Atauro Island Has Some of the Richest Reef Life on Earth

Indonesia invaded soon after Portugal withdrew, and occupied the territory until 1999.

The country has no currency of its own, and it also issues its own centavo coins.

The port city sits on the north coast of the island of Timor.

In a UN-supervised vote about 78 percent chose independence from Indonesia. The country formally became independent on May 20, 2002.