Baucau Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Baucau
City
Cidade de Baucau (Portuguese) Cidade Baukau (Tetum)
View of the Old City, Baucau
Location in Baucau Municipality
Baucau Location in East Timor
Country	East Timor
Municipality	Baucau
Sucos (villages)	List 11
Area
• Total	369.53 km² (142.68 sq mi)
Elevation	336 m (1,102 ft)
Population (2015)
• Total	14,961
• Density	40.4866/km² (104.860/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (TLT)
Climate	Aw

Baucau (Portuguese: Baucau, Tetum: Baukau) is the second-largest city in East Timor. It is located in the eastern part of the country. About 16,000 people live there. Baucau is the main city of the Baucau area.

Long ago, when East Timor was called Portuguese Timor, Baucau was a small village. For a while, it was even named Vila Salazar, after a Portuguese leader.

Exploring Baucau City
Baucau's Villages
Baucau's Weather
Religion in Baucau
Getting Around Baucau
Images for kids
See also

Exploring Baucau City

What is Baucau Like?

Baucau is a city with a mix of old and new. After a difficult time in 1999, much of the city was rebuilt. But you can still find some beautiful old buildings from the time when Portugal ruled. These include large houses, churches, and public buildings.

One famous old building is the Pousada de Baucau. It is a big pink hotel with a restaurant that has amazing views of the ocean.

Daily Life and Work

In Baucau, you'll find many shops, restaurants, and street markets. People mostly sell fresh fruits and vegetables. Even though many young people are looking for jobs, new businesses are starting up. Some old businesses that used to focus on war-related things are now doing light engineering. New companies, like East Timor Roofing, are creating jobs and training opportunities.

Smaller businesses are also growing. These include places that focus on hygiene and health, food production, transport, small shops, and tourism. Near the Pousada de Baucau, there's a convent that sells local handmade crafts.

Education and Health

Baucau is home to the Instituto Católico para a Formação de Professores (ICFP). This is a Catholic Teachers College. It trains new teachers and helps current teachers improve their skills. The ICFP is very important for rebuilding the country through education.

The city also has a hospital, a nursing school, and a swimming pool. The swimming pool is owned by the Pousada de Baucau hotel.

Baucau's Villages

Baucau is divided into 11 smaller areas called sucos, which are like villages. These are:

Suco Bahú
Suco Bucoli
Suco Buibau
Suco Buruma
Suco Caibada Uaimua
Suco Samalari
Suco Seiçal
Suco Tirilolo
Suco Triloka
Suco Gariuai
Suco Uailili

Baucau's Weather

Baucau has a tropical climate. This means it's generally warm all year round. There are wet and dry seasons. The wet season usually brings more rain, while the dry season is sunnier.

Religion in Baucau

Baucau is an important center for the Roman Catholic faith. It is the home of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Baucau. This is one of the three main church areas in East Timor. It was created in 1996. The bishop of Baucau is Basilio do Nascimento.

Getting Around Baucau

Six kilometers from the city is the Cakung Airport. Local people sometimes call it LANUD. This airport has the longest runway in East Timor. This means it can handle larger planes than the airport in Dili, the capital city. Before 1975, Cakung Airport was the main airport for the country.