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 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 2018 to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.

Geographic coordinates: 21 30 S 165 30 E

Area
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
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

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

Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains

Elevation
Extremes highest point: Mont Panie 1628 m

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

Land use
Permanent crops: 0.27%
Other: 99.34% (2011)

Irrigated land: 100 km² (2003)

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: 267,840 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 183
Growth rate: 1.42% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 85
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
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%

Age structure
15-24 years: 17% (male 23,218/female 22,260)
25-54 years: 42.8% (male 57,646/female 56,939)
55-64 years: 8.1% (male 10,698/female 11,128)
65 years and over: 8.2% (male 10,135/female 12,579) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 33.2 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 14.9 %
Potential support ratio: 6.7 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 30.4 years
Female: 31.7 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.42% (2014 est.)
Rank: 85

Birth rate: 15.57 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 128

Death rate: 5.45 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 176

Net migration rate: 4.06 migrant(s)/1000 population
Rank: 31

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 1.24% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: NOUMEA (capital) 157,000 (2011)

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

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.01 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.81 male(s)/female
Total population: 1 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 177
Male: 6.43 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.43 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 68
Male: 73.29 years
Female: 81.54 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.99 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 127

Drinking water source:

Sanitation facility access:

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

Literacy
Total population: 96.2%
Male: 96.8%
Female: 95.5% (1996 census)

Country name
Conventional short form: New Caledonia
Local long form: Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances
Local short form: Nouvelle-Caledonie

Government type: parliamentary representative democracy

Capital
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 three 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 was rejected; a new referendum is scheduled between 2014 and 2018

National holiday: Fete de la Federation 14 July (1789); 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) (2013)

Legal system: civil law system based on French law; note - 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 independece issue

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
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 Harold MARTIN is head of a caretaker government
Cabinet: Cabinet consists 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 Territorial Congress for a five-year term (no term limits); note - last election held on 10 June 2011 (next to be held in June 2016)

Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres du territoire (54 seats; members belong to the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
Elections: last held on 11 May 2014 (next to be held on May 2019)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'Avenir Ensemble 13 UMP 7 FLINKS 9 Union for Caledonia in France 6 Build Our Rainbow Nation 6 other 7

Judicial branch: note - final appeals are heard before the Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation in Paris
Judge selection and term of office: NA
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: PIF (associate member) SPC UPU WFTU (NGOs)

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
Lyrics and music: Chorale Melodia (a local choir)

Economy overview: New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known nickel reserves. 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; during 2009-10 France sent more development assistance to New Caledonia than to any of its other overseas territories. 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: 154

Real gdp growth rate: 0.6% (2008 est.)
Rank: 183

Real gdp per capita: $15,000 (2003 est.)
Rank: 33

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 27.6%
Investment in fixed capital: 29.2%
Investment in inventories: 0%
Exports of goods and services: 25.1%
Imports of goods and services: -45.4%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 30%
Services: 67.9% (2013 est.)

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

Industries: nickel mining and smelting

Industrial production growth rate: 8% (2013 est.)
Rank: 28

Labor force: 106,400 (2010)
Rank: 183
By occupation industry: 20%
By occupation services: 60% (2002)

Unemployment rate: 17.1% (2004)
Rank: 150

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Expenditures: $1.072 billion (2001 est.)
Surplus or deficit: NA% of GDP

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 1.7% (2012 est.)
Rank: 49

Market value of publicly traded shares: $N/A

Exports: $1.661 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 152
Commodities: ferronickels nickel ore fish
Partners: Japan 17.2% France 16.3% South Korea 12.3% China 9.6% Australia 8.4% Belgium 4.9% (2012)

Imports: $3.698 billion (2011 est.)
Rank: 143
Commodities: machinery and equipment fuels chemicals foodstuffs
Partners: France 33.5% Singapore 22.5% Australia 11.7% NZ 5.1% (2012)

Debt external: $79 million (1998 est.)
Rank: 191

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 1.978 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 135
Consumption: 1.84 billion kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 141
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 173
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 176
Installed generating capacity: 499,000 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 138
Generation sources fossil fuels: 76.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 96
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 147
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 15.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 98
Generation sources other renewable sources: 7.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 33

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 200
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 159
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 100
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 169

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 178
Products consumption: 13,640 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 148
Products exports: 117 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 118
Products imports: 14,670 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 122

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 171
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 176
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 153
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 101
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 174

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 3.026 million Mt (2011 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 80,000 (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 151
Mobile cellular: 231,000 (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 178

Telephone system
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) (2010)

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
Hosts: 34,231 (2012)
Hosts rank: 104
Users: 85,000 (2009)
Users rank: 165

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

Heliports: 8 (2013)

Roadways
Rank: 151

Merchant marine
Rank: 135

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