Location:
Southeastern Asia, northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian archipelago; note - Timor-Leste includes the eastern half of the island of Timor, the Oecussi (Ambeno) region on the northwest portion of the island of Timor, and the islands of Pulau Atauro and Pulau Jaco

Geographic coordinates:
8 50 S, 125 55 E

Map references:
Southeast Asia

Area:
total: 14,874 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 14,874 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 160

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than Connecticut

Land boundaries:
total: 253 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (1): Indonesia 253 km

Coastline:
706 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
contiguous zone: 24 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - contiguous zone country ranks ]
exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive fishing zone country ranks ]

Climate:
tropical; hot, humid; distinct rainy and dry seasons

Terrain:
mountainous

Elevation:
0 m lowest point: Timor Sea, Savu Sea, and Banda Sea
2963 highest point: Foho Tatamailau

Natural resources:
gold, petroleum, natural gas, manganese, marble

Land use:
agricultural land: 25.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 10.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 4.9% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 10.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 49.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 25.8% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
350 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population distribution:
most of the population concentrated in the western third of the country, particularly around Dili

Natural hazards:
floods and landslides are common; earthquakes; tsunamis; tropical cyclones

Environment - current issues:
air pollution and deterioration of air quality; greenhouse gas emissions; water quality, scarcity, and access; land and soil degradation; forest depletion; widespread use of slash and burn agriculture has led to deforestation and soil erosion; loss of biodiversity

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
Timor comes from the Malay word for "east"; the island of Timor is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest and easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands; the district of Oecussi is an exclave separated from Timor-Leste proper by Indonesia