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 and early 1990s seems to have dissipated.


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

Geographic coordinates: 21 30 S 165 30 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 19,060 km²
Land: 18,575 km²
Water: 485 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
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 0%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 12%
Forests and woodland: 39%
Other: 49% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 160 km² (1991)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: cyclones most frequent from November to March

Geography


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Population: 204,863 (July 2001 est.)
Growth rate: 1.48% (2001 est.)
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: New Caledonian
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 (official) 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 30.31% (male 31,674; female 30,416)
15-64 years: 63.95% (male 66,014; female 65,006)
65 years and over: 5.74% (male 5,548; female 6,205) (2001 est.)

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.48% (2001 est.)

Birth rate: 20.37 births/1000 population (2001 est.)

Death rate: 5.62 deaths/1000 population (2001 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1000 population (2001 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male/female
65 years and over: 0.89 male/female
Total population: 1.02 male/female (2001 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 8.4 deaths/1000 live births (2001 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 73.02 years
Male: 70.08 years
Female: 76.11 years (2001 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.48 children born/woman (2001 est.)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: NA%
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

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

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: NA

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); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass

National holiday: Bastille Day 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 of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner Thierry LATASTE (since 19 July 1999)
Head of government: President of the Government Jean LEQUES (since 28 May 1999)
Cabinet: Consultative Committee
Elections: French president elected by popular vote for a seven-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

Legislative branch
Elections: last held 9 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPCR 24, FLNKS 12, UNI 6, FCCI 4, FN 4, Alliance pour la Caledonie 3, LKS 1
Note: New Caledonia elects 1 seat to the French Senate; elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held NA September 2001); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 1; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 25 May-1 June 1997 (next to be held NA 2002); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPR 2

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court

Political parties and leaders: Alliance pour la Caledonie [Didier LEROUX]; Developper Ensemble pour Construire l'Avenir or DEPCA [Robert FROUIN]; Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes or FCCI [Leopald SOREDIE]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Groupe de l'Alliance Multiraciale or GAM [Dany DALMAYRAE]; Independance et Progres [Alphonse PUJAPUJANE]; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS [Rock WAMYTAN] (includes PALIKA UNI UC and UPM); La Caledonie Autrement [Denis MILLIARD]; Loyalty Islands Development Front or FDIL [Cono HAMU]; National Front or FN [Guy GEORGE]; Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Charles WASHETINE]; Rally for Caledonia in the Republic or RPCR [Jacques LAFLEUR]; Rally for the Republic or RPR [leader NA]; Renouveau [Thierry VALET]; Socialist Kanak Liberation or LKS [Nidoish NAISSELINE]; Union Caledonienne or UC [Bernard LEPEU]; Union Nationale pour l'Independance or UNI [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; Union Progressiste Melanesienne or UPM [Andre GOPEA]

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 20% 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 20% of imports. In addition to nickel the substantial financial support from France and tourism are keys to the health of the economy. The situation in 1998 was clouded by the spillover of financial problems in East Asia and by lower prices for nickel. Nickel prices jumped in 1999-2000 and large additions were made to capacity. French Government interests in the New Caledonian nickel industry are being transferred to local ownership.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 3.5% (1998 est.)

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 4%
Industry: 30%
Services: 66% (1997 est.)

Agriculture products: vegetables; beef deer other livestock products

Industries: nickel mining and smelting

Industrial production growth rate: -0.6% (1996)

Labor force: 79,395 (including 15 018 unemployed 1996)
By occupation agriculture: 7%
By occupation industry: 23%
By occupation services: 70% (1999 est.)

Unemployment rate: 19% (1996)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: NA%

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: NA%
Highest 10: NA%

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $861.3 million
Expenditures: $735.3 million, including capital expenditures of $52 million (1996 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.5% (1998 est.)

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: $411 million (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: ferronickels nickel ore fish
Partners: Japan 27% France 17% Taiwan 12% South Korea 9% (1999)

Imports: $843 million (f.o.b. 1999)
Commodities: transport equipment machinery and electrical equipment fuels minerals wine sugar rice
Partners: France 49% Australia 14% Singapore 6% New Zealand 5% US 5% (1999)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $79 million (1998 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 127.11 (January 2001) 129.44 (2000) 111.93 (1999) 107.25 (1998) 106.11 (1997) 93.00 (1996); note - linked at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 1.52 billion kWh (1999)
By source fossil fuel: 78.95%
By source hydro: 21.05%
By source nuclear: 0%
By source other: 0% (1999)

Electricity consumption: 1.414 billion kWh (1999)

Electricity exports: 0 kWh (1999)

Electricity imports: 0 kWh (1999)

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: 13,040 (1998)

Telephone system
General assessment: NA
Domestic: NA
International: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Broadcast media

Internet country code: .nc

Internet users: 5,000 (2000)

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $192.3 million (1996)
Percent of gdp: 5.3% (1996)

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 (2000 est.)
With paved runways total: 6
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 4
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 23
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 12
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 11 (2000 est.)

Airports with paved runways
Total: 6
Over 3047 m: 1
914 to 1523 m: 4
Under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports with unpaved runways
Total: 23
914 to 1523 m: 12
Under 914 m: 11 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 6 (2000 est.)

Pipelines

Railways: 0 km

Roadways

Waterways: none

Merchant marine
Total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,261 GRT/1,600 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 1 (2000 est.)

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs