Southeast Asia > East Timor > Government

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Administrative divisions 13 administrative districts; Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau, Bobonaro (Maliana), Cova-Lima (Suai), Dili, Ermera, Lautem (Los Palos), Liquica, Manatuto, Manufahi (Same), Oecussi (Ambeno), Viqueque
Ambassadors from Finland > Current Finnish Ambassadors > Ambassador	Markku Niinioja
Capital city	Dili
Capital city > Geographic coordinates	8 35 S, 125 36 E
Capital city > Name	Dili
Capital city > Time difference UTC+9 (14 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Constitution 22 March 2002 (based on the Portuguese model)
Copyright > Reference	Art. 29,
countries' copyright length > Usual term of copyright protection	50 pma
date of transition to republican system of government > Republic since	October 5, 1910
Diplomatic representation from the US > Chief of mission	Ambassador Hans G. KLEMM
Diplomatic representation from the US > Embassy Avenida de Portugal, Praia dos Conqueiros, Dili
Diplomatic representation from the US > FAX	(670) 331-3206
Diplomatic representation from the US > Mailing address US Department of State, 8250 Dili Place, Washington, DC 20521-8250
Diplomatic representation from the US > Telephone	(670) 332-4684
Elections > Head of state	Direct election
Executive branch > Cabinet	Council of Ministers
Executive branch > Chief of state President Jose RAMOS-HORTA (since 20 May 2007); note - the president plays a largely symbolic role but is able to veto legislation, dissolve parliament, and call national elections
Executive branch > Election results Jose RAMOS-HORTA elected president; percent of vote - Jose RAMOS-HORTA 69.2%, Francisco GUTTERES 30.8%
Executive branch > Elections president elected by popular vote for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 9 April 2007 with run-off on 8 May 2007 (next to be held in May 2012); following elections, president appoints leader of majority party or majority coalition as prime minister
Executive branch > Head of government Prime Minister Kay Rala Xanana GUSMAO (since 8 August 2007), note - he formerly used the name Jose Alexandre GUSMAO; Deputy Prime Minister Jose Luis GUTERRES (since 8 August 2007)
Flag description red, with a black isosceles triangle (based on the hoist side) superimposed on a slightly longer yellow arrowhead that extends to the center of the flag; a white star is in the center of the black triangle
Foreign relations of Western Sahara > States recognizing the SADR > Date of recognition	May 20, 2002
General government final consumption expenditure > annual % growth	-9.35 %		[127th of 147]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$	168,126,100 constant 2000 US$		[119th of 145]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant 2000 US$ (per capita)	181.828 constant 2000 US$ per c		[81st of 146]
General government final consumption expenditure > constant LCU	168126100
General government final consumption expenditure > current LCU	173500000
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$	173,500,000 $		[146th of 169]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per $ GDP)	0.512 $ per $1 of GDP		[3rd of 184]
General government final consumption expenditure > current US$ (per capita)	187.64 $ per capita		[99th of 184]
Government type	republic
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom	Tina Redshaw
Heads of Missions from the United Kingdom > Resident Heads of Missions > Type	Embassy
Independence 28 November 1975 (independence proclaimed from Portugal); note - 20 May 2002 is the official date of international recognition of Timor-Leste's independence from Indonesia
Independence Day > Date	May 20
International organization participation ACP, ADB, ARF, CPLP, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IPU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, PIF (observer), UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, Union Latina, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO
Judicial branch Supreme Court of Justice - constitution calls for one judge to be appointed by National Parliament and rest appointed by Superior Council for Judiciary; note - until Supreme Court is established, Court of Appeals is highest court
Legislative branch unicameral National Parliament (number of seats can vary from 52 to 65; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Legislative branch > Election results percent of vote by party - FRETILIN 29%, CNRT 24.1%, ASDT-PSD 15.8%, PD 11.3%, PUN 4.5%, KOTA-PPT (Democratic Alliance) 3.2%, UNTERDIM 3.2%, others 8.9%; seats by party - FRETILIN 21, CNRT 18, ASDT-PSD 11, PD 8, PUN 3, KOTA-PPT 2, UNDERTIM 2
Legislative branch > Elections last held on 30 June 2007 (next elections due by June 2012)
National holiday Independence Day, 28 November
political parties > Dominant party	•
Political parties and leaders Democratic Party or PD [Fernando de ARAUJO]; National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction or CNRT [Xanana GUSMAO]; National Democratic Union of Timorese Resistance or UNDERTIM [Cornelio DA Conceicao GAMA]; National Unity Party or PUN [Fernanda BORGES]; People's Party of Timor or PPT [Jacob XAVIER]; Revolutionary Front of Independent Timor-Leste or FRETILIN [Mari ALKATIRI]; Social Democratic Association of Timor or ASDT [Francisco Xavier do AMARAL]; Social Democratic Party or PSD [Mario CARRASCALAO]; Sons of the Mountain Warriors or KOTA [Manuel TILMAN] (also known as Association of Timorese Heroes)
Political pressure groups and leaders Popular Council for the Defense of the Democratic Republic of East Timor or CPD-RDTL [Antonio-Aitahan MATAK] is largest political pressure group; dissatisfied veterans of struggle against Indonesia, led by one-time government advisor Cornelio GAMA (also known as L-7), also play an important role in pressuring government
Prime minister	José Ramos Horta
Procedures to build a warehouse > number	24		[22nd of 168]
Procedures to build a warehouse > number (per capita)	24.602 per 1 million people		[25th of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number	69		[1st of 170]
Procedures to enforce a contract > number (per capita)	70.73 per 1 million people		[22nd of 171]
Proportion of seats held by women in national parliament > %	25.3 %		[33rd of 174]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number	10		[59th of 171]
Start-up procedures to register a business > number (per capita)	10.251 per 1 million people		[29th of 171]
Status democracy
Suffrage 17 years of age; universal
Time required to build a warehouse > days	142 days		[113rd of 168]
Time required to enforce a contract > days	1,170 days		[11th of 171]
Time required to start a business > days	92 days		[16th of 171]
Time to prepare and pay taxes > hours	640 hours		[16th of 169]
Transnational Issues > Disputes > International Timor-Leste-Indonesia Boundary Committee has resolved all but a small portion of the land boundary, but discussions on maritime boundaries are stalemated over sovereignty of the uninhabited coral island of Pulau Batek/Fatu Sinai in the north and alignment with Australian claims in the south; many refugees who left Timor-Leste in 2003 still reside in Indonesia and refuse repatriation; Australia and Timor-Leste agreed in 2005 to defer the disputed portion of the boundary for 50 years and to split hydrocarbon revenues evenly outside the Joint Petroleum Development Area covered by the 2002 Timor Sea Treaty

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