Map of New Caledonia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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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 seems to have dissipated.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 2,254 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: 200 meters or to depth of exploitation
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains

Elevation

Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper

Land use: NEGL% arable land; NEGL% permanent crops; 14% meadows and pastures; 51% forest and woodland; 35% other

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: defense is the responsibility of France


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Population: 153,215 (July 1990), growth rate 1.1% (1990)

Nationality: noun--New Caledonian(s; adjective--New Caledonian

Ethnic groups: Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3.0%

Languages: French; Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Religions: over 60% Roman Catholic, 30% Protestant, 10% other

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 24 births/1000 population (1990)

Death rate: 7 deaths/1000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: - 7 migrants/1000 population (1990)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: typhoons most frequent from November to March

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 39 deaths/1000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 71 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1990)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies

Government type: overseas territory of France

Capital: Noumea

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (overseas territory of France; note--a referendum on independence will be held in 1998, with a review of the issue in 1992

National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal adult at age NA

Executive branch: Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981; Head of Government High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Bernard GRASSET (since 15 July 1988)

Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: EIB (associate), WFTU, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: as an overseas territory of France, New Caledonian interests are represented in the US by France

Flag description: the flag of France is used

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: New Caledonia has more than 40% of the world's known nickel resources. In recent years the economy has suffered because of depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 25% of imports.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, corn, wheat, vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef

Industries: nickel mining

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force: 50,469; foreign workers for plantations and mines from Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.)

Unemployment rate: 6.2% (1983)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $110.5 million; expenditures $110.5 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1981)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $75 million (f.o.b., 1986)
Commodities: nickel metal 87%, nickel ore
Partners: France 56.3%, Japan

Imports: $180 million (c.i.f., 1986)
Commodities: foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment
Partners: France 50.3%, Australia

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $NA

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1--104.71 (January 1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988), 109.27 (1987), 125.92 (1986), 163.35 (1985; note--linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc


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Electricity access

Electricity production

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 29 total, 27 usable; 5 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs