The Country Indonesia Tried to Erase

How did a tiny half-island survive the invasion of a massive empire? This is the story of East Timor—the country that was deleted from maps for 24 years, yet refused to disappear. ❤️ Like my videos? Help me keep making them by supporting me on Patreon & get your name in the credits + exclusive content!   / generalknowledge   At the end of the 20th century, recently independent Indonesia invaded and tried to annex the small country of East Timor, with whom they share the Timor island. To the surprise of many, the country's former colonizer (Portugal) rushed to their diplomatic defense - pressuring Indonesia at a European and global level via the United Nations. That, paired with the incredible resistance from the small population of Timor and also the diplomatic efforts of its leaders, contributed to the arrival of an Australian-led peacekeeping force by the UN, and a referendum that allowed them to fully conquer their definitive independence. The history of Timor is fascinating, from its native times to Portuguese colonization, struggle against Indonesia and now their modern existence as an independent and sovereign state, with incredibly close ties to Portugal and Australia; plus a surprisingly positive relationship with their former occupier of Indonesia. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 The Island History Forgot 01:27 The Strange Meaning of "Timor" 02:14 Geography & terrain 03:54 The Four Eras of Survival 04:12 The Island Before the Empire 05:57 Why the Portuguese Never Left 09:51 The 9-Day Invasion 14:00 Is East Timor Finally Safe? Stay up to date on more content from me: 🎶 Tiktok:   / generalknowledge.pt   🖼️ Instagram:   / genknowledge   ▶ Join the Discord Server:   / discord   ▶ Business Contact: [email protected] #GeneralKnowledge