New Caledonia
New Caledonia
Introduction
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.
Geography
Location
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Geographic coordinates
21 30 S, 165 30 E
Map references
Oceania
Area
total: 18,575 sq km
country comparison to the world: 156 land:18,275 sq km
water:300 sq km
Area – 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
highest point:Mont Panie 1,628 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 sq km (2008)
Natural hazards
cyclones, most frequent from November to March
volcanism:Matthew and Hunter Islands are historically active
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 and Society
Nationality
noun: New Caledonian(s)
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%
Population
256,275 (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
Age structure
0-14 years: 24.9% (male 32,653/female 31,236)
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.)
country comparison to the world: 78
Birth rate
16.28 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
Death rate
5.28 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 178
Net migration rate
4.25 migrant(s)/1,000 population
country comparison to the world: 22 note:there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2011 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 57% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization:1.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities – population
NOUMEA (capital) 144,000 (2009)
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 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 5.71 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 178 male:6.75 deaths/1,000 live births
female:4.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 76.75 years
country comparison to the world: 70 male:72.67 years
female:81.03 years (2011 est.)
Total fertility rate
2.07 children born/woman (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate
NA
HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS
NA
HIV/AIDS – 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
Government
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 (or a sui generis collectivity) of France since 1998
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 (since 16 May 2007)
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
(For more information visit the World 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 June 2016)
Legislative branch
elections: 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) 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders
NA
International organization participation
PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WFTU
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
National symbol(s)
kagu bird
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
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 (purchasing power parity)
$3.158 billion (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
GDP (official exchange rate)
$3.3 billion (2003 est.)
GDP – real growth rate
NA%
GDP – per capita (PPP)
$15,000 (2003 est.)
country comparison to the world: 74
GDP – composition by sector
agriculture: 2%
industry:26.5%
services:71.4% (2010 est.)
Labor force
102,600 (2007)
country comparison to the world: 182
Labor force – by occupation
agriculture: 20%
industry:20%
services:60% (2002)
Unemployment rate
17.1% (2004)
country comparison to the world: 156
Population below poverty line
NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%:NA%
Investment (gross fixed)
27.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 40
Budget
revenues: $996 million
expenditures:$1.072 billion (2001 est.)
Taxes and other revenues
30.2% of GDP (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 92
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)
-2.3% of GDP (2001 est.)
country comparison to the world: 82
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2.7% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89 0.9% (2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares
$NA
Agriculture – products
vegetables
beef, deer, other livestock products
fish
Industries
nickel mining and smelting
Electricity – production
1.8 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 137
Electricity – consumption
1.674 billion kWh (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
Electricity – exports
0 kWh (2009 est.)
Electricity – imports
0 kWh (2009 est.)
Oil – production
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 204
Oil – consumption
14,000 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 144
Oil – exports
648 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 123
Oil – imports
14,330 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 133
Oil – proved reserves
0 bbl (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 170
Natural gas – production
0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 104
Natural gas – consumption
0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 208
Natural gas – exports
0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 149
Natural gas – imports
0 cu m (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 157
Natural gas – proved reserves
0 cu m (1 January 2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
Exports
$969.4 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 153 $969.4 million (2006)
Exports – commodities
ferronickels, nickel ore, fish
Exports – 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 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148 $2.58 billion (2006)
Imports – commodities
machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports – partners
France 31.8%, China 14.1%, Singapore 13.8%, Australia 11.4%, NZ 4.3% (2010)
Debt – external
$79 million (1998 est.)
country comparison to the world: 187
Exchange rates
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar -
87.59 (2007)
94.97 (2006)
95.89 (2005)
96.04 (2004)
105.66 (2003)
Transportation
Airports
25 (2010)
country comparison to the world:129
Airports – with paved runways
total: 12
over 3,047 m:1
914 to 1,523 m:10
under 914 m:1 (2010)
Airports – with unpaved runways
total: 13
914 to 1,523 m:5
under 914 m:8 (2010)
Heliports
8 (2010)
Roadways
total: 5,622 km (2006)
country comparison to the world: 151
Merchant marine
registered in other countries: 3 (France 3) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 140
Ports and terminals
Noumea
Military
Military branches
no regular military forces
French military, police, and gendarmerie (2009)
Manpower available for military service
males age 16-49: 68,219 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service
males age 16-49: 56,233
females age 16-49:55,983 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually
male: 2,272
female:2,167 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures
NA
Military – note
defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues
Disputes – international
Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu