Map of New Caledonia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | 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 and early 1990s seems to have dissipated.


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Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total area total: 19,060 km²
Land: 18,760 km²
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 2,254 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive 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
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 14%
Forest and woodland: 51%
Other: 35%

Irrigated land: NA km²

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: 184,552 (July 1995 est.)
Growth rate: 1.75% (1995 est.)

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%

Languages: French, 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 31% (female 27,712; male 28,677)
15-64 years: 64% (female 58,462; male 60,169)
65 years and over: 5% (female 4,997; male 4,535) (July 1995 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.75% (1995 est.)

Birth rate: 22.04 births/1000 population (1995 est.)

Death rate: 4.9 deaths/1000 population (1995 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.4 migrant(s)/1000 population (1995 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: NA
Current issues natural hazards: typhoons most frequent from November to March
Current issues international agreements: NA

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 14.4 deaths/1000 live births (1995 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.02 years
Male: 70.73 years
Female: 77.48 years (1995 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.57 children born/woman (1995 est.)

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: age 15 and over can read and write (1976)
Total population: 91%
Male: 92%
Female: 90%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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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

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 areas

Independence: 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 participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
Head of government: High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Didier CULTIAUX (since NA July 1994; appointed by the French Ministry of the Interior); President of the Territorial Congress Simon LOUECKHOTE (since 26 June 1989)
Cabinet: Consultative Committee

Legislative branch: unicameral
Territorial Assembly: elections last held 11 June 1989 (next to be held July 1995); results - RPCR 44.5%, FLNKS 28.5%, FN 7%, CD 5%, UO 4%, other 11%; seats - (54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, other 5; note - election boycotted by FULK
French Senate: elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held September 2001); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) RPCR 1
French National Assembly: elections last held 21 March 1993 (next to be held 21 and 28 March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) RPCR 2

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WFTU, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (overseas territory of France)
From the us: none (overseas territory of 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 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 parity

Real gdp growth rate: 2.4% (1988)

Real gdp per capita: $6,000 (1991 est.)

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 and smelting

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.)
By occupation: NA

Unemployment rate: 16% (1989)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $224 million
Expenditures: $211 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1985 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

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: $671 million (f.o.b., 1989)
Commodoties: nickel metal 87%, nickel ore
Partners: France 32%, Japan 23.5%, US 3.6%

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 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 - 96.25 (January 1995), 100.93 (1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990; note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc


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Electricity
Capacity: 250,000 kW
Production: 1.2 billion kWh
Production consumption per capita: 6,178 kWh (1993)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system: 32,578 telephones (1987)
Local: NA
Intercity: NA
International: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) satellite link

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures: $NA, NA% of GDP

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: 36
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 19
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 13

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: total:1 roll-on/roll-off ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,079 GRT/724 DWT

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs: illicit cannabis cultivation is becoming a principal source of income for some families