Statistical information New Caledonia 1993

New Caledonia in the World
top of pageBackground: 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.
top of pageLocation: in the South Pacific Ocean, 1,750 km east of Australia
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
OceaniaAreaTotal: 19,060 km²
Land: 18,760 km²
Land boundaries: 0 km
Coastline: 2,254 km
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Maritime claimsClimate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains
ElevationNatural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
Land useArable land: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 14%
Forest and woodland: 51%
Other: 35%
Irrigated land: NA km²
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 178,056 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 1.83% (1993 est.)
NationalityNoun: 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%
Languages: French, 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Religions: Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 1.83% (1993 est.)
Birth rate: 22.7 births/1000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate: 5.01 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate: 0.58 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: typhoons most frequent from November to March
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 15.9 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 73.22 years
Male: 69.92 years
Female: 76.7 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.67 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 15 and over can read and write (1976)
Total population: 91%
Male: 91%
Female: 90%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional 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
Government type: overseas territory of France since 1956
Capital: Noumea
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 Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud
Dependent areasIndependence: none (overseas territory of France; a referendum on independence will be held in 1998)
National holiday: National Day, 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 participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: French president, high commissioner, Consultative Committee (cabinet)
Legislative branchJudicial branch: Court of Appeal
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation: ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO
Diplomatic representationIn the us:as an overseas territory of France, New
Caledonian interests are represented in the US by France
From the us: none (overseas territory of France)
Flag description
: the flag of France is used
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: New Caledonia has more than 25% 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 parityReal gdp growth rate: 2.4% (1988)
Real gdp per capita: $6,000 (1991 est.)
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture productsIndustries: nickel mining and smelting vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate NA%
Labor force: 50,469 foreign workers for plantations and mines from Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.)
By occupation: NA
Unemployment rate: 16% (1989)
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $224.0 million; expenditures $211.0 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1985)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $671 million (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodoties: nickel metal 87%, nickel ore
Partners: France 52.3%, Japan 15.8%, US 6.4%
Imports: $764 million (c.i.f., 1989)
Commodoties: foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment
Partners: France 44.0%, US 10%, Australia 9%
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: Comptoirs Francais duPacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 99.65 (January 1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30 (1988; note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
top of pageElectricityProduction: 400,000 kW capacity; 2,200 million kWh produced, 12,790 kWh per capita (1990)
CoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresMilitary and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 29
Usable: 27
With permanentsurface runways: 2
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 1
With runways 1220-2439 m: 2
HeliportsPipelinesRailwaysRoadwaysWaterwaysMerchant marinePorts and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: illicit cannabis cultivation is becoming a principal source of income for some families