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 ...
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 eastern half of the island of Timor, the exclave of Oecusse on the island's north-w ...
, 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
Suai is a city in East Timor, in Suai Subdistrict. It has a population of 9,866 and is located to the southwest of Dili, the national capital. Suai is the capital of the Cova Lima District, which is in the southwest of the country. It is locat ...
, which lies 136 km from Dili, the national capital.
Etymology
There are two different explanations for the municipality's name. First, it could be derived from ''koba'' (a basket used for ritual acts) and ''lima'', the Tetum word for 'five'. The combination is said to represent either the five mythical daughters of the Liurai (traditional title of a Timorese ruler) of Fohorem Nutetu, or five kingdoms consisting of Fatumea, Dakolo, Lookeu, Sisi and Maudemi.
According to a second explanation, the English language name of the municipality is said to be a Portuguese approximation of the words ''kaua lima'' or
portmanteau
A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words
It has been asserted that the Portuguese version of the name, perhaps intentionally, has a symbolically derogatory meaning, namely 'Five Graves' or 'Five Holes', as the Portuguese word ''cova'' means 'grave' or 'hole'. According to that assertion, the Portuguese version may also be a "... form of cultural and mind de-colonization ..." nowiki_/>sic -_colonization.html" ;"title="sic.html" ;"title="nowiki />sic">nowiki />sic - colonization">sic.html" ;"title="nowiki />sic">nowiki />sic - colonization] of the local name.
Geography
Cova Lima borders the Timor Sea to the south, the municipalities of Bobonaro Municipality, Bobonaro to the north, Ainaro Municipality, Ainaro to the east, and 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 Gui ...
n province of
East Nusa Tenggara
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 nor ...
Zumalai
Zumalai is a city and subdistrict (former ''Mape-Zumalai'') in East Timor. The subdistrict has been part of Cova Lima District since 2003. Before that, it was part of Ainaro District. The Zumalai subdistrict has six main villages: Fatuleto, Ra ...
,
Maucatar
Maucatar, officially Maucatar Administrative Post (, ), is an administrative post (and was formerly a subdistrict) in Cova Lima municipality, East Timor. Its seat or administrative centre
An administrative center is a seat of regional adm ...
,
Suai
Suai is a city in East Timor, in Suai Subdistrict. It has a population of 9,866 and is located to the southwest of Dili, the national capital. Suai is the capital of the Cova Lima District, which is in the southwest of the country. It is locat ...
, and
Tilomar
Tilomar, officially Tilomar Administrative Post (, ), is an administrative post (and was formerly a subdistrict) in Cova Lima municipality, East Timor. Its seat or administrative centre is Casabauc.
The administrative post has an area of 1 ...