CHINA: Hilton Openes 100th Hotel In China

Hilton has opened its 100th hotel in China and its second location in Xi’an, Shaanxi province in the Xi’an High-tech Zone but has indicated that the firm has big plans for expansion in China.

Hilton is committed to growing our presence in China, a key strategic market where we have a robust pipeline that is two times our current portfolio, in the right locations and with the right brands and partners, said Qian Jin, the president of Hilton for the area of Greater China and Mongolia.

Although Jin did not indicate where new Hilton locations would be opened, this newest location in Xi’an does imply that Hilton is looking to focus on more, relatively untapped markets in China.

Consumer spending in China’s lower-tier cities will be expanding exponentially in the next decades.

These are cities that have attracted relatively little interest from foreign companies looking to expand but nonetheless have large numbers of nouveau riche looking for luxury options in both shopping and hospitality.

Lower-tier cities like Xi’an, Harbin, Chongqing, and Chengdu are cities with metropolitan areas with populations in the tens of millions yet have had relatively little investment in the luxury travel, shopping, or hospitality sectors as compared to cities like Shenzhen, Beijing, and Shanghai.

Hilton’s newest location has standard features to cater to business visitors, including conference rooms and a ballroom.

However, it is also being marketed as a high-end option for tourists.

The new hotel is only 40 km from Xi’an’s Xianyang International Airport and in close proximity to Xi’an’s famed historical sites, such as the Terracotta Warriors.

One of the notable aspects of this location is a focus on catering to local tastes in a luxury setting.

The fine dining options at the new Xi’an location include The Lord’s Home for Chinese, Cantonese, and Sichuan fusion dishes as well as the Big China Noodle King, whose offerings include over 100 noodle dishes from different regions in China.

This may be a bid to cater to local tastes of Xi’an as noodles are the staple of traditional Shaanxi cuisine and could reflect a greater interest in localizing Hilton’s offerings and expansion in less cosmopolitan Chinese cities.


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NIGERIA: Nnewi Is The Best Destination For Budget Travelers

Nnewi is a mix of the old and the new, reflected in thatched-roof mud houses alongside concrete buildings as well as the abdication of some fetish features associated with their festivals.

Notwithstanding, the quiet and peaceful city has seen rapid development, as a result of the industrious nature of the natives who are mainly Igbos. It is therefore not surprising that the first wholly Nigerian car manufacturing company is located in the heart of the city. It also has the accolade of being the second largest city in Anambra State after Onitsha.

Whether you are a budget traveler or not, you are assured of a fun visit to its various destinations without breaking the bank. A trip from Lagos to Nnewi by road is 6 hrs 40 mins at the cost of about N4,000. Alternatively, you can fly to Asaba and take a smooth ride to Nnewi or drive to Nnewi which is roughly 1 hour 5 mins.

With a population of 391,227, Nnewi covers 4 local governments namely Nnewi North, Nnewi South, Ekwusigo, and Ihiala. It is a perfect destination for the budget traveler. Jovago.com, Africa’s No.1 hotel booking portal gives you more details on how to find your way around the sprawling city.

Take a tour of Innoson motors
Wouldn’t it be an exciting if you visit Nnewi to also checkout Innoson motors which is Nigeria’s only company that manufacture cars. Some Nigerians may ask is this really true? You can go see for yourself if you have a weekend to yourself. Innoson motors runs a plant in Nnewi and 70% of the car are produced indigenously while the rest are imported. It will be a worthwhile experience.

Visit the palace of the Igwe of Nnewi
The Igwe of Nnewi is the custodian of traditions and customs Nnewi. To get a comprehensive history and relics of Nnewi’s past, you must pay a visit to the palace of the Igwe of Nnewi, His Royal Highness, Igwe Kenneth Onyeneke Orizu III. He was coronated on 2nd June 1963. He is being on the throne for more 50 years. There is so much to see and learn about Nnewi at the palace of the Igwe who is also the Obi of Otolo.

Attend Ofala Festival
Ofala is a popular festival in South East Nigeria especially in Onitsha. But in recent years, Ofala is now celebrated by neighbouring Igbo communities including Nnewi. It is a long surviving traditional ceremony of the Nnewi people which marks the climax of the New Yam festival. According to oral history, Ofala Nnewi dates back to the 1950s and the monarch on the Nnewi throne must celebrate the Ofala annually. Indigenes bearing gifts will pay homage to the Igwe.

The price of the following hotels Hotels, Hotel De Decent, Swiss Park Hotel and Suites, Calido Fine Hotel Limited, Kings Palace Hotel Extension, Best Option Hotel Limited and Lennox Gardens hotels range between N6,000 and N7,000. This further lends credence to the affordability of Nnewi.

Igbos have tasty and irresistible cuisines. Abacha, Uha Soup, Ofe Onugbu, and Nkwobito mention but a few are some of the foods you will served in Nnewi. Some of the restaurants to savour the taste of these foods includes Mayan foods, Ogechukwu Evergreen Restaurant, Eat Right Foods, Tetrazzini Food Limited, Kitchen De Royale, Recoboza Café Restaurant.

If you want to feel the ambience and aura of Nnewi, the best place to go is the Nkwo Nnewi Market. The market is busy 24/7 and you can get everything you. But if you are not inclined to visit the market, you can check out other places to shop and do other businesses like The learning Point, Precious creation services and MT computer Press.

Nnewi is the city that host the only car manufacturing plant in Nigeria i.e. Innoson Motors.

ARGENTINA: Eleven New Hotels Coming Up

The world is once again looking to Brazil: After the FIFA World Cup this year’s Summer Olympics will also take place in the port city of Rio de Janeiro from the 5th to the 21st of August, which is again a huge image and PR push for the city hotels and beach resorts. According to TOPHOTELPROJECTS, the worldwide leading provider of b2b hotel data, another eleven top hotels are in the pipeline.

Although the crime and waste problems in Rio are more than obvious, the city still counts as a dream destination, with its fine beaches on the Copacabana and the fun-loving parades at carnival time. Even after the sports double of the FIFA World Cup and Olympia, hotel investors expect higher guest numbers.

Starwood Hotels, whose integration has just started in the Marriott Group, is planning to open a new Sheraton hotel with 213 rooms early next year, which will be the tenth Sheraton hotel in Brazil. Recently, the 292 room Sheraton Hotel Barra de Tijuca opened in Rio. Currently Starwood operates 97 properties in Brazil.

Marriott, the new Starwood owners has also new hotel projects in the pipeline in Rio, including a Courtyard and two AC Hotels. In the meantime, Europe's leading hotel group Accor is investing in two new first-class Novotel hotels. Even Donald Trump is planning a new hotel in Rio; if, because of the business slump in the US (reason being political turmoil in the presidential election campaign) the project actually comes to fruition remains to be seen.

TOPHOTELPROJEFCTS collects and evaluates data about all hotel construction projects and hotel chains worldwide in an online database and provides its subscribers with a comprehensive overview of all major hotel projects, refurbishments and extensions worldwide. The online database currently holds over 5,500 live and confirmed projects and more than 2,000 hotel brands.

Further information:
www.tophotelprojects.com

Contact:
Andreas Rohde, rohde.a@tophotelprojects.com
TOPHOTELPROJECTS GmbH
Jeersdorfer Weg 20, 27356 Rotenburg (near Bremen)
Tel. +49 (0)4261 4140-0, Fax +49 (0)4261 4140-400

Press service:
Carsten Hennig, presse@tophotelprojects.com
Mobile +49 (0)151 17205583

UNITED KINGDOM: 12,000 Hotel Rooms To Be Added In The United Kingdom

The Empire lives: The British capital attracts an increasing number of international tourists. According to TOPHOTELPROJECTS, the specialized service provider in the exchange of cutting-edge information between clients and contractors in the international hotel industry, currently 56 top hotels with more than 12,000 rooms are being built London. The number of overnight stays continues to rise, after a slight slump after the Olympic year 2012. With nearly 17 million visitors annually, London as an European city destination continues to be ahead of Paris, Rome, Prague and Berlin.

The InterContinental Hotels Group invests in the location at the hub Heathrow: Two properties by the brands Holiday Inn (433 rooms) and Staybridge Suites (190 rooms) are being developed as franchise operations. Opening is scheduled for 2018. Starwood Hotels, which now belongs to the Marriott group, prepares the inauguration of another aloft hotel (2018).

Recently the InterContinental O2, a new top hotel with 453 rooms on the 18th floors, opened close to the event arena bearing the same name. It is considered to be a new highlight in the hotel market in London, as several rooms and the skyline bar offer panoramic views of the River Thames and the city’s skyline. A newly opened business hotel is the DoubleTree by Hilton London Excel (260) in a trendy location near the city airport at the Royal Victoria Dock.

TOPHOTELPROJECTS collects and evaluates data about all hotel construction projects and hotel chains worldwide in an online database and provides its subscribers with a comprehensive overview of all major hotel projects, refurbishments and extensions worldwide. The online database currently holds over 5,500 live and confirmed projects and more than 2,000 hotel brands.

Further information:
www.tophotelprojects.com

Contact:
Andreas Rohde, rohde.a@tophotelprojects.com
TOPHOTELPROJECTS GmbH
Jeersdorfer Weg 20, 27356 Rotenburg (near Bremen)
Tel. +49 (0)4261 4140-0, Fax +49 (0)4261 4140-400

Press service:
Carsten Hennig, presse@tophotelprojects.com
Mobile +49 (0)151 17205583

ZIMBABWE: African Airlines Association Meeting In November, Host Zimbabwe

Air Zimbabwe’s turnaround strategy is set to receive a major boost this year after the national airline won the right to host the 48th African Airlines Association (AFRAA) annual general assembly (AGA) in Victoria Falls later this year.

The event, which will take place from November 20 to November 22, is expected to attract 400 high profile delegates from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and North America.

AFRAA secretary-general Dr Elijah Chingosho, who was in the country on an advance visit and also witnessed the unveiling of the logo for the general assembly, yesterday said the general assembly was a unique opportunity for Air Zimbabwe to spread its wings as it is expected to play a major role in bringing delegates to the general assembly and taking them back to their countries.

“As the host airline, Air Zimbabwe is expected to play a pivotal role in the transportation of delegates to and from the country.

“The hosting of this event in Zimbabwe and the Victoria Falls in particular also presents an excellent opportunity to strengthen aviation in the country and the tourism sector because we are encouraging all the delegates to travel with their spouses so that they can sample what Zimbabwe has to offer.

“This is also a chance to show the visitors the business opportunities that exist in the country and to state clearly that Zimbabwe is open for business,” he said.

AFRAA president and Air Zimbabwe’s acting chief executive Mr Edmund Makona said Air Zimbabwe was geared for the challenge.

“The secretary general said the purpose of hosting the general assembly in a specific country and being hosted by a specific airline is meant to maximise benefits for that airline. As Air Zimbabwe we have taken note of that. Within Air Zimbabwe we have also said it cannot be a strategy without the attendant issue of growth and sustainability. So growth and sustainability are at the heart of what we are doing.

“So we really are geared to grow that route network. I do not want to pre-empt other than just to confess that it cannot be an airline without the attendant issues of growth otherwise there is no need for the management at Air Zimbabwe to preside over a still birth airline.

“We will be the host airline and carrier of choice during the general assembly and we cannot do that if we have not spread our wings. We want to assure you that by the time the AGA takes place we would have spread our wings beyond the thin route network that we are currently operating. We have started some initiatives but we would want to under promise and over perform,” he said.

Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Dr Joram Gumbo said hosting the AFRAA general assembly will be the best opportunity to look for partners to boost our Air Zimbabwe.

“We are busy talking to several airlines who want to partner with us to revitalise Air Zimbabwe so that we can come up with one because the shopping list of partners is long since many companies are approaching us from the Middle East, China and from Europe.

“We are expecting that in the next three to four years Air Zimbabwe will be back as a leading airline in the continent,” he said.

He added that the ministry is looking at bigger airplanes and small to complement the airline’s fleet so that it can resuscitate its old routes.

“I am looking at possibly engaging with partners before the end of the year and it’s a process, when you bring somebody to partner in such an industry which a number of countries are struggling to boost.

“We are we are aiming at bringing in new airlines and experts to revitalise Air Zimbabwe,” he said.

Meanwhile the general assembly would see delegates discussing issues on the development of air transport in Africa and development opportunities for African airlines in particular. AFRAA has a membership of 35 airlines that include all major intercontinental African operators.

The members also represent over 85 percent of total international traffic carried by African airlines. This is the third time that the annual general assembly is being held in the country.

GHANA: Construction Terminal 3 At Kotoka International Airport Underway

Construction work on the new terminal three at Kotoka International Airport (KIA) in Ghana set to begin by April this year. The project is scheduled for completion by December 2016.

The new terminal will be situated at the round airside stretching to the Old Fire Service area, to the Hanger area of KIA according to sources, and will have a capacity of 5million passengers a year. The airport terminal construction plan comes after the country registered gradually growth in demand for the international flights, thus putting pressure on airport facilities.

However, one of the construction firm has already been awarded the project tender; it has also been confirmed that the handover of the project is expected is expected to be finalized by end of March.

The planned airport terminal construction project aims at positioning Kokota International Airport as the hub for aviation business in the sub-region, and it will be operating along with three terminals, of which one will handle domestic activities while the remaining two handles international travels.

Furthermore, facilities at the current arrival and departure halls at Terminal 2 are set to undergo upgrading and activities will temporarily be moved to the new terminal while managers begin the upgrade.

Tourism Trade With Africa Benefits Few African Countries

LAST year, to much fanfare, 26 African nations signed off on a free-trade ‘super bloc’ that seeks to improve the absurdly low levels of intra-regional trade on the continent, at the Egyptian seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh.

In the same city at the Africa 2016 Forum last weekend, African Development Bank (AfDB) president Akinwumi Adesina painted a picture of just how insufficient trade with other African countries is.

African trade represents just 2% of the global total, and intra-African trade makes up 12% of the continent’s activity, compared to 60% in Europe and 35% in Asia.
“This is not acceptable,” Adesina said.

He added that AfDB will continue to invest heavily in regional infrastructure, especially rail, transnational highways, power interconnections, ICT, air and maritime transport, reducing the bottlenecks that cost the region billions in inefficiencies and lost opportunities.

While tariffs on the continent are high—according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) an African company making sales on the continent would pay more than three times the 2.5% average tariff rate elsewhere – non-tariff barriers tend to wreak more damage than levies.

Despite an abundance of trade blocs on the continent—17 at the moment—their poor internal workings has led potential benefits such as comparative advantage trading to be erased by red-tape heavy protectionist approaches.

African countries have also kept the same export-geared infrastructure, leaving the continent vulnerable to global market shifts.

One promising way of solving this is seen as ramping up regional trade in services—a model that has contributed to the booming growth in many Asian countries.

It may be already happening and could herald exciting possibilities.

The number of tourists visiting Kenya from neighbouring countries has increased over the past few months as the East African nation set off on promotions around the region to make up for dwindling numbers from its traditional source markets in Europe.

While tourists arriving at the nation’s two main airports dropped by 13% to 748,771 last year, the decline was less steep than the previous year’s reduction of 28%, according to the country’s statistics agency. Visitors have shied away from going on world-renowned safaris in the country or lounging on its white sandy beaches after a series of deadly attacks by al-Shabaab Islamists in the past few years.
The government targets annual tourist arrivals of 10 million in about a decade’s time. Visitor numbers are expected to rise now that France, the US and Britain have lifted travel bans to the country, which will allow tour operators to market the destination once again.

East African holidaymakers staying at Amani Tiwi Beach Resort on the Indian Ocean Coast more than doubled in the past three months, General Manager Aditya Mata said in Kwale County, at the Kenyan coast. “Forty five to 50% of our visitors have been from Kenya and the rest of the East African countries,” he said.

Bed occupancy improved to 85%, compared with 50% a year earlier, he said.

Diani Reef Beach Hotel in the same county received vacationers from Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia in the past six months, according to Chief Executive Officer Titus Kangangi. “Even Nigeria, which is a first for me,” he said. “I would put the number of regional visitors at around 10-15%, excluding Kenyans. It’s very good, it’s looking up.”

Carriers such as Ethiopian Airlines and RwandAir now have flights to the coastal resort city of Mombasa.
While cash remittances and agricultural exports have relegated tourism to third place in the hierarchy of leading foreign exchange sources, the industry is still key for the economy. As many as one million Kenyans depend on it for their livelihoods at the coast.

Regional visitors account for a third of arrivals with Uganda the second highest source market after South Africa, acting Kenya Tourism Board Chief Executive Jacinta Nzioka Mbithi said by e-mail.
It is perhaps no surprise that the East African Community bloc is seen as the regional grouping that has made the most trade gains on the continent.

If such chains continue to grow, concerns about external market performance could soon be a flash in the pan as the continent’s future growth is powered from within.

SOUTH AFRICA: Plans To Merge National Airlines Underway

South Africa will explore merging two of its state-owned airlines, South African Airways (SAA) and SA Express, and seek a minority equity partner for the company, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Wednesday.

Many of South Africa’s 300-odd state entities are a drain on the government’s purse and a team commissioned by President Jacob Zuma to review the companies recommended that some companies should be sold.

Treasury said in its 2016 budget review the government was implementing recommendations of the committee and would examine private sector participation in the state-owned companies.

“We do not need to be invested in four airline businesses,” Gordhan said in his budget speech.

“(Public Enterprises Minister) and I have agreed to explore the possible merger of SAA and SA Express, under a strengthened board, with a view to engaging with a potential minority equity partner, and to create a bigger and more operationally efficient airline.”

Treasury said the financial position of SAA has deteriorated and in the event of a default, the government would likely be called to pay a portion of its guarantee to the airline, which stands at about 14.4 billion rand ($939.3 million).

“Government will seek opportunities to enter into strategic partnerships that allow SAA to draw on private-sector capital and technical expertise to improve its performance and expand its network,” Treasury said.

South Africa’s state-owned firms range from SAA to power utility Eskom and logistics group Transnet, among others.

Eskom was expected to receive a 23 billion rand cash injection from the government, but Gordhan said Treasury had delayed giving the power utility the remainder of 2 billion rand until it complies with equity allocation conditions, such as cost cuts and improving maintenance.

Treasury allocated 4.5 billion rand over the next three years for the implementation of the National Health Insurance, which is still in the pilot phase, as the government seeks to make healthcare services affordable for all South Africans, irrespective of whether they are rich or poor.

Gordhan said further details on financing of the scheme, expected to be rolled out in three phases over a 14-year period, will be released soon.

Halal Tourism Conference 2016

We are pleased to announce HTC2016 will be hosted in Istanbul, Turkey from the 21st – 23rd March2016 at the Halic Congress Centre. The Conference will last two days and will bring together over 1,000 delegates from all over the world including Tourism Boards, Travel Agencies, Tour Operators, Media, Hotels and Airlines.

Following the huge success of the first international Halal Tourism Conference in 2014 This year’s event promises to be bigger and better and will have additional presence from Hajj and Umrah providers, financial institutions, tourism project managers and consultants as well as all those who are keen to launch their brand to the growing Muslim travel market.

The conference agenda will be delivered by expert speakers from around the world and will focus on industry development of the halal tourism sector to meet the needs of the Muslim traveler. It will consist of keynote speeches, panel discussions and workshops.

The exhibition will last for three days with the final day opened to trade and public. It will feature over 100 exhibitors from Turkey and the rest of the world. To be part of this event and to network with businesses and professionals focusing on halal tourism please register your interest.

USA: Wyndham Hotels Loses Legal Battle With Feds Over Lax Security Practices

If a consumer-facing company, like say a massive hotel chain, touts its dedication to the security of customer information and then does something to repeatedly put that information at risk — like storing unencrypted credit card data on barely secure networks — can they be forced to share some of the blame when hundreds of thousands of credit card numbers are stolen? The hotel chain says that would be blaming the victim, but a federal appeals court has affirmed the Federal Trade Commission’s authority to go after businesses that fail to live up to their security promises.

Back in 2012, the FTC sued Wyndham Worldwide, which operates not only its namesake hotels, but also chains like Ramada, Knights Inn, Days Inn, Travelodge, Super 8, among others.

In that complaint it was alleged that Wyndham had violated the FTC Act’s prohibition against deceptive business practices by failing to “maintain reasonable and appropriate data security for consumers’ sensitive personal information.”

The regulators allege that it’s deceptive for a business to woo customers by marketing that it cares about privacy, while coming up short when it comes to actually guarding customers’ privacy.

See, even though Wyndham’s websites stated things like, “We recognize the importance of protecting the privacy of individual-specific information collected about guests,” for several years the company’s hotels had lax cybersecurity practices that resulted in multiple breaches.

The complaint claims that Wyndham’s various hotels stored customers’ payment card information in unencrypted clear text, that employees were not required to use complex passwords, and the company failed to deploy firewalls and other tactics intended to reduce the likelihood of a data breach.

A 2008 breach of the local network of an Arizona Wyndham hotel led to the attacker gaining access to the Wyndham corporate network and the property management system servers of 41 Wyndham-branded hotels. The hackers installed “memory-scraping” malware on these servers and stole unencrypted account info for 500,000 payment cards.

Then in March 2009, the hotel chain was victimized by another, similar breach. This time, the attackers were able to obtain info for 50,000 credit/debit cards. That same year, a third breach put 69,000 consumer payment card accounts in the hands of the criminals who sold the data or used it to make fraudulent purchases.

The FTC alleges that, Wyndham’s failure — contrary to its publicly stated dedication to privacy — “unreasonably and unnecessarily exposed consumers’ personal data to unauthorized access and theft.”

Wyndham argues that the FTC does not have the authority to punish a business for having lax cybersecurity practices. The hotel chain contends that allowing the regulatory agency to sue a hotel — as opposed to the hacker — over a data breach would also give the FTC the right to sue a supermarket for being “sloppy about sweeping up banana peels.”

In an opinion from a three-judge panel for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the court didn’t seem terribly won over by this analogy.

The banana peel argument is “alarmist to say the least,” reads the opinion. “And it invites the tart retort that, were Wyndham a supermarket, leaving so many banana peels all over the place that 619,000 customers fall hardly suggests it should be immune from liability under” the FTC Act.

Wyndham also pulled out the dictionary to take issue with the definition of the word “unfair,” citing Webster’s as defining a practice as “unfair” only if it is “not equitable” or is “marked by injustice, partiality, or deception.” To the hotel operators, there was no malice on its part, but this failed to convince the judges.

“A company does not act equitably when it publishes a privacy policy to attract customers who are concerned about data privacy, fails to make good on that promise by investing inadequate resources in cybersecurity, exposes its unsuspecting customers to substantial financial injury, and retains the profits of their business,” reads the opinion.

The judges also shot down Wyndham’s contention that it should not be punished just because the company had a different cybersecurity standard than the FTC expects.

Once again, the opinion rends the hotel chain’s argument, noting that “the complaint does not allege that Wyndham used weak firewalls, IP address restrictions, encryption software, and passwords. Rather, it alleges that Wyndham failed to use any firewall at critical network points… did not restrict specific IP addresses at all… did not use any encryption for certain customer files… and did not require some users to change their default or factory-setting passwords at all.”

The court might have accepted the contention that Wyndham should not be held responsible for the behavior of hackers if there had only been one attack before the company did something to beef up its practices.

“At least after the second attack, it should have been painfully clear to Wyndham” that it couldn’t use a cost-benefit justification for explaining away a lax security system.

In a statement, FTC Chair Edith Ramirez says the appeals court ruling “reaffirms the FTC’s authority to hold companies accountable for failing to safeguard consumer data. It is not only appropriate, but critical, that the FTC has the ability to take action on behalf of consumers when companies fail to take reasonable steps to secure sensitive consumer information.”

Meanwhile, Wyndham tells the Wall Street Journal that “we believe the facts will show the FTC’s allegations are unfounded,” and that “safeguarding personal information remains a top priority for our company.”

East Timor: Timor-Leste Facts And History

Capital:

Dili, population about 150,000.

Government:

East Timor is a parliamentary democracy, in which the President is Head of State and the Prime Minister is Head of Government. The President is directly elected to this largely ceremonial post; he or she appoints the leader of the majority party in parliament as Prime Minister. The President serves for five years.

The Prime Minister is head of the Cabinet, or Council of State.

He also leads the single-house National Parliament.

The highest court is called the Supreme Court of Justice.

Jose Ramos-Horta is the current President of East Timor. The Prime Minister is Xanana Gusmao.

Population:

East Timor's population is around 1.2 million, although no recent census data exist. The country is growing quickly, due both to returning refugees and to a high birth rate.

The people of East Timor belong to dozens of ethnic groups, and intermarriage is common. Some of the largest are the Tetum, around 100,000 strong; the Mambae, at 80,000; the Tukudede, at 63,000; and the Galoli, Kemak, and Bunak, all with about 50,000 people.

There are also small populations of people with mixed Timorese and Portuguese ancestry, called mesticos, as well as ethnic Hakka Chinese (around 2,400 people).

Official Languages:

The official languages of East Timor are Tetum and Portuguese. English and Indonesian are "working languages."

Tetum is an Austronesian language in the Malayo-Polynesian family, related to Malagasy, Tagalog, and Hawaiian.

It is spoken by about 800,000 people world-wide.

Colonists brought Portuguese to East Timor in the sixteenth century, and the Romance language has influenced Tetum to a large degree.

Other commonly-spoken languages include Fataluku, Malalero, Bunak, and Galoli.

Religion:

An estimated 98 per cent of East Timorese are Roman Catholic, another legacy of Portuguese colonization. The remaining two per cent are divided almost evenly between Protestants and Moslems.

A significant proportion of Timorese also retain some traditional animist beliefs and customs from pre-colonial times.

Geography:

East Timor covers the eastern half of Timor, the largest of the Lesser Sunda Islands in the Malay Archipelago. It covers an area of about 14,600 square kilometers, including one non-contiguous piece called the Ocussi-Ambeno region, in the northwest of the island.

The Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara lies to the west of East Timor.

East Timor is a mountainous country; the highest point is Mount Ramelau at 2,963 meters (9,721 feet). The lowest point is sea level.

Climate:

East Timor has a tropical monsoon climate, with a wet season from December to April, and a dry season from May through November. During the wet season, average temperatures range between 29 and 35 degrees Celsius (84 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit). In the dry season, temperatures average 20 to 33 degrees Celsius (68 to 91 Fahrenheit).

The island is susceptible to cyclones. It also experiences seismic events such as earthquakes and tsunamis, as it lies on the faultlines of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Economy:

The economy of East Timor is in shambles, neglected under Portuguese rule, and deliberately sabotaged by occupation troops during the war for independence from Indonesia. As a result, the country is among the poorest in the world.

Close to half of the population lives in poverty, and as many as 70 per cent face chronic food insecurity. Unemployment hovers around the 50 per cent mark, as well. The per capita GDP was only about $750 U.S. in 2006.

East Timor's economy should improve in coming years. Plans are underway to develop off-shore oil reserves, and the price of cash crops like coffee is rising.

Prehistoric Timor:

The inhabitants of Timor are descended from three waves of migrants. The first to settle the island, Vedo-Australoid people related to Sri Lankans, arrived between 40,000 and 20,000 B.C. A second wave of Melanesian people around 3,000 B.C. drove the original inhabitants, called Atoni, up into the interior of Timor. The Melanesians were followed by Malay and Hakka people from southern China.

Most of the Timorese practiced subsistence agriculture. Frequent visits from sea-going Arab, Chinese, and Gujerati traders brought in metal goods, silks, and rice; the Timorese exported beeswax, spices, and fragrant sandalwood.

History of Timor, 1515-present:

By the time the Portuguese made contact with Timor in the early sixteenth century, it was divided into a number of small fiefdoms. The largest was the kingdom of Wehale, composed of a mixture of Tetum, Kemak, and Bunak peoples.

Portuguese explorers claimed Timor for their king in 1515, lured by the promise of spices. For the next 460 years, the Portuguese controlled the eastern half of the island, while the Dutch East India Company took the western half as part of its Indonesian holdings. The Portuguese ruled coastal regions in cooperation with local leaders, but had very little influence in the mountainous interior.

Although their hold on East Timor was tenuous, in 1702 the Portuguese officially added the region to their empire, renaming it "Portuguese Timor." Portugal used East Timor mainly as a dumping ground for exiled convicts.

The formal boundary between the Dutch and Portuguese sides of Timor was not drawn until 1916, when the modern-day border was fixed by the Hague.

In 1941, Australian and Dutch soldiers occupied Timor, hoping to fend off an anticipated invasion by the Imperial Japanese Army. Japan seized the island in February of 1942; the surviving Allied soldiers then joined with local people in guerilla war against the Japanese. Japanese reprisals against the Timorese left about one in ten of the island's population dead, a total of more than 50,000 people.

After the Japanese surrender in 1945, control of East Timor was returned to Portugal. Indonesia declared its independence from the Dutch, but made no mention of annexing East Timor.

In 1974, a coup in Portugal moved the country from a rightist dictatorship to a democracy. The new regime sought to disentangle Portugal from its overseas colonies, a move that the other European colonial powers had made some 20 years earlier. East Timor declared its independence in 1975.

In December of that year, Indonesia invaded East Timor, capturing Dili after just six hours of fighting. Jakarta declaring the region the 27th Indonesian province. This annexation, however, was not recognized by the UN.

Over the next year, between 60,000 and 100,000 Timorese were massacred by Indonesian troops, along with five foreign journalists.

Timorese guerillas kept fighting, but Indonesia did not withdraw until after the fall of Suharto in 1998. When the Timorese voted for independence in an August, 1999 referendum, Indonesian troops destroyed the country's infrastructure.

East Timor joined the UN on September 27, 2002.