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 ...
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-west ...
, 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 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
Liurai is a ruler's title on Timor. The word is Tetun and literally means "surpassing the earth". It is originally associated with Wehali, a ritually central kingdom situated at the south coast of Central Timor (now included in Indonesia). The s ...
(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 Guine ...
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 ...
Fohorem
Fohorem (''Fuorém''), officially Fohorem Administrative Post (, ), is an administrative post (and was formerly a subdistrict) in Cova Lima municipality, East Timor.Zumalai, Maucatar, Suai, and Tilomar.