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NEW CALEDONIA
OFFICIAL NAME
New Caledonia
CAPITAL CITY
Noumea
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 area:
19,060 sq km
land area:
18,575 sq km
comparative area:
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
2,254 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
Matthew and Hunter Islands claimed by France and Vanuatu
Climate:
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain:
coastal plains with interior mountains
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%
permanent crops:
0%
meadows and pastures:
14%
forest and woodland:
51%
other:
35%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
NA
natural hazards:
typhoons most frequent from November to March
international agreements:
NA
People
Population:
187,784 (July 1996 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
30% (male 28,941; female 27,929)
15-64 years:
64% (male 61,263; female 59,673)
65 years and over:
6% (male 4,750; female 5,228) (July 1996 est.)
Population growth rate:
1.72% (1996 est.)
Birth rate:
21.75 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Death rate:
4.88 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Net migration rate:
0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years:
1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years:
1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over:
0.91 male(s)/female
all ages:
1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
13.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
74.35 years
male:
71.06 years
female:
77.8 years (1996 est.)
Total fertility rate:
2.53 children born/woman (1996 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
New Caledonian(s)
adjective:
New Caledonian
Ethnic divisions:
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%
Languages:
French, 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Literacy:
age 15 and over can read and write (1976 est.)
total population:
91%
male:
92%
female:
90%
Government
Name of country:
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
Data code:
NC
Type of government:
overseas territory of France since 1956
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; a referendum on independence will be held in 1998)
National holiday:
National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 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 and President of the Council of Government Dominque BUR (since NA), who was appointed by the French Ministry of the Interior
head of government:
President of the Territorial Assembly Pierre FROGIER (since NA) was elected by the members of the Assembly
cabinet:
Consultative Committee
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Territorial Assembly:
elections last held 9 July 1995 (next to be held NA July 2001); results - percent by party NA; seats - (54 total) RPCR 22, NCPT 7, other anti-independence parties 6, FLNKS 12, other pro-independence parties 7
French Senate:
elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held NA September 2001); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) RPCR 1
French National Assembly:
elections last held 21 March 1993 (next to be held 21 and 28 March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (2 total) RPCR 2
Judicial branch:
Court of Appeal
Political parties and leaders:
white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique (RPCR), conservative, Jacques LAFLEUR, president - affiliated to France's Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR; also called South Province Party); Melanesian proindependence Kanaka Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), Rock WAMYTAN; Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS), Nidoish NAISSELINE; National Front (FN), extreme right, Guy GEORGE; Caledonie Demain (CD), right-wing, Bernard MARANT; Union Oceanienne (UO), conservative, Michel HEMA; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak (FULK), proindependence, Clarence UREGEI; Union Caledonian (UC), Francois BURCK, president; "1999" (new party calling for an autonomous state), Philippe PENTECOST; Nouvelle-Caledonie Pour Toute (NCPT)
International organization participation:
ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WFTU, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
none (overseas territory of France)
US diplomatic representation:
none (overseas territory of France)
Economy
Economic overview:
New Caledonia has more than 20% of the world's known nickel resources. In recent years, the economy has suffered because of depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 25% of imports.
GDP:
purchasing power parity - $1.5 billion (1995 est.)
GDP real growth rate:
NA%
GDP per capita:
$8,000 (1995 est.)
GDP composition by sector:
agriculture:
5%
industry:
35%
services:
60% (1992 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
1.4% (1990)
Labor force:
70,044 (1988)
by occupation:
agriculture 32%, industry 20%, services 40%, mines 8% (1992)
Unemployment rate:
15% (1994)
Budget:
revenues:
$540 million
expenditures:
$540 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991 est.)
Industries:
nickel mining and smelting
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity:
capacity:
250,000 kW
production:
1.2 billion kWh
consumption per capita:
6,178 kWh (1993)
Agriculture:
vegetables; beef, other livestock products
Exports:
$477 million (f.o.b., 1992)
commodities:
nickel metal 22%, nickel ore
partners:
France 32.2%, Japan 23.5%, Germany 6.7%, US 3.6%, India 1.2%
Imports:
$926 million (c.i.f., 1992)
commodities:
foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment
partners:
France 46.3%, ECE 14.9%, Australia 10.2%, Japan 6.3%, New Zealand 4.4%
External debt:
$NA
Economic aid:
recipient:
ODA, $NA
Currency:
1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 91.00 (January 1996), 90.75 (1995), 100.93 (1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year:
calendar year
Transportation
Railways:
0 km
Highways:
total:
6,340 km
paved:
634 km
unpaved:
5,706 km (1987 est.)
Ports:
Mueo, Noumea, Thio
Merchant marine:
total:
1 roll-on/roll-off ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,079 GRT/724 DWT (1995 est.)
Airports:
total:
28
with paved runways over 3 047 m:
1
with paved runways 914 to 1 523 m:
3
with paved runways under 914 m:
12
with unpaved runways 914 to 1 523 m:
12 (1995 est.)
Heliports:
7 (1995 est.)
Communications
Telephones:
38,748 (1993 est.)
Telephone system:
domestic:
NA
international:
satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations:
AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0
Radios:
97,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations:
7
Televisions:
47,000 (1992 est.)
Defense
Branches:
French Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force
Defense expenditures:
$NA, NA% of GDP
Defense note:
defense is the responsibility of France
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New Caledonia Map
