The tiny south pacific nation of East Timor has had a long and tumultuous history. While it has been touted as the first independent country of the 21st century, the government originally declared its independence in November of 1975. East Timor had spent over 300 years under Portuguese
rule and the colonial influences did much to shape Timorese culture and society. As a result East Timor developed very differently from its neighbours and had little in common with the former Dutch colony that became Indonesia. Portuguese
rule over East Timor was, like that in other colonies, oppressive and exploitive. The Portuguese
assumed a paternal role over the inhabitants of East Timor, regarding their own culture as superior. Rebellions were brutally suppressed and Portuguese
customs, and values along with the Portuguese
language were imposed on the Timorese. Despite this oppression independence movements in the colony remained strong. Political parties, once they were legalized,......

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Title: East Timor
Approximate Word Count: 1680
Approximate Pages: 7 (250 words per double-spaced page)

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