East Timor is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania known as Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. The country comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor and the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco. The first inhabitants are thought to be descendant of Australoid and Melanesian peoples. The Portuguese began to trade with Timor by the early 16th century and colonized it throughout the mid-century.

East Timor declared itself independent from Portugal on 28 November 1975 but was invaded by neighboring Indonesia nine days later. The country was later incorporated as a province of Indonesia.

On 30 August 1999, in an UN-sponsored referendum, an overwhelming majority of East Timorese voted for independence from Indonesia. Following a United Nations-administered transition period, East Timor was internationally recognized as an independent nation on 20 May 2002. It is the 133rd richest country with a 20% unemployment rate, and approximately half of the population is illiterate.

Resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_East_Timor