1982 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1982 (Wikisource)
Geography
Area
22,015 km2; 6% cultivable, 22% pasture land, 15% forests, 57% waste or other WATER
Coastline
2,254 km
Limits of territorial waters (claimed)
12 nm (fishing 200 nm; exclusive economic zone 200 nm)
People and Society
Ethnic divisions
Melanesian 42%; French 40%; remainder Vietnamese, Indonesian, Chinese, Polynesian
Labor force
size unknown; Javanese and Tonkinese laborers were imported for plantations and mines in pre-World War II period; immigrant labor now coming from Wallis Islands, New Hebrides, and French Polynesia
Language
Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Literacy
unknown
Nationality
noun—New Caledonian(s); adjective—New Caledonian
Organized labor
labor not organized
Population
138,000 (July 1982), average annual growth rate 0.5%
Religion
natives 90% Christian
Government
Branches
administered by High Commissioner, responsible to French Ministry for Overseas France and Governing Council; Assemblee Territoriale Government leader: Claude CHARBONNIAUD, French High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government
Capital
Noumea
Communists
number unknown; Union Caledonienne strongly leftist; some politically active Communists were deported during 1950s; small number of North Vietnamese Other political parties and pressure groups: several lesser parties
Elections
Assembly elections every five years, last in September 1977
Legal system
French law
Member of
EIB (associate)
Official name
Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
Political parties
Rassemblement pour la Caledonie—Conservative; Union Caledonienne—eventual independence; Union Multiraciale and Palika—independence parties Voting strength (1977 election): Rassemblement pour la Caledonie, 12 seats; Union Caledonienne, 9 seats; Palika, 2 seats; 8 other parties divide up remaining 12 seats
Political subdivisions
4 islands or island group dependencies—Isle of Pines, Loyalty Islands, Huon Islands, Island of New Caledonia
Suffrage
universal
Type
French overseas territory; represented in French parliament by one deputy and one senator
Economy
Agriculture
large areas devoted to cattle grazing; major products—coffee and vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef; must import grains and vegetables
Electric power
365,000 kW capacity (1981); 1.606 billion kWh produced (1981), 11,723 kWh per capita
Exports
$363.3 million (f.o.b., 1977); 95% nickel, coffee
GNP
$569 million (1977), $4,000 per capita; -1.0% growth (1977)
Imports
$340 million (c.i.f., 1977); 26% mineral fuel imports, 21% machinery, transport equipment, food
Industry
mining of nickel
Major trade partners
(1976) exports—49% France, 29% Japan, 16% US; imports— 39% France, 13% Australia, 11% rest of EC
Monetary conversion rate
75 CFP francs=US$1 (1978/79)
Communications
Airfields
31 total, 30 usable; 4 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m, 2 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Civil air
no major transport aircraft
Highways
5,448 km total (1977); 558 km paved, 2,251 km improved earth, 2,639 km unimproved earth
Inland waterways
none
Ports
1 major (Noumea), 21 minor
Railroads
none
Telecommunications
23,000 telephones (17.0 per 100 popl.); 5 AM, no FM, and 7 TV stations; 1 earth satellite station