Timor

Lore & Background

The earliest historical record about Timor island is the 13th-century Chinese Zhu Fan Zhi, where it is called Ti-wu and noted for its sandalwood. In the 14th-century Javanese Nagarakretagama, Timur is identified as an island within Majapahit's realm. Timor was incorporated into ancient Javanese, Chinese and Indian trading networks as an exporter of sandalwood, slaves, honey and wax, and was settled by the Portuguese in the late 16th century and the Dutch in the mid-17th century.

Reader's Guide

Timor's significance lies in its long history as a crossroads of trade and colonial conflict, and its more recent emergence as a sovereign nation after decades of occupation. Timor's role in the aftermath of the Bounty mutiny and the Pandora shipwreck highlights its position as the nearest European-settled island to Australia. During World War II, the island's guerrilla campaign against Japanese occupation, supported by Timorese volunteers, exacted a heavy civilian toll. The island's geology, as part of the Banda Forearc formed by collision of the Australian and Eurasian plates, contributes to its structural complexity and potential for petroleum development.

Did You Know?

• The name Timor is a variant of timur, Malay for 'east', because it lies at the eastern end of the Lesser Sunda Islands.
• Mainland Australia is less than 500 km away from Timor, separated by the Timor Sea.