Maliana
Encyclopedia
Maliana is a city in East Timor
, 149 km southwest of Dili
, the national capital. It has a population of 22,000. It is the capital of the district
of Bobonaro and subdistrict
of Maliana, and is located just a few kilometers from the border with Indonesia
. It is also the see city of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maliana
, which was formed by Pope Benedict XVI
with territory taken from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dili.
Maliana has the potential of an Agriculture
sector, especially rice production. The majority of Maliana's population is heavily dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods, this is because rice became the preferred staple food among many Timorese. Most of the population are farmers cultivating rice and maize
. During Indonesian occupation, Maliana became a rice barn town to support other districts in East Timor, and export to other places in Western Timor of Indonesia
.
Maliana has seven villages consisting of Lahomea, Holsa, Ritabou, Odomau, Raifun, Tapo-Memo and Saburai. There are two main sources of water irrigation that supply water to paddy field
s such Nunura River, Malibaka and Bui Pira river. Bunak
and Kemak
are the native dialects of Maliana but most people understand and speak Tetum.
Maliana had one of the preferred schools during Portuguese occupation, known as Collegio Infante sagres. This was under a catholic mission and many East Timor educated people have graduated from this senior high School.
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...
, 149 km southwest of Dili
Dili
Dili, spelled Díli in Portuguese, is the capital, largest city, chief port and commercial centre of East Timor.-Geography and Administration:Dili lies on the northern coast of Timor island, the easternmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands....
, the national capital. It has a population of 22,000. It is the capital of the district
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 Bobonaro and subdistrict
Subdistricts of East Timor
The districts of East Timor are divided into 65 subdistricts, with one designated as the capital. Each subdistrict is divided into several villages , the smallest political division of East Timor...
of Maliana, and is located just a few kilometers from the border with 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...
. It is also the see city of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maliana
Roman Catholic Diocese of Maliana
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Maliana is a Diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in East Timor. The new diocese includes the administrative region of Maliana in districts of Liquica, Bobonaro, and Cova–Lima and 16 sub–districts....
, which was formed by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
with territory taken from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dili.
Maliana has the potential of an Agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
sector, especially rice production. The majority of Maliana's population is heavily dependent on agriculture for their livelihoods, this is because rice became the preferred staple food among many Timorese. Most of the population are farmers cultivating rice and maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
. During Indonesian occupation, Maliana became a rice barn town to support other districts in East Timor, and export to other places in Western Timor of 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...
.
Maliana has seven villages consisting of Lahomea, Holsa, Ritabou, Odomau, Raifun, Tapo-Memo and Saburai. There are two main sources of water irrigation that supply water to paddy field
Paddy field
A paddy field is a flooded parcel of arable land used for growing rice and other semiaquatic crops. Paddy fields are a typical feature of rice farming in east, south and southeast Asia. Paddies can be built into steep hillsides as terraces and adjacent to depressed or steeply sloped features such...
s such Nunura River, Malibaka and Bui Pira river. Bunak
Bunak
The Bunak are an ethnic group that live in the mountainous region of central Timor, split between the political boundary between West Timor, Indonesia, particularly in Lamaknen District and East Timor...
and Kemak
Kemak language
Kemak is a language spoken in East Timor. An alternate name is Ema. It is most closely related to Tocodede and Mambai. It has the status of one of the national languages in the East Timor constitution, besides the official languages of Portuguese and Tetum. The number of speakers has fallen in...
are the native dialects of Maliana but most people understand and speak Tetum.
Maliana had one of the preferred schools during Portuguese occupation, known as Collegio Infante sagres. This was under a catholic mission and many East Timor educated people have graduated from this senior high School.