Viqueque is the largest of the municipalities (formerly districts) of East Timor. It has a population of 77,402 (Census 2010) and an area of 1,877 km2. The capital of the municipality is also named Viqueque.

Etymology

The word Viqueque is a Portuguese approximation of the local Tetun-Terik word Vikeke (or Wekeke), which has been translated as both 'eroding water' and 'water' (we) 'bracelet' (keke). The background to the latter translation is that a warrior leader, Luka, is said once to have been on a campaign with his warriors against the Wehali people, who had entered Luka's lands via Suai, Same, and Manatuto. During the campaign, he and the warriors came upon a spring guarded by an old woman. After the woman had given the warriors the water they had asked for, they cut off her arm, on which she had been wearing a bracelet. They then took the arm and bracelet to their king, Nai Lu Leki, who hung the arm in a tree. He also kept the bracelet and declared it sacred, as We Keke. According to another tradition, a queen of the kingdom of Luka gave a bracelet to Viqueque as an heirloom, and today the municipality is named after it.

Geography

Viqueque is on the south coast of Timor, on the Timor Sea. It borders the municipalities of Baucau to the north, Lautém to the east, and Manatuto to the west. The borders of the then district were the same in colonial times. On the south coast, the people report both myths and possible occurrences of crocodiles.

Administrative posts

The municipality's administrative posts (formerly sub-districts) are: The administrative posts are divided into 35 sucos ("villages") in total.

Demographics

Viqueque is a homeland of the Malayo-Polynesian language Tetum. In East Timor it is co-official with Portuguese. In the east part of the municipality live speakers of the Papuan language Makasae.