New Caledonia
Territory of New Caledonia and DependenciesTerritoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances
parliamentary representative democracyIndependence none (overseas territory of France)
New Caledonia as the 2013 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 134 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.
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Introduction
1 fieldBackground
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.
Geography
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
17 fieldsLand useshare of 18,575 sq km
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
People and Society
23 fieldsAge structuremale left, female right · (2013 est.)
Per 1,000 population
Male · female
Ethnic groups(1996 census)
Net migration rate
4.12 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 27 note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2013 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- 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:
- 0.98 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.81 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 1 male(s)/female (2013 est.)
Government
Parliamentary representative democracy; President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); President of the Government Harold MARTIN (since 3 March 2011)
21 fieldsTerritorial Congress or Congres du territoire, 54 seats, elected 9 May 2009one dot, one seat
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
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 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 did not pass;
- a new referendum is scheduled to take place 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; the 1988 Matignon Accords (signed in the Matignon Hotel) set up a ten-year period of development during which the Kanak community received substantial autonomy but agreed not to raise the independece issue
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012);
- represented by High Commissioner Jean-Jacques BROT (since 2 February 2013);
- note - he was nominated on 23 January 2013
- 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 consisting of 11 members elected from and by the Territorial Congress; (For more information visit theWorld Leaders website)
- 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 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 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: the Customary Senate is the assembly of the various traditional councils of the Kanaks, the indigenous population, which rules on laws affecting the indigenous population; 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 17 June 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2
Judicial branch
- highest court(s):
- ; note - final appeals are heard before the Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation, in Paris
- Court of Appeal in Noumea or Cour d'Appel (the highest local judicial court; organized into civil, commercial, social, and pre-trial investigation chambers; number of judges NA);
- Conseil d'Etat (the highest local administrative court; number of judges NA)
- 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
- Caledonia Together [Philippe GOMES]
- Caledonian Union or UC [Daniel GOA]
- Front National or FN [Marine 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 (Union Nationale pour l'Independance) or UNI
- Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE]
- Socialist Group [Jean Pierre BEL]
- Socialist Kanak Liberation or LKS [Nidoish NAISSELINE]
- The Future Together or AE [Harold MARTIN]
- The Rally or UMP [Pierre GROGIER]
- Union of Pro-Independence Co-operation Committees [Francois BURCK]
National anthem
- name:
- "Soyons unis, devenons freres" (Let Us Be United, Let Us Become Brothers)
- lyrics/music:
- 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
New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known nickel reserves.
28 fieldsGDP - composition, by sector of origin(2012 est.)
Trading partnersexports left, imports right
By end use% of GDP
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.
Exchange rates
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 85.74 (2011 est.) · 90.01 (2010 est.)
Energy
23 fieldsInstalled generating capacity, 499,000 kW(2010 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy
3.026 million Mt (2011 est.) country comparison to the world: 140
Communications
7 fieldsTelephone system
- general assessment:
- a submarine cable network connection between New Caledonia and Australia, completed in 2007, increased network capacity and improved 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) (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)
Transportation
7 fieldsAirports by runway lengthpaved only
Airports by runway lengthunpaved only
Merchant marine
registered in other countries: 3 (France 3) (2010) country comparison to the world: 135
Military
No regular military forces; French military, police, and gendarmerie (2012)
6 fieldsTransnational Issues
1 fieldDisputes - international
Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “New Caledonia.” The World Factbook 2013. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/new-caledonia/2013.