Manatuto (Portuguese: Município Manatuto, Tetum: Munisípiu Manatutu) is one of the municipalities (formerly districts) of East Timor, located in the central part of the country. It has a population of 45,541 (Census 2010) and an area of 1,783.3 km². The capital of the municipality is also named Manatuto. It is the least populated municipality of East Timor.

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Quick Facts Country, Capital ...

Manatuto
Municipality of East Timor
Município Manatuto (Portuguese) Munisípiu Manatutu (Tetum)
Cliffs at Manatuto
Official map
Manatuto in     East Timor
OpenStreetMap
Coordinates: 8°42′S 125°55′E
Country	East Timor
Capital	Manatuto
Administrative posts	Barique-Natarbora Laclo Laclubar Laleia Manatuto Soibada
Area
• Total	1,783.3 km2 (688.5 sq mi)
• Rank	2nd
Population  (2015 census)
• Total	46,619
• Rank	13th
• Density	26/km2 (68/sq mi)
• Rank	13th
Households (2015 census)
• Total	7,467
• Rank	12th
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (TLT)
ISO 3166 code	TL-MT
HDI (2017)	0.614[1] medium · 5th
Website	Manatuto Municipality

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The word Manatuto has been said to be a Portuguese approximation of the local Tetum and Galoli language word Manatutu, which means 'pecking birds'.^[2]

According to another source, the word is a portmanteau of the Tetum words Mana and tutu, which mean 'old woman' and 'peak' or 'summit', respectively. The legend goes that two groups of people were each living on the summit of a hill, one of them named Sau Raha (now Soraha) and the other Sau Lor (now Saulidun). The two groups were engaged separately in their own daily activities, but each was accompanied by one of two Liurai, who were brothers.^[3]

The borders of the municipality of Manatuto are identical to those of the council of Portuguese Timor with the same name.

The municipality borders the municipalities of Baucau and Viqueque to the east and Manufahi, Aileu, and Dili to the west. It reaches both the south and north coasts of the island, and is only one of two municipalities to do so (the other is Lautém in the far east), and has the most geographical diversity. To the north is the Strait of Wetar, to the south is the Timor Sea.

The municipality's administrative posts (formerly sub-districts) are:^[4][5]

• Barique-Natarbora (pop. 4,900)
• Laclo (pop. 6,400)
• Laclubar (pop. 10,100)
• Laleia (pop. 3,200)
• Manatuto (pop. 11,500)
• Soibada (pop. 2,950)

The administrative posts are divided into 29 sucos ("villages") in total.

In addition to the official languages of East Timor (Tetum and Portuguese), a large part of the population of the municipality speaks the Malayo-Polynesian language Galoli, which is designated as a "national language" by the constitution.

The municipality is known as the birthplace of Xanana Gusmão, later to become the nation's first president. He was born in the village of Laleia (19 km East of Manatuto town).