Portuguese Timor was a territory in Southeast Asia that was a colony of Portugal from the 16th century until 1975. It is located on the eastern half of the island of Timor, sharing the western half with Indonesia. The capital city was Dili, and the official languages were Portuguese and Tetum. In 1975, following a period of political turmoil, Portuguese Timor declared independence, but this was short-lived. Shortly after, Indonesia invaded and occupied the territory, leading to a long struggle for independence that lasted until 1999, when a UN-sponsored referendum resulted in the establishment of East Timor as a sovereign nation.