This is a list of rivers in

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 ...

. The list is arranged by

catchment A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, t ...

or drainage basin from west to east, with respective tributaries indented under each larger stream's name. Ainaro cities rivers

Overview

East Timor has over 100 rivers originating in the highlands and discharging into the coastal zone. As the island of

Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western part. The Indonesian part, also ...

is small and the country's topography is steep, the rivers are short and drain quickly, with fast flowing discharges. A drainage divide trends approximately from southwest to northeast along East Timor's central mountain range; rain falling north of the divide flows northwards, and that falling to its south drains southwards. The country has also been broadly divided into twelve ' hydrologic units', groupings of climatologically and physiographically similar and adjacent river

s or drainage basins. Each hydrologic unit is made up of a number of rivers. In total, there are 29 main river systems in East Timor – 12 in the north and 17 in the south. Very few of East Timor's rivers flow perennially, because the country is narrow from north to south, and has steep terrain and infrequent rain. Most of the rivers have short courses, are dry most of the year, and are not navigable. In the dry season, the

ephemeral Ephemerality (from the Greek word , meaning 'lasting only one day') is the concept of things being transitory, existing only briefly. Academically, the term ephemeral constitutionally describes a diverse assortment of things and experiences, fr ...

rivers often form pools of stagnant water. The south has more perennial rivers than the north because of its larger catchment areas, longer rainy season, greater rainfall and prevailing winds. According to a ''Timor-Leste Water Sector Assessment and Roadmap'' published by

The World Bank The World Bank Group (WBG) is a family of five international organizations that make leveraged loans to developing countries. It is the largest and best-known development bank in the world and an observer at the United Nations Development G ...

in 2018: During periods of greater precipitation, the rivers in the south cannot accommodate the whole of their flow, and therefore overspill into coastal swamps and

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') ...

s known as ''coilões''. On the north coast, most rivers are choked with nearshore gravel, and there are few

delta Delta commonly refers to: * Delta (letter) (Δ or δ), a letter of the Greek alphabet * River delta, at a river mouth * D ( NATO phonetic alphabet: "Delta") * Delta Air Lines, US * Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19 Delta may also ...

s. The reason is that the offshore gradient, into either

Ombai Strait Ombai Strait ( id, Selat Ombai, pt, Estreito de Ombai, tet, Estreitu Ombai) is an international strait in Southeast Asia. It separates the Alor Archipelago from the islands of Wetar, Atauro, and Timor in the Lesser Sunda Islands. The strai ...

Wetar Strait Wetar Strait ( id, Selat Wetar, pt, Estreito de Wetar, tet, Estreitu Wetar) is an international strait in Southeast Asia. It separates the island of Wetar from the eastern part of the island of Timor. The strait is also the eastern portion ...

, is very steep, with the consequence that sediment that flows offshore is deposited in deep water. On the south coast, where the offshore gradient into the

Timor Sea The Timor Sea ( id, Laut Timor, pt, Mar de Timor, tet, Tasi Mane or ) is a relatively shallow sea bounded to the north by the island of Timor, to the east by the Arafura Sea, and to the south by Australia. The sea contains a number of reefs ...

is much gentler, deltas are common. Many of East Timor's rivers are polluted by sewage released from homes and light industrial premises, due to a lack of basic sanitation. Additionally, the majority of the population uses river water for washing clothes, bathing and other domestic uses, and thus promotes the spread of diseases. East Timor's longest river is the North Laclo, at about long; its largest catchment is that of the Loes, which has a total area of (almost 15% of the whole country), about 9% of which lies in Indonesia. The people of East Timor often have no single common name for, or any single spelling of any name allocated to, a particular river. Further, an East Timorese river may change its name several times between its source and its mouth. The names set out below are therefore not necessarily authoritative, either as to the name of a river, or as to the spelling of any particular name.

North coast

* Leometik River * Fatumolin River * Berita River *

Loes River The Loes River ( pt, Ribeira de Lois or , tet, Mota Lois) is a river in East Timor and one of the few perennial rivers in its north. It combines with its tributaries to make up the country's largest river system, and its catchment or drainage ...

(Rio de Lois) ** Lauveli River *** Dikasbata River *** Emderilua River *** Gumuloa River *** Dirobatelau River *** Manobira River *** Curiho River *** Gleno River **** Goumeca River ***** Buro River **** Roumetalena River **** Maurotieramata River **** Aileu River ** Marobo River *** Manusama River **** Gamerama River **** Lahora River **** Bapera River *** Celere River ***

Garai River The Gorai-Madhumati River ( bn, গড়াই-মধুমতি ''Gôŗai-Modhumoti'') is one of the longest rivers in Bangladesh and a distributary of the Ganges. In the upper reaches it is called the Gorai, and the name changes to Madhumat ...

**** Aiboro River **** Ladibau River *** Magapu River **** Baluani River *** Aimera River *** Boroulo River *** Babonasolan River *** Babalai River ** Bebai River (Rio de Lois) (Nunutura River) (Nunura River) *** Claola River *** Hatoleai River *** Hatopoci River **** Timoreme River *** Meuculi River *** Bulobo River *** Matenua River ***

Sasso River Sasso means stone in Italian. Notable people with the surname include: *Ana Sasso (born c.1963), Croatian former beauty pageant contestant and model *Cinzia Sasso (born 1956), Italian journalist * Guidina Dal Sasso (born 1958), Italian cross country ...

*** Laecouken River (Loilara River) *** Talau River (Taipui River) **** Merak River *** Malibacu River * Marae River * Bahonu River * Palua River * Malukai River * Palapu River * Laklo River * Gularloa River * Carbutaeloa River * Moraeloa River *

Comoro River The Comoro River ( pt, Ribeira de Comoro or , tet, Mota Komoro) is a river in East Timor. It flows north into Ombai Strait, reaching the coast in the north western suburbs of the capital, Dili. In its lower reaches, it is the main and largest o ...

** Bemos River ** Boera River * Santana River * Erseic River * Lobain River * Aiscahe River *

North Laclo River The North Laclo River ( pt, Ribeira de Lacló do Norte or , tet, Mota Lakló) is the longest river in East Timor. It flows northeast into Wetar Strait, reaching the coast near the city of Manatuto. It has no connection to the South Laclo, wh ...

() ** Sumasse River *** Bobo River ** Coi River ** Ulahu River ** Lihobani River (Libania River) *** Ueseic River *** Hatossi River ** Mutoko River ** Lolun River ** Aimaleum River ** Noru River *** Coumai River ** Hatoarabau River ** Marenu River (Orlaquru River) ** Karama River ** Daisoli River ** Manufonihun River (North Laclo River) *** Manolane River * Dolacuain River * Laleia River ** Baunoi River *** Bueana River *** Sorec River ** Caleuc River ** Abai River ** Tutoli River ** Mori River * Vemasse River * Manuleiden River * Seiçal River ** Cainame River ** Salubada River *** Cassaquiar River ** Sauma River ** Buihiu River * Borouai River * Lianau River * Uaimuhi River * Lequinamo River * Laivai River (Dasidara River) * Buiguira River * Raumoco River * Malailada River

South coast

* Masin River * Tafara River ** Maubui River *** Nanamauk River * Kamanasa River ** Karautun River ** Nabuk River * Raiketan River * Foura River * Loumea River ** Pa River (Mauzope River) ** Laco River * Mola River ** Fatoro River * Belulik River ** Buronuno River *** Sarai River *

Caraulun River The Caraulun River ( pt, Ribeira Caraulun or , tet, Mota Caraulun or ) is a river in East Timor. It flows for the most part in a southerly direction, forms the southern part of the border between Ainaro and Manufahi municipalities, and dischar ...

** Aiasa River ** Sui River * Quelun River *

South Laclo River The South Laclo River ( pt, Ribeira de Lacló do Sul or , tet, Mota Lakló) is a river in the Manufahi municipality of East Timor. It flows southwards, and then southeastwards, into the Timor Sea. Etymology English language sources convention ...

() ** Clerec River ** Marak River * Sahen River ** Laniara River * Dilor River ** Culacao River * Luca River * Tuco River * Cuha River ** Lee River * Bebui River * Metauai River * Irabere River ** Calicidere River ** Oulauai River ** Boro River * Veira River * Namaluto River ** Tchino River * Vero River

Oecusse Oecusse (also variously ''Oecussi'', ''Ocussi'', ''Oekussi'', ''Oekusi'', ''Okusi'', ''Oé-Cusse''), also known as Oecusse-Ambeno (; ) and formerly just Ambeno, officially the Special Administrative Region Oecusse-Ambeno (), is an exclave, mun ...

Noel Besi River The Noel Besi River is a river flowing in the west part of Timor island and forms part of the border between the East Timor exclave of Oecussi and Indonesian West Timor. It flows north into the Sawu Sea. Located 1900 km east of the Indone ...

* Tono River ** Abanal River ** Kinloki River ** Ekai River ** Columu River

References

*
GEOnet Names ServerIndonesia 1:250,000 Series T503, U.S. Army Map Service, (1954)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rivers of East Timor

East Timor geography-related lists