This thesis is a study of political symbolism in Timor-Leste in relation to national identity construction, as part of the on-going nation-building project, based on ethnographic fieldwork. The study outlines and examines the core tenets of an East Timorese national identity, their origins, and their significance in contemporary politics. The thesis presents an analysis of how this collective identity is embodied and represented in various political symbols, such as flags, monuments, national heroes, and street art, in order to trace the evolution of popular imaginings of national identity that has taken place in the recent past.