a small country in SE Asia, comprising part of the island of Timor: colonized by Portugal in the 19th century; declared independence in 1975 but immediately invaded by Indonesia; under UN administration from 1999 and an independent state from 2002. It is mountainous with a monsoon climate; subsistence agriculture is the main occupation. Official languages: Portuguese and Tetun (a lingua franca); English and Indonesian are also spoken. Religion: Roman Catholic majority. Currency: US dollar. Capital: Dili. Pop: 1 296 311 (2017 est). Area: 14 874 sq km (5743 sq miles)