East Timor or Timor-Leste is an island country in Southeast Asia, having won its independence from Indonesia in 2002, after having been originally colonized by Portugal in the 16th century. Along with the Philippines, it is the only other majority-Christian country in Southeast Asia, and also located entirely in the Southern Hemisphere.
Most of the country is mountainous and the climate is generally tropical, hot and humid. Its northern coasts have several coral reef systems that are considered endangered. Its economy used to depend upon exports of commodities such as coffee, marble, petroleum, and sandalwood. Now, it gets a lot of its revenue from oil and natural gas reserves. East Timor’s two main official languages are Portuguese and Tetum.