Timor

Timor, largest and easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands, 400 mi (644 km) northwest of Australia. Since Dec. 1975, when the former Portuguese (eastern) Timor was occupied by Indonesian troops, the whole island has been under Indonesian control. The terrain is largely mountainous. Crops include coffee, coconuts, and rice, and cattle are raised. Resistance against Indonesian occupation has been violently suppressed by the Indonesian army. In 1995 there were talks between Indonesia and Portugal on a diplomatic level. The latter represented eastern Timor. In 1996 bisshop Carlos Belo and José Ramos Horta received the Nobel Peace Prize for their support of the population's struggle for autonomy.