New Caledonia

New Caledonia is an oversea territory of France. The archipelago comprises the main island Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, and several smaller islands in the South Pacific Ocean. Nouméa is the capital of New Caledonia. France is responsible for the defense of the region. The inhabitants of New Caledonia will decide in a referendum whether they will remain in the French Republic or will become an independent state after 2014.

HISTORY:- In 1774, the British explorer James Cook first sighted New Caledonia. In 1853 the island was annexed by the French. It has been a penal colony since 1864 for four decades. Independence movement, demanding the independent state of 'Kanaky, led by the Front de Libération Nationale Kanak Socialiste, started in 1985. In 1998, the Nouméa Accords postponed any discussion about independence for the island until 2013. Since 1998, the islands gained the status of territorial collectivity of France.

GEOGRAPHY:- New Caledonia is located at 21 30 S, 165 30 E in Oceania. The island nation possesses total 19,060 sq km area, in which 18,575 sq km is covered with land masses and 485 sq km is covered by water and it includes the main island Grande Terre, and several smaller islands. The coastline is 2,254 km long along with the South Pacific Ocean. The lowest point is Pacific Ocean (0 m) and the highest point is Mont Panie (1,628 m). The island is formed of coastal plains with mountainous interiors.

CLIMATE:- The climate of New Caledonia is tropical, hot, and humid, which is modified by the southeast trade winds.

GOVERNMENT:- New Caledonia is a territorial collectivity of France. The French Constitution is considered as the formal constitution of the archipelago. The legal system is based on the French civil law. The three principal departments of the government are:

Executive branch comprises the President of France (chief of state), the High Commissioner, the President of the Government (head of government), and the cabinet. The high commissioner is appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior, while the president of the government is elected by the members of the Territorial Congress on a 5-year term. The 11-member cabinet is elected by the Territorial Congress.

Legislative branch comprises the unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres du territoire (54 seats).

Judicial branch comprises the Court of Appeal, the County Courts, the Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; and the Children's Court.

 Alliance pour la Caledonie, Caledonian Union, Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes, Front National, Front Uni de Liberation Kanak, Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation, Parti de Liberation Kanak, Rally for Caledonia in the Republic are the major political parties of New Caledonia. Suffrage is universal at the age of 18.

President of France      Nicolas Sarkozy

President of the Government of New Caledonia  Harold Martin

High Commissioner      Yves Dassonville

ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS:- New Caledonia is an oversea territory of France. It has three 3 provinces: South Province, North Province, and Loyalty Islands Province.

CULTURE:- Cricket and football are the most popular sports of New Caledonia.

ECONOMY:- New Caledonia possesses about 25% of known nickel resources in the world. Financial aid from France and tourism are the main two bases of the economy of the island.

GDP/PPP (2003 est.): $3.158 billion; per capita $15,000 (2002 est.).

Real growth rate: n.a.

Inflation: –0.6% (2000 est.).

Unemployment: 19% (1996).

Arable land: 0.4%.

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

Labor force: 79,395 (including 15,018 unemployed, 1996); agriculture 7%, industry 23%, services 70% (1999 est.).

Industries: Nickel mining and smelting.

Budget:  

Revenues: $996 million

Expenditures: $1.072 billion (2001 est.)

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

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

Exports: $999 million f.o.b. (2004 est.): ferronickels, nickel ore, fish.

Imports: $1.636 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.): machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs.

Major trading partners: Japan, France, Taiwan, South Korea, Spain, Australia, China, South Africa, Singapore, New Zealand (2004).

Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)

LANGUAGE:- French is the official language but there are 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects in use.

CITIES:- The capital and the largest city of New Caledonia is Nouméa.

POPULATION:- The estimated population of New Caledonia is 221,943 with an average growth rate of 1.2%.

Density per sq mi: 31

Literacy rate: 91% (1976 est.)

RACE:-

Melanesian 42.5%

European 37.1%

Wallisian 8.4%

Polynesian 3.8%

Indonesian 3.6%

Vietnamese 1.6%

Other 3%

RELIGION:-

Roman Catholic 60%

Protestant 30%

Other 10%

HEALTH:-

Birth rate: 17.39 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate: 5.64 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 7.19 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 74.75 years

Total fertility rate: 2.21 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

TRANSPORTATION:-

Railways: 0 km (2002).

Highways: total: 5,432 km (2000).

Ports and harbors: Noumea.

Airports: 25 (2004 est.); paved runways: total: 12; unpaved runways: total: 13.