Beneath the bustling surface and away from Dili’s newfound traffic jams, Timor-Leste is a nation still recovering from a 24-year occupation by Indonesia that culminated in 1999 with the destruction of most of the country’s infrastructure as the Timorese voted resoundingly in favour of independence from Indonesia. Two-and-a-half years of United Nations (UN) administration later and Timor-Leste was formally declared independent on 20 May, 2002.

Since then, it’s been a rocky road to recovery and development has had its twists and turns, with internal strife leading to violence along the way. But today, as the people of Timor-Leste look back on what 10 years of independence has brought them, the country is experiencing its longest period of peace and there is a renewed sense of optimism in the air.