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 ended in the 1998 Noumea Accord which over a period of 15 to 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct a referendum between 2014 and 2019 to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.

Geographic coordinates: 21 30 S 165 30 E

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 18,575 km²
Rank: 156
Land: 18,275 km²
Water: 300 km²
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
Extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Extremes highest point: Mont Panie 1628 m

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

Land use
Arable land: 0.32%
Permanent crops: 0.22%
Other: 99.46% (2005)

Irrigated land: 100 km² (2008)

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

Population: 256,275 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 182
Growth rate: 1.524% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 78
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: New Caledonian
Adjective: New Caledonian

Ethnic groups: Melanesian 44.1% European 34.1% Wallisian & Futunian 9% Tahitian 2.6% Indonesian 2.5% Vietnamese 1.4% Ni-Vanuatu 1.1% other 5.2% (1996 census)

Languages: French (official) 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

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

Age structure
0-14 years: 24.9%
15-64 years: 67.3% (male 86,865/female 85,578)
65 years and over: 7.8% (male 8,954/female 10,989) (2011 est.)

Median age
Total: 30.1 years
Male: 29.6 years
Female: 30.7 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.524% (2011 est.)
Rank: 78

Birth rate: 16.28 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 125

Death rate: 5.28 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 178

Net migration rate: 4.25 migrant(s)/1000 population
Rank: 22
Note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2011 est.)

Urbanization
Urban population: 57% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

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

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.71 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 178
Male: 6.75 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.62 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 76.75 years
Rank: 70
Male: 72.67 years
Female: 81.03 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.07 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 120

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Education expenditures: NA

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 96.2%
Male: 96.8%
Female: 95.5% (1996 census)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education: NA

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
Name: Noumea
Geographic coordinates: 22 16 S 166 27 E
Time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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 Province des Iles Province Nord and Province Sud

Independence: none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new referendum is scheduled to take place between 2014 and 2019

National holiday: Bastille Day 14 July (1789); note - the local holiday is New Caledonia Day 24 September (1853)

Constitution: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: civil law system based on French law; the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY ; represented by High Commissioner Albert DUPUY (since 6 October 2010)
Head of government: President of the Government Harold MARTIN (since 3 March 2011); note - since 3 March 2011 three different governments of Harold MARTIN have collapsed over the choice of a flag that will be used while it is being decolonized; President MARTIN is head of a caretaker government
Cabinet: Cabinet consisting of 11 members elected from and by the Territorial Congress
Elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-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 for a five-year term (no term limits); note - last election held on 10 June 2011 (next to be held June 2016)

Legislative branch
Elections: unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres du territoire last held on 9 May 2009 (next to be held on 10 May 2014)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 13 Caledonia Together 10 UC 8 UNI 8 AE 6 FLNKS 3 Labor Party 3 other 3
Note: New Caledonia holds two seats in the French Senate; elections last held on 21 September 2008 (next to be held not later than September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2; New Caledonia also elects two seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held on 10 and 17 June 2007 (next to be held in June 2012); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2

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

Political parties and leaders: Caledonia My Country; Caledonia Together [Philippe GOMES]; Caledonian Union or UC [Nicholas ABOUT]; Communist Republican and Left Party or CRC-SPG [Nichole BORVO COHEN-SEAT]; Democratic and European Social Rally or R.D.S.E. [Yvon COLLIN]; Front National or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (includes PALIKA UNI UC and UPM); Labor Party [Louis Kotra UREGEI]; National Union for Independence or UNI; Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; Renewed Caledonian Union; Socialist Group [Jean Pierre BEL]; Socialist Kanak Liberation or LKS [Nidoish NAISSELINE]; The Future Together or AE [Didier LEROUX]; The Rally or UMP [Gerard LONGUET]; Union Nationale pour l'Independance or UNI; Union of Pro-Independence Co-operation Committees [Francois BURCK]

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

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: kagu bird

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

Economy overview: New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known nickel resources. Only a small amount of the land is suitable for cultivation and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition to nickel substantial financial support from France - equal to more than 15% of GDP - and tourism are keys to the health of the economy. Substantial new investment in the nickel industry combined with the recovery of global nickel prices brightens the economic outlook for the next several years.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $3.158 billion (2003 est.)
Rank: 175

Real gdp growth rate: NA%

Real gdp per capita: $15,000 (2003 est.)
Rank: 74

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 2%
Industry: 26.5%
Services: 71.4% (2010 est.)

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

Industries: nickel mining and smelting

Labor force: 102,600 (2007)
Rank: 182
By occupation agriculture: 20%
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 60% (2002)

Unemployment rate: 17.1% (2004)
Rank: 156

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $996 million
Expenditures: $1.072 billion (2001 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.3% of GDP (2001 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 82

Taxes and other revenues: 30.2% of GDP (2001 est.)
Rank: 92

Inflation rate consumer prices: 0.9% (2009 est.)
Rank: 89

Market value of publicly traded shares: $NA

Exports: $969.4 million (2006)
Rank: 153
Commodities: ferronickels nickel ore fish
Partners: Japan 19.8% France 16.7% South Korea 10.5% Australia 8.1% Spain 6.7% US 4.9% (2010)

Imports: $2.58 billion (2006)
Rank: 148
Commodities: machinery and equipment fuels chemicals foodstuffs
Partners: France 31.8% China 14.1% Singapore 13.8% Australia 11.4% NZ 4.3% (2010)

Debt external: $79 million (1998 est.)
Rank: 187

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 1.8 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Production rank: 137
Consumption: 1.674 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Consumption rank: 140
Exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)
Imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 104
Consumption: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 113
Exports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 149
Imports: 0 m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 157
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 171

Telephones
Main lines in use: 72,200 (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 155
Mobile cellular: 220,800 (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 175

Telephone system
General assessment: a submarine cable network connection between New Caledonia and Australia completed in 2007 is expected to significantly increase network capacity and improve high-speed connectivity and access to international networks
Domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership exceeds 100 per 100 persons
International: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2008)

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

Internet
Country code: .nc
Hosts: 22,456 (2010)
Hosts rank: 106
Users: 85,000 (2009)
Users rank: 164

Military expenditures: NA

Airports: 25 (2010)
Rank: 130
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 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 13
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 8 (2010)

Heliports: 8 (2010)

Roadways
Total: 5,622 km
Rank: 151

Merchant marine
Registered in other countries: 3 (2010)
Rank: 140

Ports and terminals: Noumea

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