Settled by both Britain and
France during the first half of the 19th century, the island was made a
French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades
after 1864. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s
ended in the 1998 Noumea Accord, which over a period of 15 to 20 years
will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France
to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct as many as
three referenda between 2013 and 2018, to decide whether New Caledonia
should assume full sovereignty and independence.
Geography
New Caledonia
Location:
Oceania, islands in the South
Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Geographic coordinates:
21 30 S, 165 30 E
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total: 19,060 sq km
land: 18,575 sq km water: 485 sq km
erosion caused by mining
exploitation and forest fires
Geography - note:
consists of the main island of
New Caledonia (one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago
of Iles Loyaute, and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls
total: 28.4 years
male: 28 years female: 28.8 years (2008 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.175% (2008 est.)
Birth rate:
17.39 births/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Death rate:
5.64 deaths/1,000 population
(2008 est.)
Net migration rate:
NA note: there has
been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2008 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05
male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64
years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86
male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008
est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 7.19 deaths/1,000
live births male: 7.85 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.75
years male: 71.76 years female: 77.88 years (2008
est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.21 children born/woman (2008
est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
NA
Nationality:
noun: New Caledonian(s)
adjective: New Caledonian
Ethnic groups:
Melanesian 42.5%, European
37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%,
other 3%
Religions:
Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant
30%, other 10%
Languages:
French (official), 33
Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and
over can read and write total population: 96.2%
male: 96.8% female: 95.5% (1996 census)
Government
New Caledonia
Country name:
conventional long form:
Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies conventional short
form: New Caledonia local long form: Territoire des
Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances local short form:
Nouvelle-Caledonie
Dependency status:
territorial collectivity of
France since 1998
Government type:
NA
Capital:
name: Noumea
geographic coordinates: 22 16 S, 166 27 E time
difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard
Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of
France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by
the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named Province des Iles,
Province Nord, and Province Sud
Independence:
none (overseas territory of
France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not
pass; a new referendum is scheduled for 2014
National holiday:
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French
Constitution)
Legal system:
based on French civil law; the
1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:
President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by High
Commissioner Yves DASSONVILLE (since 9 November 2007) head of
government: President of the Government Harold MARTIN (since 7 August
2007) cabinet: Cabinet consisting of 11 members elected from
and by the Territorial Congress elections: French president
elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed
by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior;
president of the government elected by the members of the Territorial
Congress for a five-year term (no term limits); note - last election held
7 August 2007 when Harold MARTIN was elected following the resignation of
Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU as president on 24 July 2007 (next to be held in
2012)
Legislative branch:
unicameral Territorial Congress
or Congres du territoire (54 seats; members belong to the three Provincial
Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms) elections: last held 9 May 2004 (next to be
held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - RPCR-UMP 16, AE 16, UNI-FLNKS 8, UC 7, FN 4, others 3
note: New Caledonia currently holds one seat in the French
Senate; by 2010, New Caledonia will gain a second seat in the French
Senate; elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held not later
than September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - UMP 1; New Caledonia also elects two seats to the French National
Assembly; elections last held 10 and 17 June 2007 (next to be held on June
2012); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal or Cour
d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court
Political parties and leaders:
Alliance pour la Caledonie or
APLC [Didier LE ROUX]; Caledonian Union or UC; Federation des Comites de
Coordination des Independantistes or FCCI [Francois BURCK]; Front National
or FN [Guy GEORGE]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE];
Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (includes PALIKA,
UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE
and Elie POIGOUNE]; Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (anti
independence) or RPCR-UMP [Jacques LAFLEUR]; The Future Together or AE
[Harold MARTIN]; Union Nationale pour l'Independance or UNI [Paul
NEAOUTYINE]; note - may no longer exist, but Paul NEAOUTYINE has since
become a president of Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA; Union
Progressiste Melanesienne or UPM [Victor TUTUGORO]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
ITUC, PIF (associate member),
SPC, UPU, WFTU, WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
none (overseas territory of
France)
Diplomatic representation from the US:
none (overseas territory of
France)
Flag description:
the flag of France is used
Economy
New Caledonia
Economy - overview:
New Caledonia has about 25% of
the world's known nickel resources. Only a small amount of the land is
suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In
addition to nickel, substantial financial support from France - equal to
more than 15% of GDP - and tourism are keys to the health of the economy.
Substantial new investment in the nickel industry, combined with the
recovery of global nickel prices, brightens the economic outlook for the
next several years.
Japan 17.4%, France 15.9%,
Taiwan 14.5%, China 10.8%, Spain 9.4%, Belgium 7.3%, Italy 6%, Australia
4.6% (2006)
Imports:
$1.998 billion f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, fuels,
chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners:
France 39.4%, Singapore 15.1%,
Australia 11.3%, NZ 4.8% (2006)
Economic aid - recipient:
$524.3 million annual subsidy
from France (2004)
Debt - external:
$79 million (1998 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
Currency (code):
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique
franc (XPF)
Currency code:
XPF
Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique
francs (XPF) per US dollar - 87.59 (2007), 95.025 (2006), 95.89 (2005),
96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003)
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Communications
New Caledonia
Telephones - main lines in use:
55,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular:
134,300 (2005)
Telephone system:
general assessment: NA
domestic: a submarine cable network connection between New
Caledonia and Australia, scheduled for completion in 2008, will improve
high-speed connectivity and access to international networks
international: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios:
107,000 (1997)
Television broadcast stations:
6 (plus 25 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions:
52,000 (1997)
Internet country code:
.nc
Internet hosts:
14,252 (2007)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
1 (2000)
Internet users:
80,000 (2006)
Transportation
New Caledonia
Airports:
25 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 12 over
3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 2
(2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 13 914 to
1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 6 (2007)
Heliports:
6 (2007)
Roadways:
total: 5,432 km (2000)
Merchant marine:
total: 2 ships (1000 GRT
or over) 3,566 GRT/2,543 DWT by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo
1 (2007)
Ports and terminals:
Noumea
Military
New Caledonia
Military branches:
no regular indigenous military
forces; French Armed Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie);
Police Force
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 57,738
(2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 47,342
(2008 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
males age 16-49: 2,202
(2008 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
NA
Military - note:
defense is the responsibility
of France
Transnational Issues
New Caledonia
Disputes - international:
Matthew and Hunter Islands east
of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu
