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.
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
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries
0 km
Coastline
2,254 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Climate
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
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
Population
221,943 (July 2007 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years
27.9% (male 31,578/female 30,270)
15-64 years
65.3% (male 72,821/female 72,109)
65 years and over
6.8% (male 7,047/female 8,118) (2007 est.)
Median age
total
28.1 years
male
27.7 years
female
28.5 years (2007 est.)
Population growth rate
1.203% (2007 est.)
Birth rate
17.75 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Death rate
5.72 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Net migration rate
0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2007 est.)
Sex ratio
at birth
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years
1.043 male(s)/female
15-64 years
1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over
0.868 male(s)/female
total population
1.009 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total
7.42 deaths/1,000 live births
male
8.12 deaths/1,000 live births
female
6.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population
74.5 years
male
71.52 years
female
77.63 years (2007 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.25 children born/woman (2007 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)
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 Michel MATHIEU (since 15 July 2005)
head of government
President of the Government Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU (since 10 June 2004)
cabinet
Consultative Committee consists of eight members chosen from leading figures on the island to advise the High Commissioner
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 29 June 2004 when Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU was elected on the third vote with 8 votes for and 3 abstentions (next to be held in 2009)
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 9 and 16 June 2002 (next to be held in June 2007); 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 (observer), 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 - overview
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$3.158 billion (2003 est.)
GDP (official exchange rate)
$3.3 billion (2003 est.)
GDP - real growth rate
NA%
GDP - per capita (PPP)
$15,000 (2003 est.)
GDP - composition by sector
agriculture
15%
industry
8.8%
services
76.2% (2003)
Labor force
78,990 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture
20%
industry
20%
services
60% (2002)
Unemployment rate
17.1% (2004)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%
NA%
highest 10%
NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.4% (2000 est.)
Budget
revenues
$996 million
expenditures
$1.072 billion (2001 est.)
Agriculture - products
Industries
nickel mining and smelting
Industrial production growth rate
-0.6% (1996)
Electricity - production
1.675 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel
76.3%
hydro
23.7%
nuclear
0%
other
0% (2001)
Electricity - consumption
1.558 billion kWh (2004)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2004)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2004)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption
10,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - exports
NA bbl/day
Oil - imports
NA bbl/day
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2004 est.)
Exports
$1.085 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - commodities
ferronickels, nickel ore, fish
Exports - partners
Japan 17.3%, France 13.3%, China 10.8%, Taiwan 10.1%, Spain 9.4%, South Korea 8.9%, Belgium 7.3%, Italy 6%, Australia 4.6% (2006)
Imports
$1.78 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners
France 39.1%, Singapore 15.4%, Australia 11.5%, NZ 4.9% (2006)
Debt - external
$79 million (1998 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$525 million annual subsidy from France (2004)
Currency (code)
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)
Currency code
XPF
Exchange rates
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 95.025 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Telephones - main lines in use
55,300 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular
134,300 (2005)
Telephone system
general assessment
NA
domestic
NA
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
13,962 (2006)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2000)
Internet users
76,000 (2005)
Airports
25 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways
total
11
over 3,047 m
1
914 to 1,523 m
8
under 914 m
2 (2006)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total
14
914 to 1,523 m
8
under 914 m
6 (2006)
Heliports
6 (2006)
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 (2006)
Ports and terminals
Noumea
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 18-49: 50,874 (2005 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 18-49: 40,822 (2005 est.)
Manpower reaching military service age annually
males age 18-49: 1,907 (2005 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP
NA
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France
Disputes - international
Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu
