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Baucau | |
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.jpg) Osolata beach | |
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| Coordinates:8°35′S126°30′E / 8.583°S 126.500°E /-8.583; 126.500 | |
| Country |  East Timor |
| Capital | Baucau |
| Administrative Posts | |
| Area | |
• Total | 1,504.2 km2 (580.8 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 4th |
| Population (2015 census) | |
• Total | 123,203 |
| • Rank | 3rd |
| • Density | 82/km2 (210/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 5th |
| Households (2015 census) | |
| • Total | 22,976 |
| • Rank | 3rd |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (TLT) |
| ISO 3166 code | TL-BA |
| HDI (2017) | 0.602[1] medium ·9th |
| Website | Baucau Municipality |
Baucau (Portuguese:Município Baucau,Tetum:Munisípiu Baukau) is amunicipality, and was formerly a district, ofEast Timor,[2] on the northern coast in the eastern part of the country. The capital is also calledBaucau (formerly Vila Salazar). The population of the municipality is 111,694 (census 2010) and it has an area of 1,506 km2.
The wordBaucau is derived from the word "Akau", which means "pig" in the localWaimoa language. During thePortuguese colonial era, the name of the district was transformed, first intoMacau and finally intoBaucau. An alternative name for the Baucau community isWailia-Wailewa, meaning the "great water spring of Wai Lia".[3] In theWai Lia area (part of thesuco ofBahu [de]), a large spring is located under large trees;[3] it is both an animist and a Christian holy place.[4]
In 1936, the Portuguese colonial authorities renamed what was then the district of Baucau as "São Domingos".[5] However, that name, like other imperial-sounding names adopted in the colony at about that time, did not catch on, and a few years after World War II it was quietly abandoned.[6]
The borders of the District of Baucau during the colonial era were the same as they are now. The north edge of the municipality is to theWetar Strait; it also borders the municipalities ofLautém to the east,Viqueque to the south, andManatuto to the west.
Baucau also has a wide coastline with sandy beaches, ideal for swimming and other watersports.
In the administrative post of Venilale are tunnels that the Japanese built during their occupation during the Second World War. Also in this administrative post is an ongoing project to reconstruct and renovate the Escola do Reino de Venilale (School of the Kingdom of Venilale).[7]
The municipality's administrative posts (formerly sub-districts) are:[8]
Besides the national official languages ofTetum and Portuguese, most of the inhabitants speak thePapuan languageMakasae. While most of the inhabitants areRoman Catholics, a few Muslims also live there.
Baucau has the most highly developed agriculture in East Timor. Besides the staplesrice andcorn, Baucau producesbeans,peanuts,sweet potatoes,copra,candlenut andmanioc. It also raisesbuffalo andgoats. A shortage of transportation links and the unpredictability of energy availability stymie the development of emerging industries.
Baucau has the country's longest airport runway, inCakung Airport,[9] as currently,Dili'sNicolau Lobato International Airport can only serve small airliners like theBoeing 737. The airport is located six km from the city of Baucau. It served as the country's principal airport before theIndonesian invasion in 1975, when it was taken over by the Indonesian military.Bucoli, a village with symbolic role in the East Timorese resistance movement, is located in the subdistrict of Baucau.
Media related toBaucau (Municipality) at Wikimedia Commons
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