2022 Edition

Background

The first humans settled in New Caledonia around 1600 B.C. The Lapita were skilled navigators and evidence of their pottery around the Pacific has served as a guide for understanding human expansion in the region. Successive waves of migrants from other islands in Melanesia intermarried with the Lapita, giving rise to the Kanak ethnic group considered indigenous to New Caledonia. British explorer James COOK was the first European to visit New Caledonia in 1774, giving it the Latin name for Scotland. Missionaries first landed in New Caledonia in 1840. In 1853, France annexed New Caledonia to preclude any British attempt to claim the island. France declared it a penal colony in 1864 and sent more than 20,000 prisoners to New Caledonia in the ensuing three decades.Nickel was discovered in 1864 and French prisoners were directed to mine it. France brought in indentured servants and enslaved labor from elsewhere in Southeast Asia to work the mines, blocking Kanaks from accessing the most profitable part of the local economy. In 1878, High Chief ATAI led a rebellion against French rule. The Kanaks were relegated to reservations, leading to periodic smaller uprisings and culminating in a large revolt in 1917 that was brutally suppressed by colonial authorities. During World War II, New Caledonia became an important base for Allied troops, and the US moved its South Pacific headquarters to the island in 1942. Following the war, New Caledonia was made an overseas territory and French citizenship was granted to all inhabitants in 1953, thereby permitting the Kanaks to move off the reservations.The Kanak nationalist movement began in the 1950s, but most voters chose to remain a territory in an independence referendum in 1958. The European population of New Caledonia boomed in the 1970s with a renewed focus on nickel mining, reigniting Kanak nationalism. Key Kanak leaders were assassinated in the early 1980s, leading to escalating violence and dozens of fatalities. The Matignon Accords of 1988 provided for a 10-year transition period. The Noumea Accord of 1998 transferred increasing governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia over a 20-year period and provided for three independence referenda. In the first held in 2018, voters rejected independence by 57% to 43%; in the second held in 2020, voters rejected independence 53% to 47%. In the third referendum held in December 2021, voters rejected independence 96% to 4%; however, a boycott by key Kanak groups spurred challenges about the legitimacy of the vote. In February 2021, pro-independence parties gained a majority in the New Caledonian Government for the first time.

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

highest point

Mont Panie 1,628 m

lowest point

Pacific Ocean 0 m

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 (2012)

Land boundaries

total

0 km

Land use

agricultural land

10.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 9.8% (2018 est.)

forest

45.9% (2018 est.)

other

43.7% (2018 est.)

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 Marchvolcanism: Matthew and Hunter Islands are historically active

Natural resources

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

Population distribution

most of the populace lives in the southern part of the main island, in and around the capital of Noumea

Terrain

coastal plains with interior mountains

Age structure

0-14 years

21.74% (male 32,227/female 30,819)

15-24 years

15.63% (male 23,164/female 22,163)

25-54 years

43.73% (male 63,968/female 62,856)

55-64 years

9.06% (male 12,700/female 13,568)

65 years and over

9.84% (male 12,552/female 15,992) (2020 est.)

Birth rate

14.13 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Death rate

5.88 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

16

potential support ratio

6.3 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

49.6

youth dependency ratio

33.6

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 99.3% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0.7% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Kanak 39.1%, European 27.1%, Wallisian, Futunian 8.2%, Tahitian 2.1%, Indonesian 1.4%, Ni-Vanuatu 1%, Vietnamese 0.9%, other 17.7%, unspecified 2.5% (2014 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

Infant mortality rate

female

3.98 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)

male

5.97 deaths/1,000 live births

total

5 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

Languages

French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

major-language sample(s)

The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

female

82.92 years (2022 est.)

male

74.93 years

total population

78.83 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

96.5% (2015)

male

97.3%

total population

96.9%

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases

malaria

Major urban areas - population

198,000 NOUMEA (capital) (2018)

Median age

female

33.7 years (2020 est.)

male

32.1 years

total

32.9 years

Nationality

adjective

New Caledonian

noun

New Caledonian(s)

Net migration rate

3.66 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)

note

note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia

Physicians density

NA

Population

297,160 (2022 est.)

Population distribution

most of the populace lives in the southern part of the main island, in and around the capital of Noumea

Population growth rate

1.19% (2022 est.)

Religions

Christian 85.2%, Muslim 2.8%, other 1.6%, unaffiliated 10.4% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: NA

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: NA

unimproved: rural

rural: NA

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: NA

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.04 male(s)/female

15-24 years

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years

1.02 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.94 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.59 male(s)/female

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.99 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.86 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

72.7% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

48.2% (2020 est.)

male

44.5%

total

46.2%

Administrative divisions

3 provinces; Province Iles (Islands Province), Province Nord (North Province), and Province Sud (South Province)

Capital

etymology

established in 1854 as Port-de-France, the settlement was renamed Noumea in 1866, in order to avoid any confusion with Fort-de-France in Martinique; the New Caledonian language of Ndrumbea (also spelled Ndumbea, Dubea, and Drubea) spoken in the area gave its name to the capital city, Noumea, as well as to the neighboring town (suburb) of Dumbea

geographic coordinates

22 16 S, 166 27 E

name

Noumea

time difference

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

Citizenship

see France

Constitution

amendments

French constitution amendment procedures apply

history

4 October 1958 (French Constitution with changes as reflected in the Noumea Accord of 5 May 1998)

Country name

conventional long form

Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies

conventional short form

New Caledonia

etymology

British explorer Captain James COOK discovered and named New Caledonia in 1774; he used the appellation because the northeast of the island reminded him of Scotland (Caledonia is the Latin designation for Scotland)

local long form

Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances

local short form

Nouvelle-Caledonie

Dependency status

special collectivity (or a sui generis collectivity) of France since 1998; note - independence referenda took place on 4 November 2018, 4 October 2020, and 12 December 2021 with a majority voting in each case to reject independence in favor of maintaining the status quo; an 18-month transition period is now in place (ending 30 June 2023), during which a referendum on the new status of New Caledonia within France will take place 

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy

none (overseas territory of France)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of France)

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet elected from and by the Territorial Congress

chief of state

President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by High Commissioner Patrice FAURE (since 6 June 2021)

election results

2021: Louis MAPOU elected president by Territorial Congress with 6 votes out of 112019: Thieryy SANTA elected president by Territorial Congress

elections/appointments

French president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of New Caledonia elected by Territorial Congress for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 8 July 2021 (next to be held in 2026)

head of government

President of the Government Louis MAPOU (since 22 July 2021); Vice President Isabelle CHAMPMOREAU (since 22 July 2021)

Flag description

New Caledonia has two official flags; alongside the flag of France, the Kanak (indigenous Melanesian) flag has equal status; the latter consists of three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a large yellow disk - diameter two-thirds the height of the flag - shifted slightly to the hoist side is edged in black and displays a black fleche faitiere symbol, a native rooftop adornment

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Territorial Congress); an overseas collectivity of France

Independence

none (overseas collectivity of France); note - in three independence referenda, on 4 November 2018, 4 October 2020, and 12 December 2021, the majority voted to reject independence in favor of maintaining the status quo; an 18-month transition period is now in place (ending 30 June 2023), during which a referendum on the new status of New Caledonia within France will take place

International organization participation

ITUC (NGOs), PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WMO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Court of Appeal in Noumea or Cour d'Appel; organized into civil, commercial, social, and pre-trial investigation chambers; court bench normally includes the court president and 2 counselors); Administrative Court (number of judges NA); note - final appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (in Paris); final appeals beyond the Administrative Court are referred to the Administrative Court of Appeal (in Paris)

judge selection and term of office

judge appointment and tenure based on France's judicial system

subordinate courts

Courts of First Instance include: civil, juvenile, commercial, labor, police, criminal, assizes, and also a pre-trial investigation chamber; Joint Commerce Tribunal; administrative courts

Legal system

civil law system based on French civil law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Territorial Congress or Congrès du Territoire (54 seats; members indirectly selected proportionally by the partisan makeup of the 3 Provincial Assemblies or Assemblés Provinciales; members of the 3 Provincial Assemblies directly elected by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - the Customary Senate is the assembly of the various traditional councils of the Kanaks, the indigenous population, which rules on laws affecting the indigenous populationNew Caledonia indirectly elects 2 members to the French Senate by an electoral colleges for a 6-year term with one seat renewed every 3 years and directly elects 2 members to the French National Assembly by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term

election results

Territorial Congress - percent of vote by party - N/A; seats by party - Future With Confidence 18, UNI 9, UC 9, CE 7, FLNKS 6, Oceanic Awakening 3, PT 1, LKS 1 (Anti-Independence 28, Pro-Independence 26);French Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2French National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CE 2

elections

Territorial Congress - last held on 12 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2024)French Senate - election last held in September 2019 (next to be held not later than 2021)French National Assembly - election last held on 11 and 18 June 2017 (next to be held by June 2022)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Chorale Melodia (a local choir)

name

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

note

note: adopted 2008; 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)

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Lagoons of New Caledonia

total World Heritage Sites

1 (natural); note - excerpted from the France entry

National holiday

Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - the local holiday is New Caledonia Day, 24 September (1853)

National symbol(s)

fleche faitiere (native rooftop adornment), kagu bird; national colors: gray, red

Political parties and leaders

Caledonia Together or CE [Philippe GOMES]Caledonian Union or UC [Daniel GOA]Future With Confidence or AEC [Virginie RUFFENACH]Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (alliance includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM) [Victor TUTUGORO]Labor Party (Parti Travailliste) or PT [Louis Kotra UREGEI]National Union for Independence (Union Nationale pour l'Independance) or UNI [Louis MAPOU]Oceanian Awakening [Milakulo TUKUMULI]Party of Kanak Liberation (Parti de Liberation Kanak) or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE]Socialist Kanak Liberation or LKS [Basile CITRE]The Republicans (formerly The Rally or UMP) [Christian JACOB]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

coconuts, vegetables, maize, fruit, beef, pork, potatoes, bananas, eggs, yams

Budget

expenditures

1.993 billion (2015 est.)

revenues

1.995 billion (2015 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

0% (of GDP) (2015 est.)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2013

-$1.861 billion (2013 est.)

Current account balance 2014

-$1.469 billion (2014 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2013

$112 million (31 December 2013 est.)

note

$79 million (31 December 1998 est.)

Economic overview

New Caledonia has 11% of the world's nickel reserves, representing the second largest reserves on the planet. 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. With the gradual increase in the production of two new nickel plants in 2015, average production of metallurgical goods stood at a record level of 94 thousand tons. However, the sector is exposed to the high volatility of nickel prices, which have been in decline since 2016. In 2017, one of the three major mining firms on the island, Vale, put its operations up for sale, triggering concerns of layoffs ahead of the 2018 independence referendum.

Exchange rates

Currency

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2012

90.56 (2012 est.)

Exchange rates 2013

89.85 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

107.84 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

107.84 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

110.2 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2014

$2.207 billion (2014 est.)

Exports - commodities

iron alloys, nickel, cobalt, carbonates, essential oils (2019)

Exports - partners

China 59%, South Korea 14%, Japan 11% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

18.7% (2017 est.)

government consumption

24% (2017 est.)

household consumption

64.3% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-45.5% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

38.4% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

1.4% (2017 est.)

industry

26.4% (2017 est.)

services

72.1% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$9.77 billion (2017 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

NA

lowest 10%

NA

Imports

Imports 2014

$4.4 billion (2014 est.)

Imports 2015

$2.715 billion (2015 est.)

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, aircraft, coal, cars, packaged medicines (2019)

Imports - partners

France 43%, Australia 12%, Singapore 12%, China 6% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

3.5% (2017 est.)

Industries

nickel mining and smelting

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2016

0.6% (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

1.4% (2017 est.)

Labor force

119,500 (2016 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

2.7%

industry

22.4%

services

74.9% (2010)

Population below poverty line

17% (2008)

Public debt

Public debt 2014

6.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

Public debt 2015

6.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2015 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2015

$10.77 billion (2015 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2016

$10.89 billion (2016 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2017

$11.11 billion (2017 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

3.2% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

1.1% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

2% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

Real GDP per capita 2012

$29,800 (2012 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2014

$32,100 (2014 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2015

$31,100 (2015 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

20.4% (of GDP) (2015 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2009

14% (2009)

Unemployment rate 2014

14.7% (2014)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

48.2% (2020 est.)

male

44.5%

total

46.2%

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

2.879 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

3.007 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

5.886 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

1.151 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

1.151 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

2 million metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

2,940,707,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

imports

0 kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

1.071 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

64.293 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2020)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

91.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

7.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

1.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

0 Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

0 barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

19,300 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

0 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

19,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

19 (2020 est.)

total

55,000 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.nc

Internet users

percent of population

82% (2019 est.)

total

222,466 (2019 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line nearly 16 per 100 and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership 91 per 100 persons (2020)

general assessment

New Caledonia’s telecom sector provides fixed and mobile voice services, mobile internet, fixed broadband access, and wholesale services for other ISPs; the country is well serviced by extensive 3G and LTE networks, and is considered to have one of the highest smartphone adoption rates in the Pacific region; by 2025, smart phone penetration is expected to reach 71%; while DSL is still the dominant fixed broadband technology, and a nationwide FttP network; the South Pacific region has become a hub for submarine cable system developments in recent years, with further networks scheduled to come online later in 2021 and into 2022; these new cables are expected to increase competition in the region with regards to international capacity; in 2020, the government owned telco commissioned Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) to build the Gondwana-2 cable system to provide additional network capacity and complement the Gondwana-1 cable (2022)

international

country code - 687; landing points for the Gondwana-1 and Picot-1 providing connectivity via submarine cables around New Caledonia and to Australia; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

16 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

46,000 (2020 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

91 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

260,000 (2020 est.)

Airports

total

25 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

914 to 1,523 m

10

over 3,047 m

1

total

12

under 914 m

1 (2021)

Airports - with unpaved runways

914 to 1,523 m

5

total

13

under 914 m

8 (2021)

Heliports

8 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 18 (2021)

total

24

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

15 (registered in France)

number of registered air carriers

3 (2020) (registered in France)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Noumea

Roadways

total

5,622 km (2006)

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; France bases land, air, and naval forces on New Caledonia (Forces Armées de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, FANC)

Disputes - international

New Caledonia-France-Vanuatu: Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

5.33 megatons (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Environment - current issues

preservation of coral reefs; prevention of invasive species; limiting erosion caused by nickel mining and forest fires

Land use

agricultural land

10.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 9.8% (2018 est.)

forest

45.9% (2018 est.)

other

43.7% (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk

high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial diarrhea

vectorborne diseases

malaria

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

72.7% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

108,157 tons (2016 est.)