1996 Edition

Description

three horizontal bands, blue (top), red, and green, with a yellow disk enclosing a black symbol centered to the hoist side; the flag of France is used for official occasions

Location

21 30 S, 165 30 E -- Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia Flag ----

Area

comparative area

slightly smaller than New Jersey

land area

18,575 sq km

total area

19,060 sq km

Climate

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Coastline

2,254 km

Environment

current issues

NA

international agreements

NA

natural hazards

typhoons most frequent from November to March

Geographic coordinates

21 30 S, 165 30 E

International disputes

Matthew and Hunter Islands claimed by France and Vanuatu

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

0%

forest and woodland

51%

meadows and pastures

14%

other

35%

permanent crops

0%

Location

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, 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

highest point

Mont Panie 1,628 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Age structure

0-14 years: 30% (male 28,941; female 27,929) 15-64 years: 64% (male 61,263; female 59,673) 65 years and over: 6% (male 4,750; female 5,228) (July 1996 est.)

Birth rate

21.75 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate

4.88 deaths/1,000 population (1996 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

13.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Languages

French, 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.8 years (1996 est.)

male

71.06 years

total population

74.35 years

Literacy

age 15 and over can read and write (1976 est.)

female

90%

male

92%

total population

91%

Nationality

adjective

New Caledonian

noun

New Caledonian(s)

Net migration rate

0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Population

187,784 (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate

1.72% (1996 est.)

Religions

Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%

Sex ratio

all ages

1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female

Total fertility rate

2.53 children born/woman (1996 est.)

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

Constitution

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Data code

NC

Diplomatic representation in US

none (overseas territory of France)

Executive branch

cabinet

Consultative Committee

chief of state

President (of France) Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995) represented by High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Dominque BUR (since NA), who was appointed by the French Ministry of the Interior

head of government

President of the Territorial Assembly Pierre FROGIER (since NA) was elected by the members of the Assembly

Flag

three horizontal bands, blue (top), red, and green, with a yellow disk enclosing a black symbol centered to the hoist side; the flag of France is used for official occasions

French National Assembly

elections last held 21 March 1993 (next to be held 21 and 28 March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) RPCR 2

French Senate

elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held NA September 2001); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) RPCR 1

Independence

none (overseas territory of France; a referendum on independence will be held in 1998)

International organization participation

ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WFTU, WMO

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral

Name of country

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, president - affiliated to France's Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR; also called South Province Party); Melanesian proindependence Kanaka Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), Rock WAMYTAN; 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, Clarence UREGEI; Union Caledonian (UC), Francois BURCK, president; "1999" (new party calling for an autonomous state), Philippe PENTECOST; Nouvelle-Caledonie Pour Toute (NCPT)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Territorial Assembly

elections last held 9 July 1995 (next to be held NA July 2001); results - percent by party NA; seats - (54 total) RPCR 22, NCPT 7, other anti-independence parties 6, FLNKS 12, other pro-independence parties 7

Type of government

overseas territory of France since 1956

US diplomatic representation

none (overseas territory of France)

Agriculture

vegetables; beef, other livestock products

Budget

expenditures

$540 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)

revenues

$540 million

Currency

1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid

recipient

ODA, $NA

Economic overview

New Caledonia has more than 20% 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.

Electricity

capacity

250,000 kW

consumption per capita

6,178 kWh (1993)

production

1.2 billion kWh

Exchange rates

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 91.00 (January 1996), 90.75 (1995), 100.93 (1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc

Exports

$477 million (f.o.b., 1992)

commodities

nickel metal 22%, nickel ore

partners

France 32.2%, Japan 23.5%, Germany 6.7%, US 3.6%, India 1.2%

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP composition by sector

agriculture

5%

industry

35%

services

60% (1992 est.)

GDP per capita

$8,000 (1995 est.)

GDP real growth rate

NA%

Imports

$926 million (c.i.f., 1992)

commodities

foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment

partners

France 46.3%, ECE 14.9%, Australia 10.2%, Japan 6.3%, New Zealand 4.4%

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

nickel mining and smelting

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.4% (1990)

Labor force

70,044 (1988)

by occupation

agriculture 32%, industry 20%, services 40%, mines 8% (1992)

Unemployment rate

15% (1994)

Branches

French Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force

Defense expenditures

$NA, NA% of GDP

Defense note

defense is the responsibility of France

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios

97,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

domestic

NA

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones

38,748 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

7

Televisions

47,000 (1992 est.) Defense

Airports

total

28

with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m

3

with paved runways over 3 047 m

1

with paved runways under 914 m

12

with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m

12 (1995 est.)

Heliports

7 (1995 est.)

Highways

paved

634 km

total

6,340 km

unpaved

5,706 km (1987 est.)

Merchant marine

total

1 roll-on/roll-off ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,079 GRT/724 DWT (1995 est.)

Ports

Mueo, Noumea, Thio

Railways

0 km