Timor Leste population is a major concern for their government. The population is directly related to the socio-economic condition of the country.
The population is pretty high in Timor Leste or East Timor. According to the last census, the figure is an astonishing 1,040,900. Among them, 56,900 people live in the capital.
When we look back in the past, we find that the population of this small nation was not that high. In 1996, the population of the country was 859,700. At that time, the country was under the control of the Indonesian Government. But in August 1999, the country witnessed their historical event of vote for independence. Experts believe that this event was largely responsible for the growth in population.
During this period, the Indonesian Militia groups started a violent and fierce attrition all over the country. This caused a migration of huge number of people towards this eastern part of Timor islands. Later in that year, when the UN peace keeping forces arrived, the local people who left their home also returned. As a result, this part of the island became over-crowded with refugees and the original inhabitants of the place. In 2007, the estimated population of the country was 1,084,971.
Many of the East Timorese are actually the offspring of Tetum, originally the inhabitant of the south central part of the Timor Island. This huge population of the country is causing unemployment. 50% of the East Timor population is unemployed. Yet the literacy rate is quiet good here. According to the government reports, 48% people in the country are literate and as East Timor is slowly becoming a favorite of the tourists, Government is hopeful about a permanent solution of the unemployment problem.
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