Baucau Municipality

**Baucau** (Tetum: **Baukau**), is the name of one of the 13 municipalities of East Timor, on the northern coast in the eastern part of the country. The municipality was the same during colonial times.

The capital is the city of Baucau (formerly Vila Salazar), the second city of East Timor after Dili that is at about  to the west; it lies at about 512 meters above sea level.

## Geography

Its north edge is to the Wetar Strait, opposite the island of Wetar; it also borders the municipalities of Lautém to the east, Viqueque to the south, and Manatuto to the west.

The municipality has an area of . The largest part of the municipality is at an altitude between . Just right on the coast, the country is falling fast at sea level.

The highest mountain of Baucau, and the third highest in East Timor, is Matebian, with  high; it is in the Quelicai subdistrict.

The rivers Laleia and Manuleiden, in the west of the district, flow to the north into the Wetar Strait. The rivers Seiçal, Borauai, Lequinamo, Binagua and other small rivers are to the east of the city of Baucau; only the Seiçal has water all year round.

Baucau also has a wide shoreline with sandy beaches that are ideal for swimming and other water sports.

## Population

In 2015, about 123,000 people lived in Baucau. The average age is 18.5 years.

Besides the national official languages of Tetum and Portuguese, most of the inhabitants speak the Papuan language Makasae. While most of the inhabitants are Roman Catholics, a few Muslims also live there.

## Subdivisions administratives

It is divided in six administrative posts:Baucau, Laga, and Vemasse with a coastal plain, while Venilale, Quelicai, and Baguia are located inland.
|Subdistrict|Population|Area (km<sup>2</sup>)|
| --- | --- | --- |
|Baguia|12,962|213.99|
|Baucau|47,294|369.53|
|Laga|18,359|191.99|
|Quelicai|17,450|206.46|
|Vemasse|9,643|374.62|
|Venilale|17,495|151.37|

## Economy

Baucau has the most highly developed agriculture in East Timor. Besides the staples rice and corn, Baucau produces beans, peanuts, sweet potatoes, coconuts, candlenut and manioc. It also raises buffalo and goats.

## Other websites

- Ministry of State Administration
- Bacau District Development Plan 2002/2003

## Infobox (mapframe)

- **frame-width**: 250
- **zoom**: 8


## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Baucau
- **settlement type**: Municipalities of East Timor, Municipality of East Timor
- **image skyline**: Pantai Wataboo, Osolata, East Timor (310667798).jpg
- **image alt**: Osolata beach
- **image caption**: Osolata beach
- **image flag**: Flag of Baucau (municipality).png
- **flag alt**: Flag
- **image shield**: Coat of Arms of Baucau.jpg
- **shield size**: 60px
- **shield alt**: Coat of arms
- **map alt**: Map of East Timor highlighting the Municipality
- **map caption**: **Baucau** in   **East Timor**
- **map alt1**: Map of the Municipality
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **parts type**: Administrative posts of East Timor, Administrative Posts
- **parts style**: para
- **seat type**: Capital
- **seat**: Baucau
- **unit pref**: Metric
- **area rank**: List of municipalities of East Timor by area, 4th
- **population rank**: List of municipalities of East Timor by population, 3rd
- **population density km2**: auto
- **population density rank**: List of municipalities of East Timor by population density, 5th
- **demographics1 title2**: Rank
- **demographics1 info2**: List of municipalities of East Timor by households, 3rd
- **iso code**: ISO 3166-2:TL, TL-BA
- **blank name sec2**: Human Development Index, HDI (2017)
- **blank info sec2**: 0.602
**** · List of municipalities of East Timor by Human Development Index, 9th