How many Asian countries lie wholly in the Southern Hemisphere?

There is just one Asian country that lies completely south of the Equator: Timor-Leste (also known as East Timor), a small island country in South-east Asia. The territory of Timor-Leste lies in the archipelago of the Lesser Sunda Islands. The country comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the north-western side of the island surrounded by Indonesian West Timor.

The territory was a Portuguese colony from the 16th century -- then known as Portuguese Timor -- until 28 November 1975, when it was declared independent. Nine days later, it was invaded and occupied by the Indonesian military. In 1999, following the United Nations-sponsored act of self-determination, Indonesia relinquished control. As Timor-Leste, it became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century on 20 May 2002 and joined the United Nations.

Indonesia, East Timor’s big Asian neighbour, lies partly in the Northern and partly in the Southern hemisphere.

Australia is the country's southern neighbour, separated by the Timor Sea; Australia lies wholly in the southern hemisphere, but it is not part of Asia.