Bobonaro ( pt, Município Bobonaro, , or ) is a
municipality
A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate.
The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...
(and was formerly a district) in the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste commonly known as
East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-weste ...
. It is the second-most western municipality on the east half of the island. It has a population of 92,045 (Census 2010) and an area of 1,376 km².
Etymology
The word ''Bobonaro'' is said to be a Portuguese approximation of the Tetum language word ''Buburnaru'', which means 'tall eucalypt'. However, there are also other explanations for the origin of the municipality's name.
''Ho'' () and ''nalu'', the name of a traditional woven basket also called a 'bote' or a 'taan', are words in the local
Bunak language
The Bunak language (also known as Bunaq, Buna', Bunake, pronounced ) is the language of the Bunak people of the mountainous region of central Timor, split between the political boundary between West Timor, Indonesia, particularly in Lamaknen Dist ...
. The basket is worn on the back with a strap on the forehead.
In combination, ''ho'' and ''nalu'' mean 'basket of blood' or 'basket of life', and ''Bobonaro'' approximates the combination.
Additionally, the combination of the words ''bobo'' () and ''naru'' () in another local language,
Kemak, refer to a safe place where one can hide for a long time.
Geography
The
Savu Sea
The Savu Sea (or the Sawu Sea) ( id, Laut Sawu, pt, Mar de Savu, tet, Tasi Savu) is a small sea within Indonesia named for the island of Savu (Sawu) on its southern boundary. It is bounded by Savu and Rai Jua to the south, the islands of ...
lies to the north of Bobonaro. The municipality borders the municipalities of
Liquiçá
Liquiçá (Tetum: ''Likisá'') is a coastal city in East Timor, 32 km to the west of Dili, the national capital. Liquiçá is the capital of Liquiçá District. The city has a population of 5,005 inhabitants.
History
A part of the coloni ...
to the northeast,
Ermera
Ermera (''Vila Ermera'') is a city in East Timor and a former capital of the East Timorese community, Ermera. ''Ermera'' in Mambai means "red water." It has a population of 8,907. Its geographical coordinates are , and it lies above sea l ...
to the east,
Ainaro
Ainaro is a town in East Timor, the capital of the Ainaro suco, the Ainaro administrative post and the Ainaro Municipality, and is located in the southwest part of the country. The town of Ainaro is located 78 km south of Dili, the nat ...
to the southeast, and
Cova-Lima
Cova Lima (, ) is a municipality of East Timor, in the Southwest part of the country. It has a population of 59,455 (Census 2010) and an area of 1,230 km2. The capital of the municipality is Suai, which lies 136 km from Dili, the n ...
to the south. To the west lies the
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
n province
Nusa Tenggara Timur
East Nusa Tenggara ( id, Nusa Tenggara Timur – NTT; pt, Sonda Oriental) is the southernmost province of Indonesia. It comprises the eastern portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, facing the Indian Ocean in the south and the Flores Sea in the nort ...
. In
Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor ( pt, Timor Português) was a colonial possession of Portugal that existed between 1702 and 1975. During most of this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Dutch East Indies.
The first Europeans to arrive in the ...
, the then district had the same boundaries as the present municipality; however its capital was at Vila Armindo Monteiro, which is now called Bobonaro.
The capital of Bobonaro is East Timor's fourth largest city,
Maliana
Maliana is a city in East Timor, 149 kilometers southwest of Dili, the national capital. It has a population of 22,000. It is the capital of the Districts of East Timor, district of Bobonaro District, Bobonaro and Maliana Subdistrict, and is ...
. it had a population of 13,200. It sits at 9.00°S and 125.22°E, 149 km from to the southwest of the national capital,
Dili
Dili (Portuguese/Tetum: ''Díli'') is the capital, largest city of East Timor and the second largest city in Timor islands after Kupang (Indonesia). It lies on the northern coast of the island of Timor, in a small area of flat land hemmed in ...
. The next two largest cities in the municipality are Bobonaro City (also known as Aubá), with 6,700 people; and
Lolotoi with a population of 3,800. Another village is
Atabae
Atabae is a village in the suco of Rairobo ( subdistrict Atabae, Bobonaro District, East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. ...
in Atabae Administrative Post.
Administrative posts
The municipality's administrative posts (formerly sub-districts) are:
*
Atabae
Atabae is a village in the suco of Rairobo ( subdistrict Atabae, Bobonaro District, East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. ...
*
Balibo
Balibo is a town in East Timor situated approximately from the Indonesian border. It is located in the subdistrict of Balibo, Bobonaro District.
It was estimated by Human Rights Watch that 70 per cent of the town was destroyed during t ...
*
Bobonaro
Bobonaro is a town in Bobonaro Subdistrict, Bobonaro District, East Timor., United States National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency The district capital is not in Bobonaro, but is in Maliana
Maliana is a city in East Timor, 149 kilome ...
*
Cailaco
Cailaco is a town in Cailaco Subdistrict in the Bobonaro District of East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eas ...
*
Lolotoe (also spelled Lolotoi); and
*
Maliana
Maliana is a city in East Timor, 149 kilometers southwest of Dili, the national capital. It has a population of 22,000. It is the capital of the Districts of East Timor, district of Bobonaro District, Bobonaro and Maliana Subdistrict, and is ...
.
The administrative posts are divided into 50 sucos ("villages") in total.
Infrastructure
The main road between
Dili
Dili (Portuguese/Tetum: ''Díli'') is the capital, largest city of East Timor and the second largest city in Timor islands after Kupang (Indonesia). It lies on the northern coast of the island of Timor, in a small area of flat land hemmed in ...
and the Indonesian border at Batugade runs through this municipality, clinging closely to the coast for almost its entire length through the municipality. It runs through
Atabae
Atabae is a village in the suco of Rairobo ( subdistrict Atabae, Bobonaro District, East Timor
East Timor (), also known as Timor-Leste (), officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is an island country in Southeast Asia. ...
and
Balibó administrative posts.
Border crossings
The main border crossing between East Timor and Indonesia is located in this district at Batugade where the East Timor Immigration Post is located. The Indonesian checkpoint is located in
Mota'ain
Mota'ain, also spelled Motain, Mota'in or Mota Ain, is a hamlet in the Silawan village ('' desa''), East Tasifeto district (''kecamatan''), Belu Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
A major border crossing checkpoint with customs, immigration ...
in
Belu Regency
Belu Regency is a regency in East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. Established on 20 December 1958, Belu Regency has its seat (capital) in the large town of Atambua.
In December 2012 a separate Regency - Malaka Regency - was created from th ...
,
Nusa Tenggara Timur
East Nusa Tenggara ( id, Nusa Tenggara Timur – NTT; pt, Sonda Oriental) is the southernmost province of Indonesia. It comprises the eastern portion of the Lesser Sunda Islands, facing the Indian Ocean in the south and the Flores Sea in the nort ...
Province. Another minor border crossing checkpoint is maintained by the Immigration Service of East Timor within this municipality at Tunibibi near
Maliana
Maliana is a city in East Timor, 149 kilometers southwest of Dili, the national capital. It has a population of 22,000. It is the capital of the Districts of East Timor, district of Bobonaro District, Bobonaro and Maliana Subdistrict, and is ...
. The Indonesian post for this crossing is at Turiskain, also in Belu Regency.
History
The municipality had been a popular destination in Timor, due to its mountains and hot springs, but it suffered much violence in the
war for independence.
Balibó, located about 10 miles from the Indonesian border, was estimated by Human Rights Watch to be 70% destroyed during the militia violence that preceded the referendum for East Timorese independence. It was also the site of the killing of five Australian-based journalists (the
Balibo Five
The Balibo Five was a group of journalists for Australian commercial television networks who were murdered in the period leading up to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor. The Balibo Five were based in the town of Balibo in East Timor (then ...
) by Indonesian forces on 16 October 1975 during an incursion by Indonesia into what was then
Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor ( pt, Timor Português) was a colonial possession of Portugal that existed between 1702 and 1975. During most of this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Dutch East Indies.
The first Europeans to arrive in the ...
.
Demographics
In addition to the official languages of
Tetum
, nativename=Tetun
, states= Indonesia East Timor
, speakers=, mostly in Indonesia
, date=2010–2011
, ref=e18
, speakers2=50,000 L2-speakers in Indonesia and East Timor
, familycolor=Austronesian
, fam2=Malayo-Polynesian
, fam3= Central–East ...
and
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
, a large part of Bobonaro speaks the
Malayo-Polynesian languages
The Malayo-Polynesian languages are a subgroup of the Austronesian languages, with approximately 385.5 million speakers. The Malayo-Polynesian languages are spoken by the Austronesian peoples outside of Taiwan, in the island nations of Southeast ...
Bekais and
Kemak and Papuan language
Bunak
The Bunak (also known as Bunaq, Buna', Bunake) people are an ethnic group that live in the mountainous region of central Timor, split between the political boundary between West Timor, Indonesia, particularly in Lamaknen District and East Timor. ...
, which are designated "national languages" by the constitution.
See also
*
Battle of Aidabasalala
The Battle of Aidabasalala (16 October 1999) was a small but hard-fought action during the 1999 East Timorese crisis between pro-Indonesian militia and a six-man Australian covert reconnaissance patrol from the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) ...
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
* – official site (in Tetum with some content in English)
* – information page on
Ministry of State Administration site
{{Authority control
Municipalities of East Timor