1993 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1993 (Project Gutenberg)
Geography
Area
total area: 19,060 km2 land area: 18,760 km2 comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
Climate
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Coastline
2,254 km
Environment
typhoons most frequent from November to March
International disputes
none
Irrigated land
NA km2
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 14% forest and woodland: 51% other: 35%
Location
in the South Pacific Ocean, 1,750 km east of Australia
Map references
Oceania
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural resources
nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
Terrain
coastal plains with interior mountains
People and Society
Birth rate
22.7 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate
5.01 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Ethnic divisions
Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3%
Infant mortality rate
15.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Labor force
50,469 foreign workers for plantations and mines from Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.) by occupation: NA
Languages
French, 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 73.22 years male: 69.92 years female: 76.7 years (1993 est.)
Literacy
age 15 and over can read and write (1976) total population: 91% male: 91% female: 90%
Nationality
noun: New Caledonian(s) adjective: New Caledonian
Net migration rate
0.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Population
178,056 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate
1.83% (1993 est.)
Religions
Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
Total fertility rate
2.67 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Government
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
Capital
Noumea
Chief of State
President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
Constitution
28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Digraph
NC
Diplomatic representation in US
as an overseas territory of France, New Caledonian interests are represented in the US by France
Executive branch
French president, high commissioner, Consultative Committee (cabinet)
Flag
the flag of France is used
French National Assembly
last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held 21 and 28 March 1993); results - RPR 83.5%, FN 13.5%, other 3%; seats - (2 total) RPCR 2
French Senate
last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held September 2001); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) RPCR 1
Head of Government
High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Alain CHRISTNACHT (since 15 January 1991)
Independence
none (overseas territory of France; a referendum on independence will be held in 1998)
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal
Legal system
the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law
Legislative branch
unicameral Territorial Assembly
Member of
ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO
Names
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
National holiday
National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Political parties and leaders
white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique (RPCR), conservative, Jacques LAFLEUR - affiliated to France's Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR); Melanesian proindependence Kanaka Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), Paul NEAOUTYINE; Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS), Nidoish NAISSELINE; National Front (FN), extreme right, Guy GEORGE; Caledonie Demain (CD), right-wing, Bernard MARANT; Union Oceanienne (UO), conservative, Michel HEMA; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak (FULK), proindependence, UREGEI; Union Caledonian (UC), Francois BURCK
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Territorial Assembly
last held 11 June 1989 (next to be held 1993); results - RPCR 44.5%, FLNKS 28.5%, FN 7%, CD 5%, UO 4%, other 11%; seats - (54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, other 5; note - election boycotted by FULK
Type
overseas territory of France since 1956
US diplomatic representation
none (overseas territory of France)
Economy
Agriculture
large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, corn, wheat, vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef
Budget
revenues $224.0 million; expenditures $211.0 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1985)
Currency
1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Economic aid
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $4,185 million
Electricity
400,000 kW capacity; 2,200 million kWh produced, 12,790 kWh per capita (1990)
Exchange rates
Comptoirs Francais duPacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 99.65 (January 1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Exports
$671 million (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: nickel metal 87%, nickel ore partners: France 52.3%, Japan 15.8%, US 6.4%
External debt
$NA
Fiscal year
calendar year
Illicit drugs
illicit cannabis cultivation is becoming a principal source of income for some families
Imports
$764 million (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment partners: France 44.0%, US 10%, Australia 9%
Industrial production
growth rate NA%
Industries
nickel mining and smelting
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
4.1% (1989)
National product
GNP - exchange rate conversion - $1 billion (1991 est.)
National product per capita
$6,000 (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate
2.4% (1988)
Overview
New Caledonia has more than 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 negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 25% of imports.
Unemployment rate
16% (1989)
Communications
Airports
total: 29 usable: 27 with permanent-surface runways: 2 with runways over 3,659 m: with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 2
Highways
6,340 km total; only about 10% paved (1987)
Ports
Noumea, Nepoui, Poro, Thio
Telecommunications
32,578 telephones (1987); broadcast stations - 5 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
Military and Security
Branches
Gendarmerie, Police Force
Note
defense is the responsibility of France