East Timor Assignment
Term 4 Economics Essay –Jack Stickley
East Timor is a country surrounded by a picturesque and untouched landscape that has inhabited people for centuries. In today’s society however, East Timor has been economically left behind in comparison to other western world super powers. As the country attempts to rebuild its national identity following their separation from the Indonesia regime, certain obstacles threaten to stop their progress to become a developed nation.
Least Developed Countries (LDC’s) can be commonly categorized by their lack of infrastructure and residential development, and visibly through the contrast to well developed countries of the Western world. The United Nations use the following criteria to identify LDC’s. Firstly, a low-income criterion based on a three-year average estimate of the GDP per capita, East Timor’s is under the required amount of $750 at $500. Secondly, a human resource weakness criterion involving a composite Augmented Physical Quality of Life Index (APQLI), currently in East Timor the adult literacy rate is at 58.6% a meek figure in comparison to Australia, a developed country, whose figure is 99%. Finally, there is an economic vulnerability criterion focusing on the instability certain factors including exports and agriculture. East Timor’s trade is out of balance with exports reaching $10 million as apposed to a large import figure of $202 million and, while the Timorese use their land effectively there is only 8.2% of land area considered to be arable land for agriculture. These figures display that East Timor has the characteristics of a LDC as they continue to be economically undeveloped.
East Timor is struggling to emerge onto the global stage as the country has been troubled by past incidents that interfere with the nations attempt to develop economically. The country faces immediate obstacles including agricultural difficulties, the lack of infrastructure due to their previous destruction and political unrest
East Timor is a country surrounded by a picturesque and untouched landscape that has inhabited people for centuries. In today’s society however, East Timor has been economically left behind in comparison to other western world super powers. As the country attempts to rebuild its national identity following their separation from the Indonesia regime, certain obstacles threaten to stop their progress to become a developed nation.
Least Developed Countries (LDC’s) can be commonly categorized by their lack of infrastructure and residential development, and visibly through the contrast to well developed countries of the Western world. The United Nations use the following criteria to identify LDC’s. Firstly, a low-income criterion based on a three-year average estimate of the GDP per capita, East Timor’s is under the required amount of $750 at $500. Secondly, a human resource weakness criterion involving a composite Augmented Physical Quality of Life Index (APQLI), currently in East Timor the adult literacy rate is at 58.6% a meek figure in comparison to Australia, a developed country, whose figure is 99%. Finally, there is an economic vulnerability criterion focusing on the instability certain factors including exports and agriculture. East Timor’s trade is out of balance with exports reaching $10 million as apposed to a large import figure of $202 million and, while the Timorese use their land effectively there is only 8.2% of land area considered to be arable land for agriculture. These figures display that East Timor has the characteristics of a LDC as they continue to be economically undeveloped.
East Timor is struggling to emerge onto the global stage as the country has been troubled by past incidents that interfere with the nations attempt to develop economically. The country faces immediate obstacles including agricultural difficulties, the lack of infrastructure due to their previous destruction and political unrest