TIMOR

TIMOR is the largest of the long chain of islands situated at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, north of the Timor Sea, which stretches eastward from Java, of volcanic formation, mountainous, wooded, and possessing deposits of various metals, but mainly exports maize, sandal-wood, wax, tortoise-shell, &c.

Population consists chiefly of Papuans, whose native chiefs are the real rulers of the island. The island is divided between the sovereign states of East Timor, on the eastern part, and Indonesia, on the western part known as West Timor.

Formerly, the West portion belonged to Holland and the East to Portugal. East of Timor lies a group of three low-lying islands of coral formation, known as Timor-Laut or Tenimber Islands which was Dutch possession.