Is East Timor part of Asia or Oceania?

Located between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, and between two continents, Asia and Oceania, East Timor is a small state (15,000 square km and 924,000 inhabitants, according to the 2004 census) that occupies the eastern part of the island, located in the archipelago of the Little Sunda, while the western part of the same island is an Indonesian province. The country is predominantly mountainous characterized by a tropical climate.

East Timor has been subject, since the beginning of the sixth century, to Portuguese domination, based on the exploitation of the island’s resources, mainly sandal and marble. The Portuguese settlers were completely uninterested in the development of the territory: it was only in the sixties of the last century that Dili, the capital, began to have electric light. Sanitation, water, schools and hospitals were installed only in the following decade while the rest of the country, especially the rural areas, continued to be very poor and backward.

Why is East Timor its own country?
What is the difference between Timor and East Timor?
Does the US recognize East Timor?