"Seattle Photographer, Wiqan Ang

Fowlplay: Timor Leste's Stock Market

At the turn of the century, right after Timor-Leste gained its independence, she had the distinction of having one of the lowest income per capita in the world. Then the average annual income of a Timorese is about 395USD.

Before the start of the daily rounds. The game fowls are traded outside the rings, prized fowls command 200USD. During the daily bout of games, about 3000USD are exchanged between hands. Individual bets run as high as 250USD.

Game fowls were one of the most expensive commodity publicly traded between Timorese. In the absence of a stock market the, the birds seemed to have filled the void.