2000 Edition

Background

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 seems to have dissipated.

Area

land

18,575 sq km

total

19,060 sq km

water

485 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Coastline

2,254 km

Elevation extremes

highest point

Mont Panie 1,628 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

Environment - current issues

erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires

Geographic coordinates

21 30 S, 165 30 E

Irrigated land

160 sq km (1991)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

0%

forests and woodland

39%

other

49% (1993 est.)

permanent crops

0%

permanent pastures

12%

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 hazards

cyclones, most frequent from November to March

Natural resources

nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper

Terrain

coastal plains with interior mountains

Age structure

0-14 years: 31% (male 31,396; female 30,160) 15-64 years: 64% (male 65,042; female 63,961) 65 years and over: 5% (male 5,324; female 5,933) (2000 est.)

Birth rate

20.84 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate

5.62 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Ethnic groups

Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3%

Infant mortality rate

8.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Languages

French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Life expectancy at birth

female

75.85 years (2000 est.)

male

69.84 years

total population

72.77 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

90% (1976 est.)

male

92%

total population

91%

Nationality

adjective

New Caledonian

noun

New Caledonian(s)

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Population

201,816 (July 2000 est.)

Population growth rate

1.52% (2000 est.)

Religions

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

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female

total population

1.02 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.52 children born/woman (2000 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)

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

Data code

NC

Dependency status

overseas territory of France since 1956

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of France)

Diplomatic representation in the 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 Thierry LATASTE (since 19 July 1999)

elections

French president elected by popular vote for a seven-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

head of government

President of the Government Jean LEQUES (since 28 May 1999)

Flag description

the flag of France is used

Government type

NA

Independence

none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court

Legal system

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

Legislative branch

unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres Territorial (54 seats; members are members of the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPCR 24, FLNKS 12, UNI 6, FCCI 4, FN 4, Alliance pour la Caledonie 3, LKS 1

elections

last held 9 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)

note

New Caledonia elects 1 seat to the French Senate; elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held NA September 2001); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 2

National holiday

National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance pour la Caledonie [Didier LEROUX]; Developper Ensemble pour Construire l'Avenir or DEPCA [Robert FROUIN]; Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes or FCCI ; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Groupe de l'Alliance Multiraciale or GAM ; Independance et Progres ; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, UPM); La Caledonie Autrement ; Loyalty Islands Development Front or FDIL ; National Front or FN [Guy GEORGE]; Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA ; Rally for Caledonia in the Republic or RPCR ; Renouveau ; Socialist Kanak Liberation or LKS [Nidoish NAISSELINE]; Union Caledonienne or UC ; Union Nationale pour l'Independance or UNI ; Union Progressiste Melanesienne or UPM

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products

Budget

expenditures

$735.3 million, including capital expenditures of $52 million (1996 est.)

revenues

$861.3 million

Currency

1 Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes

Debt - external

$79 million (1998 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$770 million from France (1998)

Economy - 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 20% of imports. In addition to nickel, the substantial financial support from France and tourism are keys to the health of the economy. The situation in 1998 was clouded by the spillover of financial problems in East Asia and by lower prices for nickel. Nickel prices jumped in 1999, and large additions were made to capacity.

Electricity - consumption

1.414 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - production

1.52 billion kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

65.79%

hydro

34.21%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (1998)

Exchange rates

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 117.67 (January 2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998), 106.11 (1997), 93.00 (1996), 90.75 (1995); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc

Exports

$381 million (f.o.b., 1998)

Exports - commodities

ferronickels, nickel ore, fish

Exports - partners

Japan 36%, France 30%, US 14%, Taiwan 9%, Australia 7% (1997)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $3 billion (1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

4%

industry

30%

services

66% (1997 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $15,000 (1998 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

3.5% (1998 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$922 million (c.i.f., 1998)

Imports - commodities

foods, machinery and equipment, fuels, minerals

Imports - partners

France 41%, Australia 13%, New Zealand 7%, Japan 5% (1998)

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

nickel mining and smelting

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.5% (1998 est.)

Labor force

79,395 (including 15, 018 unemployed, 1996)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 7%, industry 23%, services 70% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

15% (1994)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (1999)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

107,000 (1997)

Telephone system

domestic

NA

international

satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

44,000 (1995)

Telephones - mobile cellular

825 (1995)

Television broadcast stations

6 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

52,000 (1997)

Airports

28 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total

5 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 1 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

23 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 11 (1999 est.)

Heliports

6 (1999 est.)

Highways

paved

975 km

total

5,562 km

unpaved

4,587 km (1993)

Merchant marine

ships by type

cargo 1 (1999 est.)

total

1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,261 GRT/1,600 DWT

Ports and harbors

Mueo, Noumea, Thio

Railways

0 km

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$192.3 million (1996)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

5.3% (1996)

Disputes - international

Matthew and Hunter Islands claimed by France and Vanuatu

NEW ZEALAND