2008 Edition
CIA World Factbook 2008 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
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
Area
total: 19,060 sq km land: 18,575 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
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m
Environment - current issues
erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires
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
Irrigated land
100 sq km (2003)
Land boundaries
0 km
Land use
arable land: 0.32% permanent crops: 0.22% other: 99.46% (2005)
Location
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Map references
Oceania
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 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
People and Society
Age structure
0-14 years: 27.3% (male 31,376/female 30,064) 15-64 years: 65.6% (male 74,064/female 73,369) 65 years and over: 7.1% (male 7,377/female 8,574) (2008 est.)
Birth rate
17.39 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Death rate
5.64 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)
Ethnic groups
Melanesian 44.1%, European 34.1%, Wallisian & Futunian 9%, Tahitian 2.6%, Indonesian 2.5%, Vietnamese 1.4%, Ni-Vanuatu 1.1%, other 5.2% (1996 census)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS - deaths
NA
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
Infant mortality rate
total: 7.19 deaths/1,000 live births male: 7.85 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.5 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)
Languages
French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 74.75 years male: 71.76 years female: 77.88 years (2008 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96.2% male: 96.8% female: 95.5% (1996 census)
Median age
total: 28.4 years male: 28 years female: 28.8 years (2008 est.)
Nationality
noun: New Caledonian(s) adjective: New Caledonian
Net migration rate
NA note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2008 est.)
Population
224,824 (July 2008 est.)
Population growth rate
1.175% (2008 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: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.21 children born/woman (2008 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 Province des Iles, Province Nord, and Province Sud
Capital
name: Noumea geographic coordinates: 22 16 S, 166 27 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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
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)
Executive branch
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by High Commissioner Yves DASSONVILLE (since 9 November 2007) head of government: President of the Government Harold MARTIN (since 7 August 2007) cabinet: Cabinet consisting of 11 members elected from and by the Territorial Congress 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 7 August 2007 when Harold MARTIN was elected following the resignation of Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU as president on 24 July 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
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; a new referendum is scheduled for 2014
International organization participation
ITUC, PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WFTU, WMO
Judicial branch
Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court
Legal system
based on French civil law; the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands
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) elections: last held 9 May 2004 (next to be held in 2009) 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 note: New Caledonia currently holds one 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 two seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 10 and 17 June 2007 (next to be held on June 2012); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2
National holiday
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
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 (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE]; Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (anti independence) 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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Economy
Agriculture - products
vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products; fish
Budget
revenues: $996 million expenditures: $1.072 billion (2001 est.)
Currency (code)
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)
Currency code
XPF
Debt - external
$79 million (1998 est.)
Economic aid - recipient
$524.3 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
1.49 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - exports
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - imports
0 kWh (2007 est.)
Electricity - production
1.602 billion kWh (2006 est.)
Electricity - production by source
fossil fuel: 76.3% hydro: 23.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Exchange rates
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 87.59 (2007), 95.025 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003)
Exports
$1.341 billion f.o.b. (2006)
Exports - commodities
ferronickels, nickel ore, fish
Exports - partners
Japan 20.1%, China 14.5%, Taiwan 14.2%, France 11.6%, Belgium 10.4%, Spain 8.6%, South Africa 6.9% (2007)
Fiscal year
calendar year
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)
$3.3 billion (2003 est.)
GDP (purchasing power parity)
$3.158 billion (2003 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports
$1.998 billion f.o.b. (2006)
Imports - commodities
machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners
France 36.7%, Singapore 14.7%, Australia 12.1%, NZ 5.2%, Germany 4.6% (2007)
Industrial production growth rate
-0.6% (1996)
Industries
nickel mining and smelting
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
1.4% (2000 est.)
Labor force
78,990 (2004)
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 20% industry: 20% services: 60% (2002)
Market value of publicly traded shares
$NA
Natural gas - consumption
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - exports
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - imports
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - production
0 cu m (2007 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)
Oil - consumption
11,560 bbl/day (2006 est.)
Oil - exports
356.2 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - imports
11,780 bbl/day (2005)
Oil - production
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
Oil - proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line
NA%
Unemployment rate
17.1% (2004)
Communications
Internet country code
.nc
Internet hosts
15,487 (2008)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
1 (2000)
Internet users
80,000 (2006)
Radio broadcast stations
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)
Radios
107,000 (1997)
Telephone system
general assessment: NA domestic: a submarine cable network connection between New Caledonia and Australia, completed in 2007, is expected to significantly increase network capacity and improve high-speed connectivity and access to international networks international: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2007)
Telephones - main lines in use
60,200 (2007)
Telephones - mobile cellular
176,400 (2007)
Television broadcast stations
6 (plus 25 repeaters) (1997)
Televisions
52,000 (1997)
Transportation
Airports
25 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways
total: 12 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 6 (2007)
Heliports
6 (2007)
Merchant marine
total: 2 by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2008)
Ports and terminals
Noumea
Roadways
total: 5,622 km (2006)
Military and Security
Manpower available for military service
males age 16-49: 57,738 (2008 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 16-49: 47,342 (2008 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male: 2,202 female: 2,121 (2008 est.)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France
Military branches
no regular indigenous military forces; French Armed Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force
Military expenditures
NA
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008