Tutuala
| Tutuala | |
|---|---|
| Suco and town | |
Village of Tutuala
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 Tutuala
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| Coordinates: 8°23′34.44″S 127°15′24.12″E / 8.3929000°S 127.2567000°ECoordinates: 8°23′34.44″S 127°15′24.12″E / 8.3929000°S 127.2567000°E | |
| Country |
 East Timor
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| District | Lautém District |
| Subdistrict | Tutuala |
| Suco | Tutuala |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 3,707 |
| Time zone | East Timor Standard Time (UTC+9) |
| Climate | Aw |
Tutuala is a village and suco in the subdistrict of Tutuala (Lautém District, East Timor). It is situated at the extreme eastern end of Timor. Its population at the 2004 census was 3,707. The subdistrict of Tutuala comprises two sucos, including Mehara and Tutuala with the subdistrict administrator residing in Tutuala. The suco of Tutuala comprised four hamlets (aldeia): Ioro, Pitileti, Tchailoro, and Vero. The main Fataluku language areas of the country are in Tutuala, as well as Lautem and Fuiloro.
In Tatuala, 24 clans or ratu's have been identified. Tutuala were the autochthonous ratu in the village and senior people in the ratu are considered as the "Lord of the Land" (mua occawa) of the Tutuala region. According to local tradition, the Tutuala ratu and Kati ratu clans originally spoke Makuvu; all other clans in the district originated from outside Timor, bringing their own language with them during their migration. One clan has been identified as being from the province of southeastern region of Maluku, Indonesia.
Until World War II, the Lata people were settled in ancestral homes inside the forests, dependent upon the forests for their livelihoods. Many villages settled along the edges of the road or along the coast date to the period of Portuguese occupation, and after 1945 during the Indonesian occupation. Forested uplands in the Tutuala area were inhabited by the ratu or "clan groups" which included the walled and open settlements of Lata and also caves (veraka) which housed ancestral figures. According to Timorese legend, Fataluku people believe that "Jaco Island (Tonfina), near Titula, is identified by Fatalaku people as “the head of the land”, while the rest of the island constitutions the body".
Tutuala is at the extreme east end of Timor island. The sub district of Tutuala is delimited by Jon Inakafu and Savirara beaches to the north, Valu Beach on the east, the uninhabited Jaco Island is to the south and the western limit by Malahara and Hi-lapuna hamlets, Veru Beach, and Somoco hamlet.
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Wikipedia