West Timor

West Timor is the southwestern half of the Timor island and is a province of Indonesia. It extends for about 200km from southwest to northeast and is about 90km wide at its widest point. West Timor is relatively dry fro a tropical island and quite mountainous (highest peak is Mount Mutis at 2427m). The regional capital is Kupang, located at the southwestern end, which is also a regional travel hub with flights to Nusa Tenggara, Bali, Maluku and Papua New Guinea. The largest ethnic group on West Timor are the Tetum. The European colonisation of West Timor started in the 16th century with the Portuguese who were eventually replaced by the Dutch by the 17th century. Nowadays practically nothing is left of the colonial past, but the island is interesting due to the multitude of villages with houses still built in traditional style and the sceneries (mountains, beaches).