Viqueque Municipality

Viqueque (Tetum: Vikeke) is the largest of the municipalities of East Timor. The name comes from the ancient name "We Keke"; We means "water" and Keke "bracelet".

Geography
Viqueque is on the south coast of Timor, on the Timor Sea. It has an area of .

It borders the municipalities Baucau to the north, Lautém to the east, and Manatuto to the west. 

The capital of the municipality has the same name: Viqueque.

There are five administrative posts: Lacluta, Ossu, Uato-Lari (which was known in Portuguese Timor as Leça, and, in Tetum, is spelled Watulari), Uato Carabau (spelled Watucarbau in Tetum), and Viqueque.

Among the rivers that flow through Viqueque and into the Timor Sea are: Nunuc, Tuco, Cuha, Bularan, Benaro, Beaco and Weburak in the administrative post Viqueque; Lugassa on the border with Uato -Lari; Saqueto, Bebui, Borouai and Oiqui in the Uato-Lari administrative post; and Molaiuai and Uaidori in the Uatucarbau administrative post.

The Ossu administrative post is surrounded by several mountains: Monte Mundo Perdido in the west, the Builo in the south, the Matebian massif to the east and Fatu Laritame in the north. In Monte Mundo Perdido,  are protected for hunting and for the protection of birds as Important Bird Area. Here, there are many endemic species, including many rare orchids.

Population
The municipality of Viqueque had a population of 73,581 in 2011. Its density is  inhabitants per km².

Viqueque is a homeland of the Malayo-Polynesian language Tetum. In East Timor it is co-official with Portuguese. In the east part of the municipality live speakers of the Papuan language Makasae.

Gallery

References

Other websites

 Ministry of State Administration
 Viqueque District Development Plan 2002/2003 

Category:Municipalities of East Timor