- “Timor” comes from the Malay word timur, which means “east” – so the name East Timor can be translated to “east east””
- East Timor is also known as Timor-Leste
- The official currency of East Timor is the U.S. dollar, but their centavo coins, equal to the U.S. counterparts, are minted in Portugal
- East Timor became a sovereign state in 2002
- Unlike most Southeast Asian countries, the primary staple food in East Timor is corn, not rice
- East Timor is one of only two predominantly Christian nations in south East Asia
