section_path: Geography
section_name: Geography
paragraph_text: Geography
  
  Located between Southeast Asia and the South Pacific,: 2 the island of Timor is the largest of the Lesser Sunda Islands, which lie within the Malay Archipelago.: 1 As such, Timor forms part of the Wallacea region, the boundary region between Asia and Oceania, along with the Lesser Sundas, Sulawesi, and the Maluku Islands. The island is surrounded by the Ombai and Wetar Straits of the rougher Banda Sea in the north, and the calmer Timor Sea in the south.: 2 Timor-Leste shares the island with Indonesia, with Indonesian territory separating the Oecusse exclave from the rest of the country. The island of Atauro lies north of the mainland,: 2 with the fourth area being the small island of Jaco. The Savu Sea lies north of Oecusse.: 1 The country is about 265 kilometres (165 mi) long and 97 kilometres (60 mi) wide, with a total land area of 14,874 square kilometres (5,743 sq mi).: 1 This territory is situated between 8′15S – 10′30S latitude and 125′50E – 127′30E longitude.: 2 The country's coastline covers around 700 kilometres (430 mi),: 27 while the main land border with Indonesia is 125 kilometres (78 mi) long, and the Oecusse land border is around 100 kilometres (62 mi) long.: 1 Maritime borders exist with Australia to the south and Indonesia elsewhere. Timor-Leste has an exclusive economic zone of 77,051 km 2 (29,750 sq mi).
  
  The interior of the country is mountainous,: 2 with ridges of inactive volcanic mountains extending along the island.: 2 Almost half of the country has a slope of at least 40%. The south is slightly less mountainous, and has some plains near the coastline.: 2 The highest point is Tatamailau (also known as Mount Ramelau) at 2,963 metres (9,721 ft). Most rivers dry up at least partially during the dry season.: 2 Outside of some coastal areas and river valleys, the soil is shallow and prone to erosion, and its quality is poor.: 13 : 2 The capital and largest city is Dili. The second-largest city is the eastern town of Baucau.: 22
  
  The climate is tropical with relatively stable temperatures throughout the year. A wet season lasts from December to May throughout the country, and lasts slightly longer in the south: 5 and the interior due to the effect of a monsoon from Australia.: 2 During this period, rainfall can reach 222–252 millimetres (8.7–9.9 in) per month. In the dry season, it drops to 12–18 millimetres (0.47–0.71 in).: 5 The country is vulnerable to flooding and landslides that occur as a result of heavy rain, especially when rainfall levels are increased by the La Niña effect.: 13 The mountainous interior is cooler than the coasts. Coastal areas are heavily dependent on groundwater, which faces pressure from mismanagement, deforestation, and climate change.: 14 While the temperature is thought to have experienced a small increase due to climate change, there has been little change in annual rainfall.: 6
  
  Coastal ecosystems around the country are diverse and varied, with vary spatially between the north and south coastlines, as well as between the eastern tip and areas more to the west. These ecosystems include coral reefs, as the country's waters are part of the Coral Triangle biodiversity hotspot.: 28 The easternmost area of Timor-Leste consists of the Paitchau Range and the Lake Ira Lalaro area, which contains the country's first conservation area, the Nino Konis Santana National Park. It contains the last remaining tropical dry forested area within the country. It hosts a number of unique plant and animal species and is sparsely populated. The northern coast is characterised by a number of coral reef systems that have been determined to be at risk.
  
  There are around 41,000 terrestrial plant species in the country. Forests covered 35% of Timor-Leste's land in the mid-2010s.: 1 The forests of the northern coast, central uplands, and southern coast are distinct.: 2 Timor-Leste is home to the Timor and Wetar deciduous forests ecoregion. There is some environmental protection in law, but it has not been a government priority.: 27 : 10–14 In addition to climate change, local ecosystems are threatened by deforestation, land degradation, overfishing, and pollution.: 2–3