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Map of Timor (island only)West Timor is a political region that comprises the western half of Timor island with the exception of Oecussi-Ambeno district (which is politically part of East Timor) and forms a part of the Indonesian province of Nusa Tenggara Timur, (NTT or East Nusa Tenggara). West Timor's capital and chief port is Kupang. The land area of West Timor is 15,850 km². During the colonial period it was known as Dutch Timor and was a centre of Dutch loyalists during the Indonesian War of Independence (1945 - 1949).
Rote Island, the southernmost island of Indonesia, is just to the southwest of West Timor.
On September 6th 2000, three UNHCR staff members were attacked and killed in Atambua, a town in West Timor (see Attacks on humanitarian workers).
Three native languages belonging of Fabronic Stock of the Austronesian group of languages are spoken in West Timor, the others in East Timor. These languages are Ndaonese, Rotinese, and Helong.
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History
European colonization of Timor started in the 16th century. Although the Portuguese claimed the island of Timor in 1520, the Dutch (in the form of the Dutch East India Company) settled West Timor in 1640, forcing the Portuguese out to East Timor. The subsequent collapse of the company meant that in 1799 the area returned to official Dutch rule. Finally, in 1914 the border between East and West Timor was finalized by a treaty between Holland and Portugal that was originally signed in 1859 and modified in 1893.
Japan conquered the island as part of World War 2 in early 1942. 1945a href="August_17.html" title="August 17">08-17 saw Indonesian Independence declared, just three days after the Japanese surrender. The Dutch returned but faced a war with republican guerrillas, the eventual outcome of which was the proclamation of Repulic of Indonesia in 1950, which made West Timor a part of Nusa Tenggarra Timur province.
Demographics
The population of West Timor are mostly of Malay, Papuan or Polynesian extraction, with a small and economically active ethnic Chinese group. West Timor's main religions are Catholic (56%), Protestant (35%) and Islam (8%). There are approximately 1.4 million inhabitants, some of whom are refugees who fled militia and military prosecution in the 1999 Timor-Leste Scorched Earth operation.
Economy
West Timor has an average unemployment rate of 80%. 30% of the population lived below the poverty line in 1998; as of 2000 it was 80%. The economy is mainly agricultural, using slash and burn methods to produce corn, rice, coffee, copra and fruit. Some timber harvesting is undertaken, producing eucalyptus, sandalwood, teak, bamboo and rosewood.
Secession
Following the independence of East Timor, and encouraged by other independist movements inside Indonesia (Free Aceh Movement and Free Papua Movement), Great Timor (Timor Raya) movement looks forward to merge West Timor with East Timor in a fully independent timorese island-nation. This movement is gaining importance at the eyes of indonesian government since the population of both sides of the island is of same ethnicity and culture, politically divided by external powers through artificial boundaries.
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