Photo of the Day - Sept. 7, 2012

U.N. Secretary-General Visits Primary School in Timorese Capital Dili

Children at their desk in a classroom at the school, August 16, 2012 in Dili, Timor-Leste.

Photo:  United Nations.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the Cassait Primary School in the Liquica district of Timorese capital Dili.  East Timor was colonized by Portugal in the 16th century, and was known as Portuguese Timor until Portugal's decolonization of the country. In late 1975, East Timor declared its independence, but later that year was invaded and occupied by Indonesia and was declared Indonesia's 27th province the following year.

In 1999, following the United Nations-sponsored act of self-determination, Indonesia relinquished control of the territory and East Timor became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century on May 20, 2002. East Timor is one of only two predominantly Roman Catholic countries in East Asia, the other being the Philippines.  East Timor continues to suffer the aftereffects of a decades-long independence struggle against Indonesia, which damaged infrastructure and displaced thousands of civilians. It is placed 147th by the U.N. Human Development Index.

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