2010 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 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 a referendum between 2014 and 2019 to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.

Area

land

18,275 sq km

total

18,575 sq km

water

300 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

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%

other

99.46% (2005)

permanent crops

0.22%

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

volcanism

Matthew and Hunter Islands are historically active

Natural resources

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

Terrain

coastal plains with interior mountains

Age structure

0-14 years: 26.8% (male 31,191/female 29,870) 15-64 years: 65.8% (male 75,189/female 74,552) 65 years and over: 7.3% (male 7,681/female 8,953) (2010 est.)

Birth rate

16.52 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

Death rate

5.23 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 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

female

4.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)

male

6.85 deaths/1,000 live births

total

5.8 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Life expectancy at birth

female

80.86 years (2010 est.)

male

72.46 years

total population

76.56 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

female

95.5% (1996 census)

male

96.8%

total population

96.2%

Median age

female

30.3 years (2010 est.)

male

29.3 years

total

29.8 years

Nationality

adjective

New Caledonian

noun

New Caledonian(s)

Net migration rate

4.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2009 est.)

Population

252,352 (July 2010 est.)

Population growth rate

1.561% (2010 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 male(s)/female (2010 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.09 children born/woman (2010 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

2.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

urban population

65% of total population (2008)

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

geographic coordinates

22 16 S, 166 27 E

name

Noumea

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

cabinet

Cabinet consisting of 11 members elected from and by the Territorial Congress (For more information visit the World Leaders website )

chief of state

President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by High Commissioner Albert DUPUY (since 6 October 2010)

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 on 5 June 2009

head of government

President of the Government Philippe GOMES (since 5 June 2009)

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

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

election results

percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 13, Caledonia Together 10, UC 8, UNI 8, AE 6, FLNKS 3, Labor Party 3, other 3 note: New Caledonia holds two seats in the French Senate; elections last held on 21 September 2008 (next to be held not later than September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2; New Caledonia also elects two seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held on 10 and 17 June 2007 (next to be held in June 2012); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2

elections

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) last held on 9 May 2009 (next to be held on 10 May 2014)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Chorale Melodia (a local choir) note: adopted 2008; the anthem contains a mixture of lyrics in both French and Nengone (an indigenous language); as a self-governing territory of France, in addition to the local anthem, "La Marseillaise" is official (see France)

name

"Soyons unis, devenons freres" (Let Us Be United, Let Us Become Brothers)

National holiday

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Political parties and leaders

Caledonia My Country; Caledonia Together [Philippe GOMES]; Caledonian Union or UC [Nicholas ABOUT]; Communist Republican and Left Party or CRC-SPG [Nichole BORVO COHEN-SEAT]; Democratic and European Social Rally or R.D.S.E. [Yvon COLLIN]; Front National or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); National Union for Independence-Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front; Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; Renewed Caledonian Union; Socialist Group [Jean Pierre BEL]; Socialist Kanak Liberation or LKS [Nidoish NAISSELINE]; The Future Together or AE [Didier LEROUX]; The Rally or UMP [Gerard LONGUET]; Union Nationale pour l'Independance or UNI; Union of Pro-Independence Co-operation Committees [Francois BURCK]

Political pressure groups and leaders

NA

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products; fish

Debt - external

$79 million (1998 est.)

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

1.697 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2008 est.)

Electricity - production

1.825 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Exchange rates

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 87.59 (2007), 94.97 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003)

Exports

$1.341 billion (2006)

Exports - commodities

ferronickels, nickel ore, fish

Exports - partners

France 27.52%, Japan 14.87%, Taiwan 10.51%, Spain 7.74%, China 7.31%, Australia 6.64%, Belgium 5.13%, South Korea 4.2% (2009)

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 (2006)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

France 39.89%, Singapore 14.12%, Australia 12.5%, NZ 5.42% (2009)

Industries

nickel mining and smelting

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.4% (2000 est.)

Labor force

102,600 (2007)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

20%

industry

20%

services

60% (2002)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2008 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2010 est.)

Oil - consumption

13,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - exports

645 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - imports

14,430 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

17.1% (2004)

Broadcast media

the publicly-owned French Overseas Network (RFO), which operates in France's overseas departments and territories, broadcasts over the RFO Nouvelle Caledonie television and radio stations; a small number of privately-owned radio stations also broadcast (2008)

Internet country code

.nc

Internet hosts

22,456 (2010)

Internet users

85,000 (2009)

Telephone system

domestic

combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership exceeds 100 per 100 persons

general assessment

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) (2008)

Telephones - main lines in use

65,900 (2009)

Telephones - mobile cellular

208,000 (2009)

Airports

25 (2010)

Airports - with paved runways

total

12 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 1 (2010)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total

13 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 8 (2010)

Heliports

8 (2010)

Merchant marine

registered in other countries

3 (France 3) (2010)

Ports and terminals

Noumea

Roadways

total

5,622 km (2006)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 59,612 (2010 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 49,173 females age 16-49: 49,619 (2010 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

female

2,061 (2010 est.)

male

2,138

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Military branches

no regular military forces; French military, police, and gendarmerie (2009)

Military expenditures

NA

Disputes - international

Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu page last updated on January 11, 2011 ======================================================================