New Caledonia Online Business Education. Administration. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

New Caledonia
Online Business Education. Economy. Politics. Culture. Religion. Media

New Caledonia Flag
New Caledonia is the French flag

Country Profile

Capital City: Nouméa

Local Time:UTC +11h

Geography:
Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia.
Area: land: 18,575 sq km; total: 19,060 sq km.
Terrain: Coastal plains with interior mountains.

Climate: Moderate, tropical oceanic, hot and humid; modified by southeast trade winds.

Government:
Overseas territory of France since 1956.
Chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995)

People:
Nationality: noun: New Caledonian(s); adjective: New Caledonian
Population: 213 000
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), more than 30 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects. Literacy: 91%

Business

Currency: (Frankly CFP or XPF) Euro (EUR)

Natural resources: Nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper.

Agriculture - products: Vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products.

Exports partners: Japan 23.1%, France 17.5%, Taiwan 14.3%, Spain 8.4%, South Korea 8.4%, South Africa 5.3%, Australia 4.5% (2004)

Imports partners: France 47.3%, Singapore 12.3%, Australia 9.6%, New Zealand 4.8% (2004)

Internet Links

Official Sites of New Caledonia

Gouvernement de la Nouvelle-Calédonie

Province Nord

Province Sud

Haut-Commissariat de la Republique - Nouvelle-Caldonie

Diplomatic Missions
Directory of French representations abroad (in French)

Statistics
Institut de la statistique et des études économiques

Weather
Météo France - Nouvelle-Calédonie

Maps
Map of New Caledonia

Map of Oceania and the Pacific Islands

Introduction

New Caledonia

Background: 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 seems to have dissipated.

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 water: 485 sq km land: 18,575 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 2,254 km

Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point:
Mont Panie 1,628 m

Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver,
gold, lead, copper

Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% other: 99% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 160 sq km (1991)

Natural hazards: cyclones, most frequent from November to March

Environment - current issues: 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

People New Caledonia

Population: 207,858 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 30% (male 31,862; female 30,577) 15-64 years:
64.1% (male 67,043; female 66,102) 65 years and over: 5.9% (male 5,777;
female 6,497) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.43% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 19.91 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 5.62 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 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:
0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 8.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 76.36 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 2.44 children born/woman (2002 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: 91% male: 92% female: 90% (1976 est.)

Government New Caledonia

Country name: conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and
Dependencies
New Caledonia local short form: et Dependances

Dependency status: overseas territory of France since 1956

Government type: NA

Capital: Noumea

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 Iles Loyaute, Nord, and 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: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to
the islands; formerly under French law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch: chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC
(since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner Thierry LATASTE
(since 19 July 1999) 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
head of government: Consultative Committee

Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres
Territorial (54 seats; members are members of the three Provincial
Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve
five-year terms) elections: last held 9 May 1999 (next to be held NA
2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
RPCR 24, FLNKS 12, UNI 6, FCCI 4, FN 4, Alliance pour la Caledonie 3,
LKS 1 note: New Caledonia elects 1 seat to the French Senate; elections
last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held NA September 2007); results
- percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; New Caledonia
also elects 2 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last
held 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held: first round - 9 June 2002;
second round 16 June 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA%;
seats by party - RPR 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]; Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes
or FCCI [Raphael MAPOU]; Front National or FN [Guy GEORGE]; Front Uni de
Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Kanak Socialist Front for National
Liberation or FLNKS [Rock WAMYTAN] (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM);
Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE];
Rally for Caledonia in the Republic or RPCR [Jacques LAFLEUR]; 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: ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU,
SPC, 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. In recent years, the economy has suffered because of
depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of export
earnings. Only a small amount of the land is suitable for cultivation,
and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition to nickel,
the substantial financial support from France and tourism are keys
to the health of the economy. The situation in 1998 was clouded by
the spillover of financial problems in East Asia and by lower prices
for nickel. Nickel prices jumped in 1999-2000, and large additions
were made to capacity. Strikes in the building industry in 2001, which
lasted four months, adversely affected many other sectors of the economy.
French Government interests in the New Caledonian nickel industry are
being transferred to local ownership.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $3.1 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 2.1% (2000 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 5% industry: 30% services: 65%
(1997 est.)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.3% (2000 est.)

Labor force: 79,395 (including 15,018 unemployed, 1996)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 7%, industry 23%, services 70%
(1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 19% (1996)

Budget: revenues: $861.3 million expenditures: $735.3 million, including
capital expenditures of $52 million (1996 est.)

Industries: nickel mining and smelting

Industrial production growth rate: -0.6% (1996)

Electricity - production: 1.565 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 77.64% hydro: 22.36%
other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

Electricity - consumption: 1.455 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2000)

Agriculture - products: vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products

Exports: $400 million (f.o.b., 2000)

Exports - commodities: ferronickels, nickel ore, fish

Exports - partners: Japan 25.8%, France 18.8%, Taiwan 12%, Australia
8.2%, US 3.0% (1999)

Imports: $1 billion (f.o.b., 2000)

Imports - commodities: transport equipment, machinery and electrical
equipment, fuels, minerals, wine, sugar, rice

Imports - partners: France 50.2%, Australia 15.1%, Singapore 5.9%,
New Zealand 5.2%, Japan 3.7% (1999)

Debt - external: $79 million (1998 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $880 million annual subsidy from France

Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)

Currency code: XPF

Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US
dollar - 135.04 (January 2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.44 (2000), 111.93
(1999), 107.25 (1998), 106.11 (1997); note - linked at the rate of 119.25
XPF to the euro

Fiscal year: calendar year

Communications New Caledonia

Telephones - main lines in use: 47,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 13,040 (1998)

Telephone system: general assessment: NA domestic: NA international:
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 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 52,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .nc

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)

Internet users: 24,000 (2001)

Transportation New Caledonia

Railways: 0 km (2002)

Highways: total: 4,825 km paved: 2,287 km unpaved: 2,538 km (1999)

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: Mueo, Noumea, Thio

Merchant marine: total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,261
GRT/1,600 DWT ships by type: cargo 1 note: includes a foreign-owned ship
registered here as a flag of convenience: Malaysia 1 (2002 est.)

Airports: 29 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 6 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m:
4 under 914 m: 1 (2001)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 23 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under
914 m: 11 (2001)

Heliports: 6 (2001)

Military New Caledonia

Military branches: no regular indigenous military forces; French Armed
Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $192.3 million (FY96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.3% (FY96)

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

This page was last updated on 1 January 2002