New Caledonia

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

NAIndependence none (overseas territory of France)

New Caledonia as the 2008 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 117 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, UTC+11

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

224,824 people July 2008 est. · 153,215 in 1990

Population growth% a year

1.175% 2008 est. · 1.83% in 1993

Median ageyears

28.4 years 2008 est. · 26.9 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

74.75 years 2008 est. · 73.22 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.21 children per woman 2008 est. · 3 in 1990

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

7.19 deaths per 1,000 live births 2008 est. · 39 in 1990

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

$15,000 2003 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 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 as many as three referenda between 2013 and 2018, to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.

Geography

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

17 fields

Land useshare of 19,060 sq km

permanent crops 0.22%other 99.46% (2005)arable land 0.32% in all · irrigated 100 sq km (2003)

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

Age structuremale left, female right · (2008 est.)

7,377

65 and over7.1%

8,574

74,064

15-6465.6%

73,369

31,376

0-1427.3%

30,064

MaleFemale

Population

224,824

(July 2008 est.)growth rate: 1.175% (2008 est.)

Per 1,000 population(2008 est.)

Birth

17.39Death

5.64

Male · female

TotalMale · femaleLife expectancy years (2008 est.)74.75

71.76 · 77.88Infant mortality deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)7.19

7.85 · 6.5

TotalMale · femaleLiteracy (1996 census)96.2%

96.8% · 95.5%Median age years (2008 est.)28.4

28 · 28.8

MaleFemaleLiteracy definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Ethnic groups(1996 census)

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)

Religions

Roman Catholic 60%Protestant 30%other 10%

Net migration rate

NA note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2008 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:: 0.86 male(s)/female
total population:: 1.01 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.21 children born/woman (2008 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 Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); President of the Government Harold MARTIN (since 7 August 2007)

19 fields

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

RPCR-UMP 16AE 16UNI-FLNKS 8UC 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

territorial collectivity of France since 1998

Government type

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 for 2014

National holiday

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Constitution

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system

based on French civil 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 (since 16 May 2007); represented by High Commissioner Yves DASSONVILLE (since 9 November 2007)
head of government:: President of the Government Harold MARTIN (since 7 August 2007)
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 7 August 2007 when Harold MARTIN was elected following the resignation of Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU as president on 24 July 2007 (next to be held in 2012)

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

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

New Caledonia also elects two seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 10 and 17 June 2007 (next to be held on 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

Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX];
Caledonian Union or UC;
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 (includes
- PALIKA,
- UNI,
- UC,
- and UPM)
;
Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE];
Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (anti independence) 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

ITUC, PIF (associate member), SPC, 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.

39 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$3.158billion

(2003 est.)official exchange rate: $3.3 billion (2003 est.)

GDP per capita, PPP

$15,000

(2003 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

1.4%

(2000 est.)

Unemployment rate

17.1%

(2004)

GDP - composition by sector(2003)

agriculture 15%industry 8.8%services 76.2% (2003)

Trading partnersexports left, imports right

11.6%

France

36.7%

20.1%

Japan

Singapore

14.7%

14.5%

China

14.2%

Taiwan

Australia

12.1%

10.4%

Belgium

8.6%

Spain

6.9%

South Africa

5.2%

Germany

4.6%

Exports $1.341 billion f.o.b. (2006)Imports $1.998 billion f.o.b. (2006)(2007)

Budget

Revenues

$996 millionExpenditures

$1.072 billion (2001 est.)

Electricity

Electricity production

1.602 billion (2006 est.)Electricity consumption

1.49 billion (2006 est.)

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.

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Labor force

78,990 (2004)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture:: 20%
industry:: 20%
services:: 60% (2002)

Agriculture - products

vegetables;
beef, deer, other livestock products;
fish

Industries

nickel mining and smelting

Oil - production

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption

11,560 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports

356.2 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports

11,780 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2006 est.)

Exports

$1.341 billion f.o.b. (2006)

Exports - commodities

ferronickels, nickel ore, fish

Imports

$1.998 billion f.o.b. (2006)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs

Debt - external

$79 million (1998 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$NA

Currency (code)

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)

Exchange rates

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 87.59 (2007), 95.025 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003)

Communications

8 fields

Mobile cellular

176,400

(2007)

Internet users

15,487

(2008)

Fixed lines

60,200

(2007) · country code .nc

Telephone system

general assessment:: NA
domestic:: 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
international:: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2007)