Aileu
Municipality of East Timor
River in Aileu
River in Aileu
Official map
Official map
Map of East Timor highlighting the Municipality
   Aileu in     East Timor
OpenStreetMap
Coordinates: 8°43′S 125°34′E / 8.717°S 125.567°E / -8.717; 125.567
Country East Timor
CapitalAileu
Administrative posts
Area
 • Total735.9 km2 (284.1 sq mi)
 • Rank9th
Population
 (2015 census)
 • Total48,837
 • Rank12th
 • Density66/km2 (170/sq mi)
  • Rank8th
Households (2015 census)
 • Total7,598
 • Rank13th
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (TLT)
ISO 3166 codeTL-AL
HDI (2017)0.613[1]
medium · 6th
WebsiteAileu Municipality

Aileu (Portuguese: Município Aileu, Tetum: Munisípiu Aileu) is a municipality, and was formerly a district, of East Timor. It has a population of 48,554 (Census 2015) and an area of 737 km².[2] The municipality's capital is also named Aileu. Its administrative posts are Aileu, Laulara, Lequidoe and Remexio.

Etymology

The word Aileu means "bent tree" in the local Mambai language.[3] According to legend, the root of a banyan fig tree (Ficus benghalensis) grew to maturity without a branch or leaf. The tree developed into a twisted shape that looked like a chair; its unique appearance made it famous, and eventually gave the community its name. Nowadays, the wooden chair is also the symbol of the municipality.[4]

Geography

Aileu is in the northwestern part of East Timor and is one of only two landlocked municipalities, the other being Ermera. It borders Dili to the north, Manatuto to the east, Manufahi to the southeast, Ainaro to the south, Ermera to the west, and Liquiçá to the northwest. It was formerly part of what is now the municipality of Dili but was split in the final years of Portuguese administration.

Politics

As part of the Timor-Leste Government decentralization program the former District of Aileu is now organised as the Municipality of Aileu, headed by a Municipal Administrator. The four former subdistricts are now organised as Administrative Posts.

Administrative posts

The municipality's administrative posts (formerly sub-districts) are:[5]

Development

Aileu is the focus of several development programmes from NGOs, including WaterAid,[6] World Vision[7] and Plan International.[8] In May 2000 the Hume City Council and Moreland City Council and the communities in Melbourne Australia, established a friendship relationship with the Aileu Municipality, called "Friends of Aileu". The friendship relationship has been renewed periodically, with the signing of updated Friendship Agreements in 2005, 2010 and 2016.[9] and [10]

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  2. ↑ "Preliminary Results Population and Housing Census 2015 | STATISTICS TIMOR-LESTE".
  3. ↑ Hull, Geoffrey (June 2006). "The placenames of East Timor" (PDF). Placenames Australia: Newsletter of the Australian National Placenames Survey: 6–7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 February 2017. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  4. ↑ "Perfil: 2. Toponímia" [Profile: 2. Toponymy]. Aileu Municipality (in Tetum). Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  5. ↑ Gunn, Geoffrey C (2011). Historical Dictionary of East Timor. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 36. ISBN 9780810867543.
  6. ↑ "2009 Message from Peter Dwan, Head of International Programs". WaterAid Australia. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  7. ↑ "About us". World Vision. Archived from the original on 1 March 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  8. ↑ http://www.plan.org.au/ourwork/asia/easttimor/water-sanitation-hygeine%5B%5D
  9. ↑ "About Friends of Aileu". City of Moreland. Archived from the original on 20 February 2011. Retrieved 7 October 2010.
  10. ↑ https://www.facebook.com/friendsofaileu/

Bibliography

Media related to Aileu (Municipality) at Wikimedia Commons

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