Ermera (Portuguese: Município Ermera, Tetum: Munisípiu Ermera) is one of the municipalities (formerly districts) of East Timor, located in the west-central part of the country. It has a population of 117,064 (Census 2010) and an area of 756.5 km2.

Ermera
Ermera
Ermera
Official map
Map of East Timor highlighting the Municipality
   Ermera in     East Timor
OpenStreetMap
Map
Coordinates: 8°50′S 125°23′E / 8.833°S 125.383°E / -8.833; 125.383
Country East Timor
CapitalGleno
Administrative posts
Area
 • Total
756.5 km2 (292.1 sq mi)
 • Rank10th
Population
 (2015 census)
 • Total
125,702
 • Rank2nd
 • Density170/km2 (430/sq mi)
  • Rank2nd
Households (2015 census)
 • Total20,671
 • Rank3rd
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (TLT)
ISO 3166 codeTL-ER
HDI (2017)0.562[1]
medium · 11th
WebsiteErmera Municipality

Etymology

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The word Ermera means 'red water' in the local Mambai language.[2] It is said that the ancestors of today's inhabitants of the municipality originated from three mountains, namely Cailitlau, Lalimlau, and Hituria, and that the name Ermera refers to the red waters flowing from those mountains.[3]

Geography

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Hot springs of Marobo

Ermera is one of only two land-locked municipalities in East Timor, the other being Aileu. It borders Liquiçá to the north, Dili to the northeast, Alieu to the east, Ainaro to the southeast, and Bobonaro to the west.

The boundaries of the municipality are identical to those of the district of the same name in Portuguese Timor. Its capital is Gleno, which is located 30 km to the southwest of the national capital, Dili. The city of Ermera, also known as Vila Ermera, lies 58 km from the capital along the same road. In Marobo (Atsabe Administrative Post) are the remains of a hot springs bath from colonial times. The pool is still in use.[4]

 
Subdivisions of Ermera
 
Cities of Ermera

Administrative posts

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The municipality's administrative posts (formerly sub-districts) are:[5][6]

The administrative posts are divided into 52 sucos ("villages") in total.


References

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Notes

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  1. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
  2. ^ Hull, Geoffrey (June 2006). "The placenames of East Timor" (PDF). Placenames Australia: Newsletter of the Australian National Placenames Survey: 6–7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 February 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  3. ^ "Perfil: 2. Toponímia" [Profile: 2. Toponymy]. Ermera Municipality (in Tetum). Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Jane's Oceania: Timor - Facts about Timor". Archived from the original on 3 November 2014. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
  5. ^ Gunn, Geoffrey C (2011). Historical Dictionary of East Timor. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 84. ISBN 9780810867543.
  6. ^ Soares Martins, Evaristo (31 May 2022). "Parlamento Nacional aprova propostade lei da divisão administrativa do territorio na final global" [National Parliament globally finally approves proposal for a law on the administrative division of the territory] (in Portuguese). Tatoli. Archived from the original on 14 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2022.

Bibliography

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  Media related to Ermera (Municipality) at Wikimedia Commons