| Economy - overview: | In late 1999, about 70% of the economic infrastructure of East Timor was laid waste by Indonesian troops and anti-independence militias, and 300,000 people fled westward. Over the next three years, however, a massive international program, manned by 5,000 peacekeepers (8,000 at peak) and 1,300 police officers, led to substantial reconstruction in both urban and rural areas. By 2003, all but about 30,000 of the refugees had returned. Non-petroleum GDP growth was held back in 2003 by extensive drought and the gradual winding down of the international presence, but recovered somewhat in 2004. The country faces great challenges in continuing the rebuilding of infrastructure, strengthening the infant civil administration, and generating jobs for young people entering the workforce. The development of oil and gas resources in nearby waters has begun to supplement government revenues ahead of schedule and above expectations - the result of high petroleum prices - but the technology-intensive industry does little to create jobs for the unemployed. The Parliament in June 2005 unanimously approved the creation of a Petroleum Fund to serve as a repository for all petroleum revenues and preserve the value of East Timor's petroleum wealth for future generations. |
| GDP - per capita | $400 (2004 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate (%) | 1% (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | coffee, rice, maize, cassava, sweet potatoes, soybeans, cabbage, mangoes, bananas, vanilla |
| GDP - composition by sector (%) | agriculture: 25.4%, industry: 17.2%, services: 57.4% (2001) |
| Industries | printing, soap manufacturing, handicrafts, woven cloth |
| Economic aid - recipient | $2.2 billion (1999-2002 est.) |
| Debt - external | none |
| Population below poverty line (%) | 42% (2003 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation (%) | NA |
World Rainforests
