New Caledonia

Territory of New Caledonia and DependenciesTerritoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances

NAIndependence none (overseas territory of France)

New Caledonia as the 2004 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 111 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalNoumea

Position21 30 S, 165 30 E

Area19,060 sq km

LocationOceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia

Populationas each edition published it

213,679 people July 2004 est. · 153,215 in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.33% 2004 est. · 1.83% in 1993

Median ageyears

27.2 years 2004 est. · 26.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

73.78 years 2004 est. · 73.22 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.35 children per woman 2004 est. · 3 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

7.89 deaths per 1,000 live births 2004 est. · 39 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$15,000 2001 est. · $6,000 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition 2.4% in 1993

Introduction

1 field

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 has dissipated.

Geography

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia

17 fields

Land useshare of 19,060 sq km

permanent crops 0.33%other 99.29% (2001)arable land 0.38% in all · irrigated 160 sq km (1991)

Area

19,060sq km

land: 18,575 sq kmwater: 485 sq kmslightly smaller than New Jersey

Coastline

2,254km

land boundaries: 0 kmterritorial sea: 12 nmexclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Highest point

1,628m

Mont Panielowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Location

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia

Geographic coordinates

21 30 S, 165 30 E

Map references

Oceania

Climate

tropical;
modified by southeast trade winds;
hot, humid

Terrain

coastal plains with interior mountains

Natural resources

nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper

Natural hazards

cyclones, most frequent from November to March

Environment - current issues

erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires

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

People

19 fields

Population

213,679

(July 2004 est.)growth rate: 1.33% (2004 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2004 est.)

Birth

18.98Death

5.64Net migration

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2004 est.)73.78

70.82 · 76.89Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.)7.89

8.59 · 7.14

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1976 est.)91%

92% · 90%Median age years (2004 est.)27.2

26.9 · 27.5

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups

Melanesian 42.5%European 37.1%Wallisian 8.4%Polynesian 3.8%Indonesian 3.6%Vietnamese 1.6%other 3%

Religions

Roman Catholic 60%Protestant 30%other 10%

Age structure

0-14 years:: 29.4% (male 32,076; female 30,772)
15-64 years:: 64.3% (male 69,150; female 68,310)
65 years and over:: 6.3% (male 6,259; female 7,112) (2004 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth:: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:: 1.01 male(s)/female
65 years and over:: 0.88 male(s)/female
total population:: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.35 children born/woman (2004 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

HIV/AIDS - deaths

Nationality

noun:: New Caledonian(s)
adjective:: New Caledonian

Languages

French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Government

NA; President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner Daniel CONSTANTIN (since 3 July 2002); President of the Government Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU (since 10 June 2004)

19 fields

Territorial Congress or Congres Territorial, 54 seats, elected 9 May 2004one dot, one seat

RPCR-UMP 16AE 16UNI-FLNKS 8UE 7FN 4others 3

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

Dependency status

overseas territory of France since 1956

Government type

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);
note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass;
a new referendum is scheduled for 2014

National holiday

Bastille Day, 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 Daniel CONSTANTIN (since 3 July 2002)
head of government:: President of the Government Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU (since 10 June 2004)
cabinet:: Consultative Committee
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;
note - last election held 29 June 2004 when Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU was elected on the third vote with 8 votes for and 3 abstentions

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 five-year terms)

elections:: last held 9 May 2004 (next to be held NA 2009)
election results:: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPCR-UMP 16, AE 16, UNI-FLNKS 8, UE 7, FN 4, others 3

note: New Caledonia currently holds 1 seat in the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held not later than September 2007; between now and 2010 New Caledonia will gain a second seat in the French Senate); results - percent of vote by party - NA;

seats by party - NA; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 and 16 June 2002 (next to be held by June 2007); 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

Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX];
Caleonian Union or UC [leader NA];
Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes or FCCI [Francois BURCK];
Front National or FN [Guy GEORGE];
Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE];
Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS [leader NA] (includes
- PALIKA,
- UNI,
- UC,
- and UPM)
;
Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE];
Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (anti independent) or RPCR-UMP [Jacques LAFLEUR];
The Future Together or AE [Harold MARTIN];
Union Nationale pour l'Independance or UNI [Paul NEAOUTYINE];
note - may no longer exist, but Paul NEAOUTYINE has since become a president of Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA;
Union Progressiste Melanesienne or UPM [Victor TUTUGORO]

Political pressure groups and leaders

International organization participation

FZ, ICFTU, PIF (observer), UPU, WFTU, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of France)

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of France)

Flag description

the flag of France is used

Economy

New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known nickel resources.

35 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

-0.6%

(2000 est.)

Unemployment rate

19%

(1996)

Labor force

79,400

(including 15,018 unemployed, 1996)

Debt - external

$79million

(1998 est.)

GDP - composition by sector(1997 est.)

agriculture 5%industry 30%services 65% (1997 est.)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

19.2%

France

46.1%

21.8%

Japan

14%

Taiwan

11%

Spain

7.2%

Australia

9.5%

Singapore

9.3%

8.5%

South Korea

5.1%

Italy

New Zealand

4.3%

Exports $448 million f.o.b. (2002)Imports $1.007 billion f.o.b. (2002)(2003)

Budget

Revenues

$861.3 millionExpenditures

$735.3 million (1996 est.)

expenditures including capital expenditures of $52 million

Electricity

Electricity production

1.613 billion (2001)Electricity consumption

1.5 billion (2001)

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 one-fourth 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.