Edition 2003 — New Caledonia

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

Age structure

0-14 years: 29.7% (male 31,990; female 30,695) 15-64 years: 64.2% (male 68,093; female 67,205) 65 years and over: 6.1% (male 6,016; female 6,799) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products

Airports

30 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 6
total: 9
under 914 m: 2 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 21 914 to 1,523 m: 12
under 914 m: 9 (2002)

Area

land: 18,575 sq km
total: 19,060 sq km
water: 485 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

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. Geography New Caledonia

Birth rate

19.45 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures: $735.3 million, including capital expenditures of $52 million (1996 est.)
revenues: $861.3 million

Capital

Noumea

Climate

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Coastline

2,254 km

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

Currency

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF); note - may adopt the euro in 2003

Currency code

XPF

Death rate

5.63 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$79 million (1998 est.)

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)

Disputes - international

Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu This page was last updated on 18 December, 2003

Economic aid - recipient

$880 million annual subsidy from France

Economy - overview

New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known nickel resources. Only a small amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition to nickel, substantial financial support from France - equal to more than one-fourth of GDP - and tourism are keys to the health of the economy. Substantial new investment in the nickel industry, combined with the recovery of global nickel prices, brightens the economic outlook for the next several years.

Electricity - consumption

1.5 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

1.613 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 76.3%
hydro: 23.7%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)

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

Ethnic groups

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

Exchange rates

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 135.04 (January 2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.44 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet: Consultative Committee
chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner Daniel CONSTANTIN (since 3 July 2002)
elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-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; note - last election held 28 November 2002 when Pierre FROGIER was reelected
head of government: President of the Government Pierre FROGIER (since 5 April 2001)

Exports

$400 million f.o.b. (2000)

Exports - commodities

ferronickels, nickel ore, fish

Exports - partners

Japan 20.6%, France 20.4%, Taiwan 16.3%, South Africa 11.3%, Spain 7.7%, South Korea 5.4%, Australia 5.4%, Italy 5.3% (2002)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications New Caledonia

Flag description

the flag of France is used Economy New Caledonia

GDP

purchasing power parity - $3 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 5%
industry: 30%
services: 65% (1997 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $14,000 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA

Geographic coordinates

21 30 S, 165 30 E

Geography - note

consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls People New Caledonia

Government type

NA

Heliports

5 (2002) Military New Caledonia

Highways

paved: 2,287 km
total: 4,825 km
unpaved: 2,538 km (1999)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Household income or consumption by percentage share

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

Imports

$1 billion f.o.b. (2000)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

France 52.8%, Australia 12.7%, Singapore 9.8% (2002)

Independence

none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new referendum is scheduled for 2014

Industrial production growth rate

-0.6% (1996)

Industries

nickel mining and smelting

Infant mortality rate

female: 7.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
male: 8.76 deaths/1,000 live births
total: 8.06 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-0.6% (2000 est.)

International organization participation

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

Internet country code

.nc

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet users

24,000 (2001) Transportation New Caledonia

Irrigated land

160 sq km (1991)

Judicial branch

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

Labor force

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

Labor force - by occupation

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

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0.38%
other: 99.29% (1998 est.)
permanent crops: 0.33%

Languages

French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

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 24 September 2001 (next to be held NA September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 and 16 June 2002 (next to be held by June 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP 2

Life expectancy at birth

female: 76.62 years (2003 est.)
male: 70.57 years
total population: 73.52 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
female: 90% (1976 est.) Government New Caledonia
male: 92%
total population: 91%

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

Median age

female: 27.2 years (2002)
male: 26.7 years
total: 26.9 years

Merchant marine

convenience: Malaysia 1 (2002 est.)
note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of
ships by type: cargo 1
total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,261 GRT/1,600 DWT

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France Transnational Issues New Caledonia

Military branches

no regular indigenous military forces; French Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$192.3 million (FY96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

5.3% (FY96)

National holiday

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Nationality

adjective: New Caledonian
noun: New Caledonian(s)

Natural hazards

cyclones, most frequent from November to March

Natural resources

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

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

8,750 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX]; Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes or FCCI [Francois BURCK]; Front National or FN [Guy GEORGE]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS [leader NA] (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE]; Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (anti independent) or RPCR [Jacques LAFLEUR]; Union Nationale pour l'Independance or UNI [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; note - may no longer exist, but Paul NEAOUTYINE has since become a president of Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA; Union Progressiste Melanesienne or UPM [Victor TUTUGORO]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Population

210,798 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

1.38% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Mueo, Noumea, Thio

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

107,000 (1997)

Railways