Map of New Caledonia | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century the island became 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 ended in the 1998 Noumea Accord which over a period of 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct a referendum by November 2018 to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.


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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: 18,575 km²
Land: 18,275 km²
Water: 300 km²
Rank: 156
Comparative: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 2,254 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains

Elevation
Mean elevation: NA
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m: highest point: Mont Panie 1628 m

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

Land use
Agricultural land: 10.4%
Forest: 45.9%
Other: 43.7%

Irrigated land: 100 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: cyclones most frequent from November to March
Volcanism: Matthew and Hunter Islands are historically active

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


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Population
Distribution: most of the populace lives in the southern part of the main island in and around the capital of Noumea: 279,070 (July 2017 est.)
Rank: 183
Growth rate: 1.33% (2017 est.)
Growth rate rank: 89
Below poverty line: 17% (2008)

Nationality
Noun: New Caledonian
Adjective: New Caledonian

Ethnic groups: Kanak 40.3% European 29.2% Wallisian Futunian 8.7% Tahitian 2% Indonesian 1.6% Vietnamese 1% Ni-Vanuatu 0.9% other 16.2% (2009 est.)

Languages: French (official) 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

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

Demographic profile

Age structure
0-14 years: 22.46%
15-24 years: 16.44%
25-54 years: 43.5%
55-64 years: 8.4%
65 years and over: 9.2% (2017 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 48.3
Youth dependency ratio: 33.9
Elderly dependency ratio: 14.4
Potential support ratio: 6.9

Median age
Total: 32 years
Male: 31.2 years
Female: 32.7 years
Rank: 101

Population growth rate: 1.33% (2017 est.)
Rank: 89

Birth rate: 15 births/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 129

Death rate: 5.7 deaths/1000 population (2017 est.)
Rank: 174

Net migration rate: 3.9 migrant(s)/1000 population
Note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia
Rank: 30

Population distribution: most of the populace lives in the southern part of the main island in and around the capital of Noumea

Urbanization
Urban population: 71.2% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.91% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: NOUMEA (capital) 181,000 (2014)

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

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
0-14 years: 1.04 male/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male/female
55-64 years: 0.94 male/female
65 years and over: 0.8 male/female
Total population: 1 male/female

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.2 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 6.1 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.3 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 174

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 77.9 years
Male: 73.9 years
Female: 82 years
Rank: 65

Total fertility rate: 1.93 children born/woman (2017 est.)
Rank: 130

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source:

Current health expenditure

Physicians density: 2.22 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access:

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

Major infectious diseases
Note: active local transmission of Zika virus by Aedes species mosquitoes has been identified in this country ; it poses an important risk (a large number of cases possible) among US citizens if bitten by an infective mosquito; other less common ways to get Zika are through sex via blood transfusion or during pregnancy in which the pregnant woman passes Zika virus to her fetus (2016)

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: 96.9%
Male: 97.3%
Female: 96.5%

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
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

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

Capital
Name: Noumea
Geographic coordinates: 22 16 S 166 27 E
Time difference: UTC+11

Administrative divisions: 3 provinces; Province Iles (Islands Province) Province Nord (North Province) and Province Sud (South Province)

Dependent areas

Independence: none (special collectivity of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but was rejected; a new referendum must be held before 2019

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

Constitution: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution with changes as reflected in Noumea Accord of 5 May 1998) (2016)

Legal system: civil law system based on French law; the 1988 Matignon Accords (signed in the Matignon Hotel) set up a 10-year period of development during which the Kanak community received substantial autonomy but agreed not to raise the independence issue

International law organization participation

Citizenship: see France

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON ; represented by High Commissioner Thierry LATASTE (since 20 June 2016)
Head of government: President of the Government ; Vice President Jean-Louis D'ANGLEBERME (since 1 April 2015)
Cabinet: Cabinet elected from and by the Territorial Congress
Electionsappointments: French president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year 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 10 June 2011 (next to be held in June 2016)
Election results: Philippe GERMAINE elected president by Territorial Congress; vote NA

Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres du Territoire (54 seats; members indirectly selected proportionally by the partisan makeup of the 3 Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales; members of the 3 Provincial Assemblies directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms)
Note: as of May 2014 seats by party - CE 13 FLNKS 9 UMP 7 Union for Caledonia in France 6 Build Our Rainbow Nation 6 UNI 6 other 7
Elections: last held on 11 May 2014 ; note - the government that was elected on 11 May 2014 collapsed within 6 months leading to a new election on 31 December 2014 which reelected the same government
Election results: percent of vote by party - N/A; seats by party - N/A

Judicial branch
Highest resident court: 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 counsilors); Administrative Court ; 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

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ITUC (NGOs) PIF (associate member) SPC UPU WFTU (NGOs) WMO

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

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

National symbols: fleche faitiere (native rooftop adornment) kagu bird; national colors: blue red green yellow black

National anthem
Name: 'Soyons unis devenons freres'
Lyrics and music: Chorale Melodia
Note: adopted 2008; contains a mixture of lyrics in both French and Nengone ; as a self-governing territory of France in addition to the local anthem 'La Marseillaise' is official (see France)

National heritage


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Economy overview:

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Note: data are in 2015 dollars
Rank: 156

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 163

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 61

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 64.4%
Government consumption: 24.3%
Investment in fixed capital: 38.1%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 17.2%
Imports of goods and services: -44.1%

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 1.4%
Industry: 26.1%
Services: 72.4%

Agriculture products: vegetables; beef venison other livestock products; fish

Industries: nickel mining and smelting

Industrial production growth rate: 1.6% (2016 est.)
Rank: 123

Labor force: 119,500 (2016 est.)
Rank: 182
By occupation agriculture: 2.7%
By occupation industry: 22.4%
By occupation services: 74.9%

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 167

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 17% (2008)

Gini index

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

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: $1.995 billion
Expenditures: $1.993 billion
Surplus or deficit: 0% of GDP (2015 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 45

Taxes and other revenues: 12.8% of GDP (2015 est.)
Rank: 201

Public debt:
Rank: 201

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 73

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit: $9.522 billion (2015 est.)
Rank: 108

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Current account balance:
Rank: 141

Exports:
Rank: 135
Commodities: ferronickels nickel ore fish
Partners: China 30.4% Japan 15.7% South Korea 14.7% France 5% Belgium 4.5% (2016)

Imports:
Rank: 127
Commodities: machinery and equipment fuels chemicals foodstuffs
Partners: France 25.1% Singapore 10.1% China 9.8% Australia 6.2% Malaysia 5.9% South Korea 5.8% NZ 4.6% US 4.3% (2016)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external:
Rank: 193

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 83

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 88

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 112,895
Access electrification total population: 59%
Access electrification urban areas: 68%
Access electrification rural areas: 45%
Production: 2.807 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Production rank: 135
Consumption: 2.611 billion kWh (2015 est.)
Consumption rank: 140
Exports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 174
Imports: 0 kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 178
Installed generating capacity: 557,200 kW (2015 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 142
Generation sources fossil fuels: 78.4% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 91
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 150
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 14% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 106
Generation sources other renewable sources: 7.8% of total installed capacity (2015 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 79

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 175
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 168
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 168
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2017 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 173

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products production rank: 180
Products consumption: 17,000 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products consumption rank: 145
Products exports: 116.8 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products exports rank: 121
Products imports: 17,370 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products imports rank: 123

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 174
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 213
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 155
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 161
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 es)
Proven reserves rank: 176

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 2.5 million Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 145

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 92,000
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 34
Fixed lines rank: 146
Mobile cellular total: 246,000
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 91
Mobile cellular rank: 179

Telephone system
General assessment: a submarine cable network connection between New Caledonia and Australia completed in 2007 increased network capacity and improved high-speed connectivity and access to international networks
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership exceeds 120 per 100 persons
International: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (2015)

Broadcast media: the publicly owned French Overseas Network (RFO) which operates in France's overseas departments and territories broadcasts over the RFO Nouvelle Caledonie TV and radio stations; a small number of privately owned radio stations also broadcast (2008)

Internet
Country code: .nc
Users total: 201,000
Users percent of population: 74%
Users rank: 159

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
Number of registered air carriers: 2
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 10 (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 25 (2013)
Rank: 128
With paved runways total: 12
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 10
With paved runways under 914 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 13
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 8

Heliports: 8 (2013)

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways
Total: 5,622 km
Rank: 151

Waterways

Merchant marine
Registered in other countries: 3 (2010)
Rank: 138

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Noumea


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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs
Rank: li>a href='../rankorder/rankorderguide.html'>Guide to Country Comparisons