Beginning in the early sixteenth century, European colonialists—the Dutch in the island's west, and Portuguese in the east—would divide the island, isolating the East Timorese from the histories of the surrounding archipelago.
Dimulai pada awal abad keenam belas, kolonial Eropa - Belanda di barat pulau, dan Portugis di timur - membagi pulau tersebut, mengisolasi orang Timor Leste dari sejarah kepulauan sekitarnya.