Everything about Dili totally explained
Dili, also spelled
Díli, is the
capital and largest city of
Timor Leste (also called East Timor). It lies on the northern coast of
Timor island, the easternmost of the
Lesser Sunda Islands. Dili is the chief port and commercial centre for East Timor, and has approximately 150,000 inhabitants. There is also an airport in
Comoro,
Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, renamed after independence leader
Nicolau Lobato, which is used for commercial and military flights. Dili is located at 8°34' South, 125°34' East (-8.5667, 125.5667). It is also the capital of the
district of
Dili, which includes the surrounding area.
Buildings and monuments
Most buildings were destroyed in the violence of
1999, orchestrated by the
Indonesian military and local
pro-Indonesia militias (see
Operation Scorched Earth). However, the city still has many buildings from the
Portuguese era. The former Portuguese Governor's office is now the office of the
Prime Minister. It was previously also used by the Indonesian-appointed Governor, and by the
United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET).
Even under Indonesian rule, during which the
Portuguese language was banned, Portuguese street names like
Avenida Marechal Carmona remained unchanged, although they were prefixed with the
Indonesian word
Jalan or 'road'. The
Roman Catholic Church at Motael became a focus for resistance to Indonesian occupation.
Legacies of
Jakarta's occupation are the Church of the
Immaculate Conception, purportedly the largest cathedral in
Southeast Asia, and the 'Integration Monument', commemorating the Indonesian annexation of the territory in
1976. Featuring a statue of a Timorese in traditional dress, breaking the chains round his wrists, the monument hasn't been demolished.
History
Dili was settled about
1520 by the
Portuguese, who made it the capital of
Portuguese Timor in
1769. During
World War II, Dili was occupied by the
Japanese. East Timor
unilaterally declared independence from
Portugal on
November 28 1975. However, nine days later, on
December 7,
Indonesian forces invaded Dili. On
July 17,
1976, Indonesia annexed East Timor, which it designated the 27
th province of
Indonesia,
Timor Timur (
Indonesian for
East Timor), with Dili as its capital.
However, a guerrilla war ensued from 1975 to 1999 between Indonesian and pro-independence forces, during which tens of thousands of
East Timor and some
international civilians were killed. Media coverage of the
1991 Dili Massacre helped revitalise international support for the East Timorese independence movement. In
1999, East Timor was placed under UN supervision and on
May 20 2002, Dili became the capital of the independent Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. In
May 2006,
fighting and rioting sparked by conflict between elements of the military caused significant damage to the city and led to foreign military intervention to restore order.
Education
Schools in Dili include
St. Joseph’s High School (Colégio de São José).
East Timor's major
higher education institution, the
Universidade Nacional de Timor-Leste, is based in Dili.
Transportation
Dili is serviced by
Presidente Nicolau Lobato International Airport, the only
international airport in East Timor. Dili has the only functioning international airport, though there are airstrips in Baucau, Suai and Oecusse used for domestic flights. Until recently, Dili's airport runway has been unable to accommodate aircraft larger than the
Boeing 737 or
C-130 Hercules, but in
January 2008, the Portuguese charter airline
EuroAtlantic Airways operated a direct flight from
Lisbon using a
Boeing 757, carrying 140 members of the
Guarda Nacional Republicana. Under Portuguese rule, Baucau airport, which has a much longer runway, was used for international flights, but following the Indonesian invasion this was taken over by the Indonesian military and closed to civilian traffic.
Sister cities
Gallery
Image:Dili fisher.jpg|Fisher boat in Dili
Image:Gouverneurspalast klein.jpg|Government Palace
Image:Atauro.jpg|View looking across to Atauro
Further Information
Get more info on 'Dili'.
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