The country of Timor-Leste is home to 16 Important Bird Areas, as designated by BirdLife International. [1]
Timor-Leste includes the mountainous eastern half of Timor, the Ocussi-Ambeno region on the northwest portion of the island of Timor, and the islands of Atauro and Jaco. The country is located northwest of Australia in the Lesser Sunda Islands at the eastern end of the Indonesian Archipelago. 'Timor' is a Portuguese derivation of 'Timor', the Malay word for "Orient"; the island of Timor is part of the Malay Archipelago and is the largest and easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. Timor-Leste is the only Asian nation to lie entirely within the Southern Hemisphere. The Loes River is the longest with a length of 80 km (50 mi). This river system covers an area of 2,184 km2 (843 sq mi). It is a small country with a land size of 14,919 km2 (5,760 sq mi). The exclusive economic zone is 70,326 km2 (27,153 sq mi).
The Montebello Islands, also rendered as the Monte Bello Islands, are an archipelago of around 174 small islands, about 92 of which are named, lying 20 km (12 mi) north of Barrow Island and 130 km (81 mi) off the Pilbara coast of north-western Australia. The islands form a marine conservation reserve of 58,331 ha administered by the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation. The islands were the site of three British atmospheric nuclear weapons tests, in 1952 and 1956.
Jaco Island is an uninhabited island in East Timor, a country occupying the eastern end of the island of Timor in the Lesser Sunda Islands in Southeast Asia. It lies off the eastern tip with Cape Cutcha of the island of Timor.
Atauro, also known as Kambing Island, is an island and municipality of East Timor. Atauro is a small oceanic island situated north of Dili, on the extinct Wetar segment of the volcanic Inner Banda Arc, between the Indonesian islands of Alor and Wetar. The nearest island is the Indonesian island of Liran, 13.0 km (8.1 mi) to the northeast. At the 2015 census, it had 9,274 inhabitants.
Ombai Strait 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 strait is also the western portion of a pair of international straits, the other one being Wetar Strait; the two straits combine to link the Pacific Ocean with the Indian Ocean.
Wetar Strait 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 of a pair of international straits, the other one being Ombai Strait; the two straits combine to link the Indian Ocean with the Pacific Ocean.
Monte Gordo is a mountain on the island of São Nicolau, Cape Verde. At 1,312 m elevation, it is the island's highest point. It is situated in the western part of the island, 6 km west of the island capital Ribeira Brava. The mountain is of volcanic origin, less than 1 million years old. The boundary of the municipalities Tarrafal de São Nicolau and Ribeira Brava runs over the mountain. It is part of the Monte Gordo Natural Park.
The Nino Konis Santana National Park is East Timor's first national park. The park, established on 15 August 2007, covers 1,236 square kilometres (477 sq mi). It links important bird areas such as Lore, Mount Paitchau, Lake Ira Lalaro, and Jaco Island. The park also includes 556 square kilometres (215 sq mi) of the Coral Triangle, an underwater area which supposedly contains the world's greatest diversity of both coral and coral reef fish. Some of the rare birds protected by this park are the critically endangered yellow-crested cockatoo, the endemic Timor green-pigeon, the endangered Timor imperial-pigeon, and the vulnerable Timor sparrow.
Timor-Leste, also known as East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the coastal exclave of Oecusse in the island's northwest, and the minor islands of Atauro and Jaco. Australia is the country's southern neighbour, separated by the Timor Sea. The country's size is 14,950 square kilometres (5,770 sq mi). Dili, on the north coast of Timor, is its capital and largest city.
Fogo Natural Park, on the island of Fogo, is one of ten "natural parks" in the country of Cape Verde. The protected area is 84.69 km2 (32.70 sq mi), which is 17.8% of the total area of the island. 50% of the park lies within the municipality Santa Catarina do Fogo, 28% in municipality of Mosteiros and 22% in São Filipe. The natural park is situated in the interior of the island, and covers the volcano Pico do Fogo, its crater and crater rim (Bordeira) and the forest of Monte Velha. The volcano is active; the most recent eruption was in 2014-15.
The Timor and Wetar deciduous forests is a tropical dry forest ecoregion in Indonesia and East Timor. The ecoregion includes the islands of Timor, Wetar, Rote, Savu, and adjacent smaller islands.
Tasitolu is a protected area on the coast of Timor-Leste, 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) west of the capital Dili. The Tasitolu wetlands include three saline lakes, an esplanade, and a beach; it has been designated a Wetland of National Significance. Tasitolu Peace Park was designated in 2002 because of its cultural and historical importance. The Tasitolu Important Bird Area accommodates several near-threatened species. A 2004 reforestation project, which included community member participation, was funded by the national government. Subsequent to the 2006 East Timorese crisis, several hundred people sought refuge at Tasitolu's tent camp, established by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. INTERFET, an Australian-led international military Peace Keeping Force governed by the United Nations, has established a base at Tasitolu.
Lake Ira Lalaro is a freshwater lake in Mehara, Subdistrict Tutuala, Lautém District, East Timor. It is the largest of the island of Timor, and thus too of the country. The lake is part of the Mount Paitchau Important Bird Area. The lake waters and that of Irasiquero River are a closed aquatic system; they lie within a huge polje. It covers between 10–55 square kilometres (3.9–21.2 sq mi) while the authigenic catchment basin covers 406 square kilometres (157 sq mi).
Paitchau is a mountain in the Tutuala subdistrict, Lautém District of East Timor. Situated within Nino Konis Santana National Park, it is south of Lake Ira Lalaro. Though part of a mountain chain, Paitchau is an isolated mountain in the southern Sucos Mehara. It ranges in altitude from 0–960 metres (0–3,150 ft). BirdLife International has classified the mountain and its surrounding region of 55,797 hectares as an Important Bird Area of East Timor. The area contained within the Paitchau Range and Ira Lalaro is sparsely populated and contains several unique faunal and floral species.
Cristo Rei Beach is a public beach facing the Bay of Dili in the suco of Metiaut, East Timor.
Dolok Oan, also known in English as Cristo Rei Back Beach or Jesus Backside Beach, is a public beach located in the suco of Hera, a short distance northeast of Dili, East Timor. The beach forms part of the south shore of Wetar Strait, immediately to the east of Cape Fatucama.
Areia Branca Beach is a public beach on the north eastern shore of the Bay of Dili, in the suco of Metiaut, East Timor. It is very popular with both local residents and tourists.
Cape Fatucama is a cape or large headland a short distance north east of Dili, on the north coast of East Timor. It is best known as the site of the Cristo Rei of Dili, a colossal statue of Jesus Christ.
One Dollar Beach or Dollar Beach is a public beach on the north coast of East Timor, east north east of Dili, the capital city. It is long, white, sandy and clean, and also frequently deserted, yet popular with beach users at other times.
Valu Beach is a public beach at the easternmost tip of mainland East Timor, and the gateway to Jaco Island to its east.