2007 Edition

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 Province des Iles, Province Nord, and Province Sud

Age structure

0-14 years: 28.4% (male 31,818/female 30,503) 15-64 years: 64.9% (male 71,565/female 70,815) 65 years and over: 6.6% (male 6,773/female 7,772) (2006 est.)

Agriculture - products

vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products; fish

Airports

25 (2006)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

1 914 to 1,523 m: 8

total

11

under 914 m

2 (2006)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

14 914 to 1,523 m: 8

under 914 m

6 (2006)

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 ended in the 1998 Noumea Accord, which over a period of 15 to 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct as many as three referenda between 2013 and 2018, to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence. Geography New Caledonia

Birth rate

18.11 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$836.5 million (2001 est.)

revenues

$856.3 million

Capital

geographic coordinates

22 16 S, 166 27 E

name

Noumea

time difference

UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)

Climate

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Coastline

2,254 km

Constitution

4 October 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 (code)

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)

Currency code

XPF

Death rate

5.69 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)

Debt - external

$79 million (1998 est.)

Dependency status

territorial collectivity of France since 1998

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 8 February, 2007

Economic aid - recipient

$525 million annual subsidy from France (2004)

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 15% 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

1.558 billion kWh (2004)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2004)

Electricity - production

1.675 billion kWh (2004)

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 - 95.01 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002)

Executive branch

cabinet

Consultative Committee consists of eight members chosen from leading figures on the island to advise the High Commissioner

chief of state

President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner Michel MATHIEU (since 15 July 2005)

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 for a five-year term (no term limits); note - last election held 29 June 2004 when Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU was elected on the third vote with 8 votes for and 3 abstentions

head of government

President of the Government Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU (since 10 June 2004)

Exports

$999 million f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Exports - commodities

ferronickels, nickel ore, fish

Exports - partners

Japan 21.1%, France 17.2%, Taiwan 11.3%, South Korea 10%, Spain 8.9%, China 7.2%, Belgium 4.5%, South Africa 4.4% (2005)

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications New Caledonia

Flag description

the flag of France is used Economy New Caledonia

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

15%

industry

8.8%

services

76.2% (2003)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$15,000 (2003 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

GDP (official exchange rate)

NA

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$3.158 billion (2003 est.)

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

6 (2006)

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

$1.636 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

France 39.3%, Singapore 17.5%, Australia 13.1%, NZ 5.3% (2005)

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

6.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)

male

8.27 deaths/1,000 live births

total

7.57 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

-0.6% (2000 est.)

International organization participation

ITUC, PIF (observer), SPC, UPU, WFTU, WMO

Internet country code

.nc

Internet hosts

13,962 (2006)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet users

76,000 (2005) Transportation New Caledonia

Irrigated land

100 sq km (2003)

Judicial branch

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

Labor force

78,990 (including 11,300 unemployed) (2004)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

20%

industry

20%

services

60% (2002)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land

0.32%

other

99.46% (2005)

permanent crops

0.22%

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 du territoire (54 seats; members belong to 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-UMP 16, AE 16, UNI-FLNKS 8, UC 7, FN 4, others 3

elections

last held 9 May 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)

note

New Caledonia currently holds 1 seat in the French Senate; by 2010, New Caledonia will gain a second seat in the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held not later than September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 and 16 June 2002 (next to be held in June 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2

Life expectancy at birth

female

77.39 years (2006 est.)

male

71.29 years

total population

74.27 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

Manpower available for military service

males age 18-49

50,874 (2005 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 18-49

40,822 (2005 est.)

Manpower reaching military service age annually

males age 18-49

1,907 (2005 est.)

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Median age

female

28.2 years (2006 est.)

male

27.4 years

total

27.8 years

Merchant marine

by type

cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2006)

total

2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,566 GRT/2,543 DWT

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France Transnational Issues New Caledonia

Military branches

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA

National holiday

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Nationality

adjective

New Caledonian

noun

New Caledonian(s)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2004 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2004 est.)

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

note

there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2006 est.)

Oil - consumption

10,000 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Oil - exports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - imports

NA bbl/day (2001)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2004 est.)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX]; Caledonian Union or UC; 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-UMP [Jacques LAFLEUR]; The Future Together or AE [Harold MARTIN]; 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

219,246 (July 2006 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Population growth rate

1.24% (2006 est.)

Ports and terminals

Noumea Military New Caledonia

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

107,000 (1997)

Religions

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

Roadways

total

5,432 km (2000)

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.)

under 15 years

1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

NA

general assessment

NA

international

country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

55,300 (2005)

Telephones - mobile cellular

134,300 (2005)

Television broadcast stations

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

Televisions

52,000 (1997)

Terrain

coastal plains with interior mountains

Total fertility rate

2.28 children born/woman (2006 est.)

Unemployment rate

17.1% (2004)