography 4, Clarendon Press, Oxford, pp. 5–25, {{ISBN|0-19-854185-6}} Harris, R.A. "The Nature of the Banda Arc-Continent Collision in the Timor Region" ''In'' In: D. Brown and P.D. Ryan, Arc-Continent Collision, Frontiers in Earth Sciences, DOI 10.1007/978-3-540-88558-0_7, Springer-Verlag
Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 163-211.</ref> The climate includes a long dry season (April-November) with hot winds blowing over from Australia. Rivers on the island include the [[North Laclo River|North]] and [[South Laclo River]]s in Timor-Leste. The mountains, which reach up to nearly 3000m elevation are one of the most mature parts of the Banda Range, which stretches from Sumba to Seram. Mutis is the highest mountain in West Timor and Ramelau is the highest mountain in Timor Leste.

The largest towns on the island are the provincial capital of [[Kupang]] in West Timor, Indonesia and the Portuguese colonial towns of [[Dili]] the capital, and [[Baucau]] in Timor-Leste. Poor roads make transport to inland areas difficult, especially in Timor-Leste.<ref>{{Cite journal | jstor = 4029980| volume=15| issue = 3/4| pages=502–513| title = Post-Conflict Pro-Poor Private-Sector Development: The Case of Timor-Leste| journal = Development in Practice| last1 = Kusago| first1 = Takayoshi| year = 2005| doi=10.1080/09614520500075995| s2cid=55022366}}</ref> Sources of revenue include gas and oil in the Timor Sea, coffee growing and tourism.

== Geology ==
Timor is an aerially exposed portion of the [[Banda Arc|Banda Forearc]] formed by collision of [[Eurasian Plate|Eurasian]] oceanic [[Crust (geology)|crust]] and continental crust of the [[Australian Plate|Australian plate]]. This is a unique convergent margin where a thick continental margin is forced under thinner oceanic crust. The result is a large [[accretionary wedge]] of imbricated [[Thrust fault|thrust]] sheets composed of [[Cretaceous]] and [[Tertiary]] distal material of the Australian continental margin thrust on top of Australian [[continental shelf]] deposits. Timor is well known for its structural complexity. Debate continues about the nature of deformation of continental crust. Some researchers advocate shallow thin-skinned deformation, while others favor shallow thin-skinned with some basement deformation.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Charlton |first=Tim R. |date=2001-10-01 |title=The Petroleum Potential of West Timor |url=http://archives.datapages.com/data/ipa/data/028/028001/301_ipa028a0301.htm |journal=Proceedings, Indonesian Petroleum Association |language=en |publisher=Indonesian Petroleum Association (IPA) |volume=1 |doi=10.29118/IPA.183.301|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

Timor also has potential for significant [[petroleum]] development. Onshore and offshore exploration efforts have been attempted with varying success. Timor host dozens of natural [[Petroleum seep|oil and gas seeps]] with most exploration concentrated on the north end of the Island where oil seeps are prevalent. Carbon rich shales from the island have been found with TOC up to 23%. Such shales buried deep in the subsurface could act as high-quality [[Source rock|source rocks]]. [[Jurassic]] marine shoreface and [[turbidite]] sands of the Plover and Militia Formations are proven [[Petroleum reservoir|reservoirs]] in the North Australian Shelf. Over pressured Upper Jurassic silt and mudstones shales may also provide adequate seals for hydrocarbons. Research focusing on the structure of deformed basement rocks provides insight into possible onshore and offshore structural and stratigraphic traps for future petroleum development.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jones |first=Will |last2=Tripathi |first2=Anand |last3=Rajagopal |first3=Rajesh |last4=Williams |first4=Adrian |date=2011 |title=Petroleum Prospectivity of the West Timor Trough |url=https://archives.datapages.com/data/petroleum-exploration-society-of-australia/news/114/114001/pdfs/61.htm?q=+textStrip:plover |journal=PESA News |language=en-US |issue=114 |page=61 |via=AAPG Database}}</ref> 

== Demographics ==
=== 10 largest cities and towns in Timor by population ===
[[File:Night at Kupang city.jpg|thumb|[[Kupang]], the most populus and  largest cities on the island of Timor]]

* {{legend|#cfecec|Provincial/municipality capital|border=solid 1px #AAAAAA}}
* {{legend|#ccff99|National capital|border=solid 1px #AAAAAA}}
{| class="sortable wikitable"
! Rank !! City/Town !! Population !! Country !! Province/municipality
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|1 || style="text-align:left;background-color:#cfecec" |'''[[Kupang]]''' || style="text-align:right;" | 474,801 || {{IDN}} || {{flag|East Nusa Tenggara}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|2 || style="text-align:left;background-color:#ccff99" |'''[[Dili]]''' || style="text-align:right;" | 277,488 || {{TLS}} || [[Dili]]
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|3 || style="text-align:left" |'''[[Atambua]]''' || style="text-align:right;" | 85,838 || {{IDN}} || {{flag|East Nusa Tenggara}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|4 || style="text-align:left" |'''[[Kefamenanu]]''' || style="text-align:right;" | 49,589 || {{IDN}} || {{flag|East Nusa Tenggara}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|5 || style="text-align:left" |'''[[Kupang Regency|Central Kupang]]''' || style="text-align:right;" | 48,635 || {{IDN}} || {{flag|East Nusa Tenggara}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|6 || style="text-align:left" |'''[[Soe, Timor|Soe]]''' || style="text-align:right;" | 41,640 || {{IDN}} || {{flag|East Nusa Tenggara}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|7 || style="text-align:left" |'''[[Betun, Indonesia|Betun]]''' || style="text-align:right;" | 41,631 || {{IDN}} || {{flag|East Nusa Tenggara}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|8 || style="text-align:left"|'''[[Malaka Regency|West Malaka]]''' || style="text-align:right;" | 23,639 || {{IDN}} || {{flag|East Nusa Tenggara}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|9 || style="text-align:left" |'''[[:id:Kota Oelamasi, Kupang|Oelamasi]]''' || style="text-align:right;" | 15,013 || {{IDN}} || {{flag|East Nusa Tenggara}}
|-
| style="text-align:center;"|10 || style="text-align:left;background-color:#cfecec" |'''[[Baucau]]''' || style="text-align:right;" | 14,961 || {{TLS}} || [[Baucau Municipality]]
|-
|}

== Administration ==
===2018 and 2023===
{{sticky header}}{{table alignment}}{{static row numbers}}{{sort under}}
{| class="sortable wikitable sticky-header static-row-numbers sort-under col1left col2left col3left col4left col5left col6left col7left col8left col9left col10left col11left col12left col13left" {{right}}
! rowspan="2"| Name
! rowspan="2"| Capital
! colspan="2"| Population
! colspan="2"| HDI
! colspan="2"| GDP <small><br />billion US$</small>
! colspan="2"| Nominal <small>(US$)<br />per capita</small>
! colspan="2"| PPP <small>(Int$)<br />per capita</small>
! rowspan="2"|Country
|-
! scope="col" | 2018<ref>{{Cite book|title=Jumlah Penduduk Menurut Kelompok Umur dan Kabupaten/Kota di Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur, 2018|author=Badan Pusat Statistik NTT|author-link=Statistics Indonesia|publisher=Badan Pusat Statistik|year=2020|location=Kupang|url=https://ntt.bps.go.id/dynamictable/2020/06/25/1480/jumlah-penduduk-menurut-kelompok-umur-dan-kabupaten-kota-di-provinsi-nusa-tenggara-timur-2018.html}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.jornal.gov.tl/?q=node%2F6605 |title = Jornal da República: Diploma Ministerial no. 24/2014 de 24 de Julho, Orgânica dos Postos Administrativos |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084342/http://www.jornal.gov.tl/?q=node%2F6605 |archive-date=4 March 2016 }}</ref>
! scope="col" | 2023
! scope="col" | 2018<ref>{{Cite book|title=Indeks Pembangunan Manusia (IPM) Menurut Kabupaten/Kota Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur, 2010-2019|author=Badan Pusat Statistik NTT|author-link=Statistics Indonesia|publisher=Badan Pusat Statistik|year=2020|location=Kupang|url=https://ntt.bps.go.id/dynamictable/2015/11/12/69/-metode-baru-indeks-pembangunan-manusia-ipm-menurut-kabupaten-kota-provinsi-nusa-tenggara-timur-2010-2019.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Sub-national Human Development Index by Province, 1990-2018 (New Method)|url=https://globaldatalab.org/shdi/shdi/TLS/?levels=1%2B4&interpolation=0&extrapolation=0&nearest_real=0|access-date=2020-03-26|language=en}}</ref>
! scope="col" | 2023
! scope="col" | 2018
! scope="col" | 2023
! scope="col" | 2018<ref name = "ntt">{{Cite book|title=Produk Domestik Regional Bruto (PDRB) Atas Dasar Harga Berlaku (ADHB) Menurut Kabupaten/Kota di Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur (Miliar Rupiah), 2012-2019|author=Badan Pusat Statistik NTT|author-link=Statistics Indonesia|publisher=Badan Pusat Statistik|year=2020|location=Kupang|url=https://ntt.bps.go.id/dynamictable/2018/11/05/879/produk-domestik-regional-bruto-pdrb-atas-dasar-harga-berlaku-adhb-menurut-kabupaten-kota-di-provinsi-nusa-tenggara-timur-miliar-rupiah-2012-2019.html}}</ref>
! scope="col" | 2023
! scope="col" | 2018<ref name = "ntt"/><ref name="worldbank">{{cite web|title=GDP per capita, PPP (current international $) - Timor-Leste|url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD?locations=TL|access-date=7 July 2020|website=data.worldbank.org|publisher=World Bank}}</ref>
! scope="col" | 2023
|-
|-
| West Timor || [[Kupang]] || {{formatnum: 1935245}} || {{formatnum: 2011273}} || bgcolor=FFFF00| 0.664 (Medium) || bgcolor=D3FF00| 0.701 (high) || 3.646 || 3.992 || 1,884 || 1,985 ||6,193 ||  6,357 || {{flag|Indonesia}}
|-
| Timor-Leste || [[Dili]] || {{formatnum: 1183643}} || {{formatnum: 1350664}} || bgcolor=FFD215| 0.606 (Medium) || bgcolor=FFA83C| 0.566 (Medium) || 1.531 || 2.338 || 1,294 || 1,731 || 3,252 || 4,051 || {{flag|Timor-Leste}}
|- class=static-row-numbers-norank bgcolor=e6e6e6
| Timor ||align="center"| – || {{Formatnum: 3118888}} || {{Formatnum: 3361938}} || bgcolor=FFD215| 0.635 (Medium) || bgcolor=FFD215| 0.647 (Medium) || 5.177 || 6.330 || 1,589 || 1,883 || 4,722 || 5,431 || 
|}

===2023===
{{sticky header}}{{table alignment}}{{static row numbers}}{{sort under}}
{| class="sortable wikitable sticky-header static-row-numbers sort-under col1left col2left col5left col8left" {{right}}
! Name
! Capital
! Area{{br}}{{km2}}
! Population{{br}}2023<ref name = "ntt2024">{{Cite book|title=Provinsi Nusa Tenggara Timur Dalam Angka 2024|author=Badan Pusat Statistik NTT|author-link=Statistics Indonesia|publisher=Badan Pusat Statistik|year=2024|location=Kupang|url=https://ntt.bps.go.id/publication/2024/02/28/56eb9d4253a9d35283615899/provinsi-nusa-tenggara-timur-dalam-angka-2024.html}}</ref>
! HDI 2023<ref name = "ntt2024"/>
! GDP per capita<ref name = "ntt2024"/>{{br}} nominal US$
! GDP per capita<ref name = "ntt2024"/>{{br}}PPP US$
! Country
|-
| [[Kupang]] City || [[Kupang]] || {{formatnum: 160}} || {{formatnum: 466629}} || bgcolor=00C400| 0.828 (Very High) ||  4,004 || 12,823  || rowspan="6" |{{flag|Indonesia}}
|-
| [[Kupang Regency]] || {{ill|Oelamasi|id|Kota Oelamasi, Kupang}} || {{formatnum: 5898}} || {{formatnum: 376842}} || bgcolor=FFFF00| 0.675 (Medium) || 1,594 || 5,106
|-
| [[North Central Timor Regency]] || [[Kefamenanu]] || {{formatnum: 2669}} || {{formatnum: 271273}} || bgcolor=FFFF00| 0.666 (Medium) || 1,166 || 3,733 
|-
| [[Belu Regency]] || [[Atambua]] || {{formatnum: 1284}} || {{formatnum: 231012}} || bgcolor=FFFF00| 0.675 (Medium) || 1,557 || 4,985
|-
| [[South Central Timor Regency]] || [[Soe, Timor|Soe]] || {{formatnum: 3947}} || {{formatnum: 474526}} || bgcolor=FFFF00| 0.654 (Medium) || 1,313 || 4,205
|-
| [[Malaka Regency]] || [[Betun]] || {{formatnum: 1160}} || {{formatnum: 190991}} || bgcolor=FFD215| 0.645 (Medium) || 1,176 || 3,765
|-
| [[Dili Municipality|Dili]] || [[Dili]] || {{formatnum: 367}} || {{formatnum: 252884}} || bgcolor=D3FF00 | 0.709 (High) ||  ||  || rowspan="13" |{{flag|Timor-Leste}}
|-
| [[Liquiçá Municipality|Liquiçá]] || [[Liquiçá]] || {{formatnum: 549}} ||  {{formatnum:73027}} || bgcolor=FFD215 | 0.613 (Medium) ||  ||
|-
| [[Manufahi Municipality|Manufahi]] || [[Same, Timor-Leste|Same]] || {{formatnum: 1323}} || {{formatnum: 52246}} || bgcolor=FFA83C | 0.598 (Medium) ||  ||
|-
| [[Manatuto Municipality|Manatuto]] || [[Manatuto]] || {{formatnum: 1782}} || {{formatnum: 45541}} || bgcolor=FFA83C | 0.596 (Medium) ||  ||
|-
| [[Cova Lima Municipality|Covalima]] || [[Suai, Timor-Leste|Suai]] || {{formatnum: 1203}} || {{formatnum: 4550}} || bgcolor=FFA83C | 0.596 (Medium) ||  ||
|-
| [[Aileu Municipality|Aileu]] || [[Aileu]] || {{formatnum: 737}} || {{formatnum: 48554}} || bgcolor=FFA83C | 0.594 (Medium) ||  ||
|-
| [[Lautém Municipality|Lautém]] || [[Lospalos]] || {{formatnum: 1813}} || {{formatnum: 64135}} || bgcolor=FFA83C | 0.586 (Medium) ||  ||
|-
| [[Viqueque Municipality|Viqueque]] || [[Viqueque]] || {{formatnum: 1877}} || {{formatnum: 77402}} || bgcolor=FFA83C | 0.584 (Medium) ||  ||
|-
| [[Bobonaro Municipality|Bobonaro]] || [[Maliana]] || {{formatnum: 1376}} || {{formatnum: 98932}} || bgcolor=FFA83C | 0.584 (Medium) ||  ||
|-
| [[Baucau Municipality|Baucau]] || [[Baucau]] || {{formatnum: 1506}} || {{formatnum: 124061}} || bgcolor=FFA83C | 0.584 (Medium) ||  ||
|-
| [[Ainaro Municipality|Ainaro]] || [[Ainaro]] || {{formatnum: 804}} || {{formatnum: 66397}} || bgcolor=FF852F | 0.545 (Low) ||  ||
|-
| [[Ermera Municipality|Ermera]] || [[Gleno]] || {{formatnum: 768}} || {{formatnum: 127283}} || bgcolor=FF852F | 0.543 (Low) ||  ||
|-
| [[Oecusse]] (SAR) || [[Pante Macassar]] || {{formatnum: 814}} || {{formatnum: 72230}} || bgcolor=FF852F | 0.542 (Low) ||  ||
|- class=static-row-numbers-norank bgcolor=e6e6e6
| West Timor || [[Kupang]] || {{formatnum: 15120}} || {{formatnum: 2011273}} || bgcolor=D3FF00| 0.701 (high) || 1,985 || 6,357 || {{flag|Indonesia}}
|- class=static-row-numbers-norank bgcolor=e6e6e6
| Timor-Leste || [[Dili]] || {{formatnum: 15007}} || {{formatnum: 1350664}} || bgcolor=FFA83C| 0.566 (Medium) || 1,731 || 4,051 || {{flag|Timor-Leste}}
|- class=static-row-numbers-norank bgcolor=e6e6e6
| Timor ||align="center"| – || {{Formatnum: 30777}} || {{Formatnum: 3361938}} || bgcolor=FFD215| 0.647 (Medium) || 1,883 || 5,431 || 
|}

=== West Timor ===

West Timor is part of the [[East Nusa Tenggara]] province. It was formerly split into the City of Kupang (a ''[[List of regencies and cities of Indonesia|kabupaten]]'' or regency-level administrative area) and four [[Regencies of Indonesia|regencies]] (kabupaten); from west to east these are: [[Kupang Regency|Kupang]], [[South Central Timor Regency|Timor Tengah Selatan]] (South Central Timor), [[North Central Timor Regency|Timor Tengah Utara]] (North Central Timor) and [[Belu Regency|Belu]]. However, a fifth regency – [[Malaka Regency|Malaka]] – was in 2012 formed from the southern half of Belu Regency. Note that the administrative area has shrunk as [[Rote Ndao Regency]] (Rote and Ndoa islands to the southwest) and [[Sabu Raijua Regency]] (the Savu Islands further west) were split off in 2002 and 2009 respectively from Kupang Regency.  The island accounts for 35.5% of the provincial population.

=== Timor-Leste ===
{{main|Municipalities of Timor-Leste|Administrative posts of Timor-Leste|Sucos of Timor-Leste}}
Timor-Leste is divided into thirteen municipalities, which in turn are subdivided into 65 administrative posts, 442 ''sucos'' (villages), and 2,225 ''aldeias'' (hamlets).<ref>{{Citation |url=http://www.jornal.gov.tl/public/docs/2009/serie_1/serie1_no33.pdf |work=Jornal da Républica, Série I, N.° 33, 16 de Setembro de 2009, 3588-3620 |title=Diploma Ministerial No:199/GM/MAEOT/IX/09 de 15 de Setembro de 2009 Que fixa o número de Sucos e Aldeias em Território Nacional Exposição de motivos |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120301124211/http://www.jornal.gov.tl/public/docs/2009/serie_1/serie1_no33.pdf|archive-date=1 March 2012 }}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Population and Housing Census 2015, Preliminary Results |url=http://www.statistics.gov.tl/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/1-Preliminary-Results-4-Printing-Company-19102015.pdf |publisher=Direcção-Geral de Estatística |access-date=15 January 2018}}</ref>

== Flora and fauna ==
{{see also|Timor and Wetar deciduous forests}}
Timor and its offshore islands such as [[Atauro Island|Atauro]], a former place of exile increasingly known for its beaches and coral{{Citation needed|reason=reliable source needed for the whole statement|date=October 2010}}, as well as [[Jaco Island|Jaco]] along with Wetar and the other [[Barat Daya Islands]] to the northeast constitute the [[Timor and Wetar deciduous forests]] [[ecoregion]]. The natural vegetation was [[Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests|tropical dry broadleaf forests]] with an undergrowth of shrubs and grasses supporting a rich wildlife{{Citation needed|reason=reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=October 2010}}. However much of the original forest has been cleared for farming,{{Citation needed|reason=reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=October 2010}} especially on the coasts of Timor and on the smaller islands like Atauro. Apart from one large block in the centre of Timor only patches remain.{{Citation needed|reason=reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=October 2010}} This ecoregion is part of the [[Wallacea]] area with a mixture of plants and animals of [[Asia]]n and [[Australasian realm|Australasian]] origin; it lies in the western part of Wallacea, in which Asian species predominate.

Many trees are [[deciduous]] or partly deciduous, dropping their leaves during the dry season, there are also [[evergreen]] and thorn trees in the woodland. Typical trees of the lowland slopes include ''[[Sterculia foetida]]'', ''[[Calophyllum teysmannii]]'' and ''[[Aleurites moluccanus]]''.

During the [[Pleistocene]] [[Epoch (reference date)|epoch]], Timor was the abode of extinct [[Island gigantism|giant]] [[monitor lizard]]s similar to the [[Komodo dragon]]. Like [[Flores]], [[Sumba]] and [[Sulawesi]], Timor was also once a habitat of extinct [[Insular dwarfism|dwarf]] [[stegodon]]ts, relatives of [[elephant]]s.

Fauna of today includes a number of endemic species such as the distinctive [[Timor shrew]] and [[Timor rat]]. The [[northern common cuscus]], a [[marsupial]] of Australasian origin occurs as well, but is thought to be introduced.<ref>{{cite iucn |author=Leary, T. |author2=Singadan, R. |author3=Menzies, J. |author4=Helgen, K. |author5=Wright, D. |author6=Allison, A. |author7=Hamilton, S. |author8=Salas, L. |author9=Dickman, C. |year=2016 |title=''Phalanger orientalis'' |volume=2016 |page=e.T16847A21951519 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T16847A21951519.en |access-date=6 July 2024}}</ref> The island have a great number of birds, mainly of Asian origin with some of Australasian origin. There is a total of 250 species of which twenty four are endemic, due to the relative isolation of Timor, including five threatened species; the [[slaty cuckoo-dove]], [[Wetar ground dove]], [[Timor green pigeon]], [[Timor imperial pigeon]], and [[iris lorikeet]].<ref>{{WWF ecoregion|name=Timor and Wetar deciduous forests|id=aa0204}}</ref>

[[Saltwater crocodile]]s are found in the wetlands whereas [[reticulated python]]s can be found in forests and grasslands of Timor. However, the population sizes and status are unknown.

Frog species in Timor include ''[[Duttaphrynus melanostictus]]'', ''[[Hoplobatrachus tigerinus]]'', ''[[Limnonectes timorensis]]'', ''[[Litoria everetti]]'', and ''[[Polypedates leucomystax]]''.<ref>Kaiser H, Ceballos J, Freed P, Heacox S, Lester B, Richards S, Trainor C, Sanchez C, O'Shea M (2011) The herpetofauna of Timor-Leste: a first report. ZooKeys 109: 19-86. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.109.1439</ref> A new species of [[Microhylidae|microlyhid]] frog belonging to the genus ''[[Kaloula]]'' has also recently been discovered in Timor.<ref>O'Shea, Marc and Sanchez, Caitlin. 2015. Herpetological Diversity of Timor-Leste: Updates and a Review of Species Distributions. Asian Herpetological Research, 6(2): 73-131. https://doi.org/10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.140066</ref>

[[Late Cretaceous]] fossils of marine vertebrates are known from Timor-Leste deposits. These include [[mosasaur]]s such as ''[[Globidens]] timorensis'', [[lamniforme]] sharks, [[coelacanth]]s and the [[Choristodera|choristodere]] ''[[Champsosaurus]]''.<ref>J. H. F. Umbgrove, Structural History of the East Indies</ref>

== History ==
{{See also|History of Timor-Leste|History of Indonesia}}
{{More citations needed section|date=October 2022}}
[[File:Timor warrior.jpg|thumb|upright|Portrait of a Timorese warrior in the area of Kupang in 1875, from the report of the expedition of the German ship [[SMS Gazelle (1859)|SMS ''Gazelle'']]]]
[[File:COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Boten langs de kust van Timor TMnr 10021573.jpg|thumb|left|Boats along the Timor coast]]

The earliest historical record about Timor island is the 13th-century Chinese ''[[Zhu Fan Zhi]]'', where it is called ''Ti-wu'' and is noted for its sandalwood. Later on, in the 14th-century Javanese [[Nagarakretagama]], Canto 14, ''Timur'' is identified as an island within [[Majapahit]]'s realm. Timor was incorporated into ancient [[Java]]nese, Chinese and Indian trading networks of the 14th century as an exporter of aromatic [[sandalwood]], [[slavery|slave]]s, [[honey]] and [[wax]], and was settled by both the [[Portugal|Portuguese]], in the end of the 16th century, and the [[Netherlands|Dutch]], based in Kupang, in the mid-17th century.

As the nearest island with a European settlement at the time, Timor was the destination of [[William Bligh]] and seamen loyal to him following the infamous [[Mutiny on the Bounty|mutiny on the ''Bounty'']] in 1789. It was also where survivors of the wrecked {{HMS|Pandora|1779|6}}, sent to arrest the ''Bounty'' mutineers, landed in 1791 after that ship sank in the [[Great Barrier Reef]].

The island has been politically divided in two parts for centuries. The Dutch and Portuguese fought for control of the island until it was divided by [[Treaty of Lisbon (1859)|treaty]] in 1859, but they still did not formally resolve the matter of the boundary until 1912. [[West Timor]], was known as [[Dutch Timor]] until 1949 when it became [[Indonesian Timor]], a part of the nation of [[Indonesia]] which was formed from the old [[Netherlands East Indies]]; while [[East Timor]] was known as [[Portuguese Timor]], a Portuguese colony until 1975. It includes the [[exclave]] of [[Oecussi-Ambeno]] in West Timor.

Although Portugal was neutral during [[World War II]], in December 1941, Portuguese Timor was occupied by [[Australia]]n and Dutch forces, which were expecting a [[Empire of Japan|Japanese]] invasion. This Australian military intervention dragged Portuguese Timor into the Pacific War but it also slowed the Japanese expansion. When the Japanese did occupy Timor, in February 1942, a 400-strong Dutch-Australian force and large numbers of Timorese volunteers engaged them in [[Battle of Timor (1942–43)|a one-year guerrilla campaign]]. After the allied evacuation in February 1943 the East Timorese continued fighting the Japanese, with comparatively little [[collaborationism|collaboration]] with the enemy taking place. This assistance cost the civilian population dearly: Japanese forces burned many villages and seized food supplies. The Japanese occupation resulted in the deaths of 40,000–70,000 Timorese.

Following the [[Carnation Revolution|military coup in Portugal]] in 1974 the Portuguese began to withdraw from Timor. The [[East Timorese civil war|subsequent internal unrest]] and fear of the communist [[Fretilin]] party led to an [[Indonesian invasion of East Timor|invasion by Indonesia]], who opposed the concept of an independent East Timor. In 1975, East Timor was annexed by Indonesia and became known as ''Timor Timur'' or 'Tim-Tim' for short. It was regarded by Indonesia as the country's 27th province, but this was never recognised by the [[United Nations]] (UN) or [[Portugal]].

The people of East Timor, through [[Falintil]] the military wing of Fretilin, resisted 35,000 Indonesian troops in a prolonged guerrilla campaign, but the whole island remained under Indonesian control until [[East Timorese independence referendum, 1999|a referendum held in 1999]] under a UN-sponsored agreement between Indonesia and Portugal in which its people rejected the offer of autonomy within Indonesia. The UN then temporarily governed East Timor until it became independent as Timor-Leste in 2002 under the presidency of Falintil leader [[Xanana Gusmão]]. Political strife continued, as the new nation coped with poverty. Nevertheless, the UN presence was much reduced.

A group of people on the Indonesian side of Timor have been reported active since 2001 trying to establish a [[Great Timor]] state.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.etan.org/et2005/february/20/26ofical.htm| title = Officials wary of Great Timor State |publisher=[[Jakarta Post]] |via=[[ETAN]] |date=26 February 2005}}</ref> However, there is no real evidence that the people of West Timor, most of whom are ethnically [[Atoni]], the traditional enemy of the East Timorese, have any interest in such a union.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} Furthermore, the current government of Timor-Leste recognizes the existing boundary.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}}

== Time zone ==
[[UTC+8]]:
* {{flagicon|INA}} [[East Nusa Tenggara]] (West Timor)

[[UTC+9]]:
* {{flagicon|TLS}} [[Timor-Leste]] (most of state)

== See also ==
{{portal|Islands}}
* [[Battle of Timor]]
* [[Indonesian occupation of East Timor]]
* [[List of divided islands]]
* [[List of rulers of Timor]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{wiktionary-inline}}
* {{Wikivoyage-inline}}
* {{Commons category-inline|Timor}}

{{World's largest islands}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Timor| ]]
[[Category:International islands]]
[[Category:Lesser Sunda Islands]]
[[Category:Outer Banda Arc]]
[[Category:Portuguese colonialism in Indonesia]]
[[Category:Wallacea]]
[[Category:Islands of Timor-Leste]]
[[Category:Islands of Indonesia]]
[[Category:Populated places in Indonesia]]