Timor-Leste 🇹🇱
Timor-Leste is a country in Asia with a population of 1,341,296. Its capital is Dili. The official currency is USD, and the main languages are Tetum, Portuguese.
Quick facts
- Capital: Dili
- Continent: Asia
- Population: 1,341,296
- Area: 14,874 km²
- Density: 90.2 people per km²
- Currency: USD
- Languages: Tetum, Portuguese
- ISO code: TL
Where Timor-Leste sits
Timor-Leste 🇹🇱 is one of 48 countries in Asia, with its capital at Dili. It covers 14,874 square kilometres — 155th in the world — and is home to about 1,341,296 people, 154th globally.
The countries it shares a continent with include China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Bangladesh. If you are learning geography region by region — which works far better than alphabetically, because memory for places is spatial — those are the ones to learn alongside it.
How Timor-Leste compares
Raw figures are hard to hold on their own, so it helps to anchor them. In population, Timor-Leste sits closest to Estonia and Mauritius. In land area, its nearest counterparts are Bahamas and Montenegro.
At 90.2 people per square kilometre it is somewhat above the world average of 59.4. It ranks higher by population than by area, so it is more crowded than its size alone suggests.
Tetum is listed as official in Timor-Leste alone. The USD is shared with 6 other countries, including Ecuador, El Salvador and Marshall Islands, and 3 others.
To see Timor-Leste next to every other country, sort the country rankings by population, area or density; its currency and languages are listed alongside every other country's in world currencies and world languages.
How to remember Timor-Leste
Dili, the capital and largest city, lies on the northern coast of the island of Timor, on a small area of flat land hemmed in by mountains. For the flag, picture a white star on a black arrow inside a yellow arrow.
The flag of Timor-Leste: red, yellow, black and white
🇹🇱 The flag is a red flag with a yellow arrowhead and a smaller black triangle pointing in from the flagpole, with a white star on the black triangle. Yellow stands for the colonial past, black for the obscurity that needs to be overcome, and red for the struggle for freedom. The white star stands for peace and a guiding light.
Region and neighbours
Timor-Leste is a country in Southeast Asia that covers the eastern half of the island of Timor, plus the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest and the islands of Atauro and Jaco. It shares land borders with one country: Indonesia.
- Indonesia 🇮🇩 — capital Jakarta
Three facts about Timor-Leste
- Timor-Leste's independence was restored on 20 May 2002.
- Its official languages are Portuguese and Tetun.
- Timor-Leste took part in the 2026 ASEAN summit, held in the Philippines, as a full member of ASEAN.
Sources: Wikipedia: Timor-Leste, Wikipedia: Flag of Timor-Leste, Wikipedia: Dili, CIA World Factbook.
Quiz yourself on Timor-Leste
- Asian capitals quiz — match Timor-Leste to Dili
- Asian flags quiz — spot the Timor-Leste flag among its neighbours
Quizzes that include Timor-Leste
Three angles are worth covering for any country — where it is, what its flag looks like, and what its capital is. For Timor-Leste those are:
- Asia map quiz — place it on a blank map
- Asia flags quiz — identify its flag among its neighbours
- Asia capitals quiz — match it to Dili
- Timor-Leste capital quiz — five quick questions starting with Timor-Leste
- Daily Map Challenge — five countries to find on a blank world map, the same five for everyone each day
Doing all three for one continent before moving on is far more efficient than learning flags globally, then capitals globally, then the map.
Read more about Timor-Leste
- Capital of Timor-Leste: Dili — the capital in detail, with size and density rankings
- All 48 countries of Asia
Nearby countries
- Afghanistan 🇦🇫 — capital Kabul
- Armenia 🇦🇲 — capital Yerevan
- Azerbaijan 🇦🇿 — capital Baku
- Bahrain 🇧🇠— capital Manama
- Bangladesh 🇧🇩 — capital Dhaka
- Bhutan 🇧🇹 — capital Thimphu
- Brunei 🇧🇳 — capital Bandar Seri Begawan
- Cambodia 🇰🇠— capital Phnom Penh
- China 🇨🇳 — capital Beijing
- Georgia 🇬🇪 — capital Tbilisi
- India 🇮🇳 — capital New Delhi
- Indonesia 🇮🇩 — capital Jakarta
Frequently asked questions
What are the colours of the Timor-Leste flag?
The flag of Timor-Leste is a red flag with a yellow arrowhead and a smaller black triangle pointing in from the flagpole, with a white star on the black triangle. Yellow stands for the colonial past, black for the obscurity that needs to be overcome, and red for the struggle for freedom. The white star stands for peace and a guiding light.
Which countries border Timor-Leste?
Timor-Leste shares land borders with Indonesia.
How can I remember the capital of Timor-Leste?
Dili, the capital and largest city, lies on the northern coast of the island of Timor, on a small area of flat land hemmed in by mountains. For the flag, picture a white star on a black arrow inside a yellow arrow.