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: 194,197 (July 1998 est.)
Growth rate: 1.64% (1998 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 29,423; female 28,320)
15-64 years: 65% (male 63,444; female 62,055)
65 years and over: 5% (male 5,202; female 5,753) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.64% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 21.08 births/1000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 4.84 deaths/1000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.15 migrant(s)/1000 population (1998 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA
International agreements party to: NA
International agreements signed but not ratified: 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: 0.9 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 12.71 deaths/1000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.01 years
Male: 71.75 years
Female: 78.44 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.46 children born/woman (1998 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): ead 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_RPR 22, FLNKS 12, UNCT 9, UNI 5, DEPCA 2, FN 2, RCF 2, and other 2
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

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. The outlook for 1998 is clouded by the spillover of financial problems in East Asia and by lower expected prices for nickel.

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:$500 million (f.o.b., 1996)
Commodoties: ferronickels, nickel ore
Partners: Japan 31%, France 29%, US 12%, Australia 7%, Taiwan 6% (1996 est.)

Imports: total value:$930 million (c.i.f., 1996)
Commodoties: foods, transport equipment, machinery and electrical equipment, fuels, minerals
Partners: France 45%, Australia 18%, Singapore 7%, New Zealand 6%, Japan 4% (1996 est.)

Debt external: $NA

Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1_110.60 (January 1998), 106.11 (1997), 93.00 (1996), 90.75 (1995), 100.93 (1994), 102.96 (1993; note_linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc

Electricity
Capacity: 253,000 kW (1995)
Production: 1.145 billion kWh (1995)
Consumption per capita: 6,204 kWh (1995)

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: 30 (1997 est.)
With paved runways total: 5
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 1 (1997 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 25
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 13
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 12 (1997 est.)

Heliports: 7 (1997 est.)

Railways: 0 km

Merchant marine: none

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