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Liquiçá (district)
Encyclopedia
Liquiçá is one of the districts
of East Timor
. Its capital is also called Liquiçá
.
(containing the national capital) to the east, Aileu
to the Southeast, Ermera
to the south, and Bobonaro to the southwest. To the northwest lies the Savu Sea
. The district has a population of 55,058 (Census 2004) and an area of 543 square kilometers. The district is identical to the district of the same name in Portuguese Timor
. Its subdistricts are Bazartete
, Liquiçá
and Maubara
.
Widely known as a beautiful location, it has a breath-taking view of the Ombai Strait
, which is most visible as you drive into Liquiçá from Dili, rounding the last mountain curve before descending into the valley. The beaches are rocky, as are most beaches on East Timor
, but nonetheless beautiful. The river that flows down to the sea from the mountains is dry, except during the monsoon
season. During this time, the main road washes out several times, and is repaired each time by the local population. The only downside to its beauty is the large population of mosquito
es which carry both the deadly diseases malaria
and dengue fever
.
In addition to the national official languages of Tetum and Portuguese
, nearly all of the inhabitants of Liquiçá speak the Malayo-Polynesian language Tocodede
.
occupation, the Maubara
subdistrict, part of the Liquiçá territory, was taken by the Netherlands
in 1667. The Maubara Dutch fortification near the beach is well-preserved and still has the original cannon
that once overlooked the bay
. Later, Portugal
negotiated with Holland in 1859 and exchanged it for Flores Island
in 1861, which was occupied by the Portuguese at that time.
During the Indonesia
n occupation, the Indonesian government did construct many buildings in Liquiçá, but after the referendum of 1999 and during the militia
`s campaign
almost everything was destroyed. Most notably, many East Timorese
were murder
ed during the Liquiçá Church Massacre
of April 1999. Maubara is the location where the dreaded militia
group Besi Merah Putih
was first formed. http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/timor/death_squads5.htm In September 1999 an American
police officer serving with the International Police
was shot (though not fatally) by pro-Indonesian forces while the UN was evacuating Liquiçá. http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/timor/death_squads5.htm
From September through November 1999, life came back to Liquiçá, as UN Peace Keeping Forces from Portugal set up a base in Maubara, and the International Police
set up its headquarters in downtown Liquiçá. Originally, there were 14 International Police
assigned to Liquiçá, representing Sweden
, Canada
, Great Britain
, Ghana
, Malaysia, and the United States
. It was in Liquiçá that the first International Police officer for the East Timor mission died, as a result of contracting dengue fever; he was from Ghana
. During this period, the International Police occupied the very same church compound
location where the Liquiçá Church Massacre
had played out. The peacekeeper
military
element for Liquiçá were Portuguese
Marines. Liquica was also the main base of operations for the UNTAET Crime Scene Detachment
.
buildings. Many of the Indonesia
n buildings were repairable. The construction and design is a traditional Indonesian style, which is both out dated, yet artistic and creative.
plantations and some minerals such as gold.
Districts of East Timor
||East Timor is divided into thirteen administrative districts. The districts are divided into subdistricts, and further subdivided into sucos.The borders between Cova-Lima and Ainaro and between Baucau and Viqueque were changed in 2003.-References:...
of East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
. Its capital is also called Liquiçá
Liquiçá
Liquiçá is a coastal city in East Timor, 32 km to the west of Dili, the national capital. Liquiçá is the capital of Liquiçá district...
.
Geography
Liquiçá District is situated on the northern coast of East Timor, and borders the districts of DiliDili (district)
Dili is the name of one of the 13 districts of East Timor, which includes the national capital Dili. It has a population of 167,777 , most of whom live in the capital city. The district has an area of 372 km2. The district is the same as what was the council of the same name in Portuguese...
(containing the national capital) to the east, Aileu
Aileu (district)
Aileu is an administrative district of East Timor. It has a population of 36,889 and an area of 729 km². The capital of the district is also named Aileu. The subdistricts are Aileu, Laulara, Lequidoe and Remexio....
to the Southeast, Ermera
Ermera
Ermera is one of the districts of East Timor, located in the west-central part of the country. It has a population of 103,169 and an area of 746 km2. Its capital is Gleno, which is located 30 km to the southwest of the national capital, Dili...
to the south, and Bobonaro to the southwest. To the northwest lies the Savu Sea
Savu Sea
The Savu Sea is a small sea within Indonesia named for the island of Savu on its southern boundary. It is bounded by Savu and Rai Jua to the south, the islands of Rote and Timor to the east, Flores and the Alor archipelago to the north/northwest, and the island of Sumba to the west/northwest...
. The district has a population of 55,058 (Census 2004) and an area of 543 square kilometers. The district is identical to the district of the same name in Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor
Portuguese Timor was the name of East Timor when it was under Portuguese control. During this period, Portugal shared the island of Timor with the Netherlands East Indies, and later with Indonesia....
. Its subdistricts are Bazartete
Bazartete
Bazartete is a village in East Timor, comprising a subdistrict of Liquiçá district, located on a mountain top deep in the rain forest, just to the southeast of Liquiçá township...
, Liquiçá
Liquiçá
Liquiçá is a coastal city in East Timor, 32 km to the west of Dili, the national capital. Liquiçá is the capital of Liquiçá district...
and Maubara
Maubara
Maubara is a village in East Timor and is a subdistrict of the district of Liquiçá, just west of the city of Liquiçá.During the beginning of the Portuguese occupation, it was taken by the Netherlands. There is a historic Dutch fort, located at the entrance to the village on the seaside overlooking...
.
Widely known as a beautiful location, it has a breath-taking view of the Ombai Strait
Ombai Strait
The Ombai Strait is the strait which separates the Alor Archipelago from the islands of Wetar, Atauro, and Timor in the Lesser Sunda Islands. Wetar is part of the Maluku Province of Indonesia, the Alor Archipelago and the western part of Timor are part of the province of East Nusa Tenggara,...
, which is most visible as you drive into Liquiçá from Dili, rounding the last mountain curve before descending into the valley. The beaches are rocky, as are most beaches on East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
, but nonetheless beautiful. The river that flows down to the sea from the mountains is dry, except during the monsoon
Monsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
season. During this time, the main road washes out several times, and is repaired each time by the local population. The only downside to its beauty is the large population of mosquito
Mosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
es which carry both the deadly diseases malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and dengue fever
Dengue fever
Dengue fever , also known as breakbone fever, is an infectious tropical disease caused by the dengue virus. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pains, and a characteristic skin rash that is similar to measles...
.
In addition to the national official languages of Tetum and Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
, nearly all of the inhabitants of Liquiçá speak the Malayo-Polynesian language Tocodede
Tocodede
Tocodede is one of the languages of East Timor, spoken by about 65,000 people in the district of Liquiçá, especially the subdistricts of Maubara and Liquiçá along the Lois River. The number has declined in recent years...
.
History
During the beginning of the PortuguesePortugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
occupation, the Maubara
Maubara
Maubara is a village in East Timor and is a subdistrict of the district of Liquiçá, just west of the city of Liquiçá.During the beginning of the Portuguese occupation, it was taken by the Netherlands. There is a historic Dutch fort, located at the entrance to the village on the seaside overlooking...
subdistrict, part of the Liquiçá territory, was taken by the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
in 1667. The Maubara Dutch fortification near the beach is well-preserved and still has the original cannon
Cannon
A cannon is any piece of artillery that uses gunpowder or other usually explosive-based propellents to launch a projectile. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees,...
that once overlooked the bay
Bay
A bay is an area of water mostly surrounded by land. Bays generally have calmer waters than the surrounding sea, due to the surrounding land blocking some waves and often reducing winds. Bays also exist as an inlet in a lake or pond. A large bay may be called a gulf, a sea, a sound, or a bight...
. Later, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
negotiated with Holland in 1859 and exchanged it for Flores Island
Flores
Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, an island arc with an estimated area of 14,300 km² extending east from the Java island of Indonesia. The population was 1.831.000 in the 2010 census and the largest town is Maumere. Flores is Portuguese for "flowers".Flores is located east of Sumbawa...
in 1861, which was occupied by the Portuguese at that time.
During the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n occupation, the Indonesian government did construct many buildings in Liquiçá, but after the referendum of 1999 and during the militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
`s campaign
Military campaign
In the military sciences, the term military campaign applies to large scale, long duration, significant military strategy plan incorporating a series of inter-related military operations or battles forming a distinct part of a larger conflict often called a war...
almost everything was destroyed. Most notably, many East Timorese
East Timorese
East Timorese may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to East Timor, a country located on the island of Timor, in Southeast Asia* A person from East Timor, or of East Timorese descent. For information about these people, see Demographics of East Timor and Culture of East Timor...
were murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed during the Liquiçá Church Massacre
Liquiçá Church Massacre
The Liquiçá Church Massacre was an atrocity that occurred in the war torn country of East Timor, in April, 1999. It was the first case to be heard by the Second Special Panel.-Events and Aftermath:...
of April 1999. Maubara is the location where the dreaded militia
Militia
The term militia is commonly used today to refer to a military force composed of ordinary citizens to provide defense, emergency law enforcement, or paramilitary service, in times of emergency without being paid a regular salary or committed to a fixed term of service. It is a polyseme with...
group Besi Merah Putih
Besi Merah Putih
Besi Merah Putih , meaning 'red and white iron' in Indonesian, is the official name of a pro-Indonesia militia operating in the district of Liquiçá, and originating in the village of Maubara.- Acts of Murder, Torture and Intimidation :...
was first formed. http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/timor/death_squads5.htm In September 1999 an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
police officer serving with the International Police
International Police
The International Police is the title used for an organization of police officers representing various countries throughout the world, brought together to assist in the training, organization, stabilization of a destabilized region, or creation of indigenous police forces primarily in war-torn...
was shot (though not fatally) by pro-Indonesian forces while the UN was evacuating Liquiçá. http://www.ess.uwe.ac.uk/timor/death_squads5.htm
From September through November 1999, life came back to Liquiçá, as UN Peace Keeping Forces from Portugal set up a base in Maubara, and the International Police
International Police
The International Police is the title used for an organization of police officers representing various countries throughout the world, brought together to assist in the training, organization, stabilization of a destabilized region, or creation of indigenous police forces primarily in war-torn...
set up its headquarters in downtown Liquiçá. Originally, there were 14 International Police
International Police
The International Police is the title used for an organization of police officers representing various countries throughout the world, brought together to assist in the training, organization, stabilization of a destabilized region, or creation of indigenous police forces primarily in war-torn...
assigned to Liquiçá, representing Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
, Malaysia, and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It was in Liquiçá that the first International Police officer for the East Timor mission died, as a result of contracting dengue fever; he was from Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. During this period, the International Police occupied the very same church compound
Compound (fortification)
In military science, a compound is a type of fortification made up of walls or fences surrounding several buildings in the center of a large piece of land...
location where the Liquiçá Church Massacre
Liquiçá Church Massacre
The Liquiçá Church Massacre was an atrocity that occurred in the war torn country of East Timor, in April, 1999. It was the first case to be heard by the Second Special Panel.-Events and Aftermath:...
had played out. The peacekeeper
Peacekeeper
Peacekeeper may refer to:* A person involved in peacekeeping* Peace officer* Conservator of the peaceIn vehicles:* The LGM-118 Peacekeeper, a land-based nuclear ICBM...
military
Military
A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...
element for Liquiçá were Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Marines. Liquica was also the main base of operations for the UNTAET Crime Scene Detachment
UNTAET Crime Scene Detachment
The UNTAET Crime Scene Detachment was the common title for an elite investigative unit created in the war torn and newly liberated country of East Timor in November 1999, under the direction of the United Nations mission in East Timor, consisting of International Police, Australian Military Police...
.
Buildings
During the Portuguese occupation, there were very few buildings other than the traditional huts used by local East Timorese. Most of the buildings were constructed during the Indonesian occupation, but most of them were destroyed during the militia riots and violent onslaughts following and leading up to the referendum in 1999. Some of the buildings that still remain intact are the PortuguesePortuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
buildings. Many of the Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
n buildings were repairable. The construction and design is a traditional Indonesian style, which is both out dated, yet artistic and creative.
 |
Resources
Liquiçá has beautiful beaches (although no white sands) that are very attractive for tourism. Liquiçá also has coffeeCoffee
Coffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
plantations and some minerals such as gold.