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.

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: NA km²

Natural hazards: typhoons most frequent from November to March

Population: 191,003 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: 1.68% (1997 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%

Age structure
0-14 years: 30% (male 29,204; female 28,140)
15-64 years: 65% (male 62,344; female 60,864)
65 years and over: 5% (male 4,972; female 5,479) (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.68% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 21.43 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 4.86 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.23 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 13.3 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.68 years
Male: 71.4 years
Female: 78.11 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.5 children born/woman (1997 est.)

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

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

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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Dominque BUR (since NA August 1995)
Head of government: President of the Territorial Congress Pierre FROGIER (since 31 July 1995)
Cabinet: Consultative Committee
Elections: high commissioner appointed by the president of France on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Congress elected by the members of the congress

Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres Territorial (54 seats; members are members of the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve six-year terms)
Elections: last held 9 July 1995 (next to be held NA July 2001)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPCR 22, FLNKS 12, UNCT 7, various left parties 7, various right parties 6
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 - RPCR 1; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 21 March 1993 (next to be held 25 May-1 June 1997 - special election); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPCR 2

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

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: three horizontal bands, blue (top), red, and green, with a yellow disk enclosing a black symbol centered to the hoist side; the flag of France is used for official occasions

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 25% of imports. In addition to nickel, financial support from France and tourism are key to the health of the economy.

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $8,000 (1995 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 5%
Industry: 35%
Services: 60% (1992 est.)

Agriculture products: vegetables; beef, other livestock products

Industries: nickel mining and smelting

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Labor force
Total: 70,044 (1988)
By occupation agriculture: 32%
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 40%
By occupation mining: 8% (1992)

Unemployment rate: 15% (1994)

Budget
Revenues: $755.6 million
Expenditures: $755.6 million, including capital expenditures of $N/A (1995 est.)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Exports
Total value: $528 million (f.o.b., 1995)
Commodities: nickel metal 24.5%, nickel ore
Partners: France 32.2%, Japan 23.5%, Germany 6.7%, US 3.6%, India 1.2%

Imports
Total value: $980 million (c.i.f., 1992)
Commodities: foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment
Partners: France 46.3%, ECE 14.9%, Australia 10.2%, Japan 6.3%, New Zealand 4.4%

Debt external: $NA

Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 98.48 (January 1997), 93.00 (1996), 90.75 (1995), 100.93 (1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992; note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc

Electricity
Capacity: NA kW
Production: 1.12 billion kWh (1994)
Consumption per capita: 5,744 kWh (1995 est.)

Telephones: 38,748 (1993 est.)

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

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $NA
Percent of gdp: NA%

Airports: 28 (1996 est.)
With paved runways total: 16
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 12 (1996 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 12
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 12 (1996 est.)

Heliports: 7 (1996 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Merchant marine: total:1 roll-on/roll-off ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,079 GRT/724 DWT (1996 est.)

Disputes international: Matthew and Hunter Islands claimed by France and Vanuatu