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Communications

Airports [time series]

total: 30 usable: 28 with permanent-surface runways: 4 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 1

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

total: 6,340 km paved: 634 km unpaved: 5,706 km (1987)

Ports [time series]

Noumea, Nepoui, Poro, Thio

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

32,578 telephones (1987); broadcast stations - 5 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Defense Forces

Military and security forces (Branches) [time series]

Gendarmerie, Police Force

Note [time series]

defense is the responsibility of France

Economy

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, corn, wheat, vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef

Budget [time series]

revenues: $224 million expenditures: $211 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1985 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes

Economic aid [time series]

recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $4.185 billion

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 400,000 kW production: 2.2 billion kWh consumption per capita: 12,790 kWh (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

Comptoirs Francais duPacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 107.63 (January 1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc

Exports [time series]

$671 million (f.o.b., 1989) commodities: nickel metal 87%, nickel ore partners: France 32%, Japan 23.5%, US 3.6%

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$NA

Fiscal year [time series]

calendar year

Illicit drugs [time series]

illicit cannabis cultivation is becoming a principal source of income for some families

Imports [time series]

$764 million (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment partners: France 44.0%, US 10%, Australia 9%

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA%

Industries [time series]

nickel mining and smelting

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

1.4% (1990)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (National product) [time series]

GNP - exchange rate conversion - $1 billion (1991 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$6,000 (1991 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

2.4% (1988)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

New Caledonia has more than 25% 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.

Unemployment rate [time series]

16% (1989)

Geography

Area [time series]

total area: 19,060 sq km land area: 18,760 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate [time series]

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Coastline [time series]

2,254 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: NA natural hazards: typhoons most frequent from November to March international agreements: NA

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 14% forest and woodland: 51% other: 35%

Location [time series]

Oceania, Melanesia, in the South Pacific Ocean, 1,750 km east of Australia

Map references [time series]

Oceania

Maritime claims [time series]

exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm

Natural resources [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

coastal plains with interior mountains

Government

Administrative divisions [time series]

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

Capital [time series]

Noumea

Constitution [time series]

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Digraph [time series]

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation in US) [time series]

none (overseas territory of France)

Executive branch [time series]

chief of state: President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981) head of government: High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Alain CHRISTNACHT (since 15 January 1991; appointed by the French Ministry of the Interior); President of the Territorial Congress Simon LOUECKHOTE (since 26 June 1989) cabinet: Consultative Committee

Flag [time series]

the flag of France is used

Legislative branch (French National Assembly) [time series]

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

Legislative branch (French Senate) [time series]

elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held September 2001); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) RPCR 1

Independence [time series]

none (overseas territory of France; a referendum on independence will be held in 1998)

Judicial branch [time series]

Court of Appeal

Legal system [time series]

the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WFTU, WMO

Country name (Names) [time series]

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

National holiday [time series]

National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique (RPCR), conservative, Jacques LAFLEUR - affiliated to France's Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR); Melanesian proindependence Kanaka Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), Paul NEAOUTYINE; 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

Suffrage [time series]

18 years of age; universal

Legislative branch (Territorial Assembly) [time series]

elections last held 11 June 1989 (next to be held 1993); results - RPCR 44.5%, FLNKS 28.5%, FN 7%, CD 5%, UO 4%, other 11%; seats - (54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, other 5; note - election boycotted by FULK

Government type (Type) [time series]

overseas territory of France since 1956

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

none (overseas territory of France)

People

Birth rate [time series]

22.39 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate [time series]

4.96 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

15.1 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

50,469 foreign workers for plantations and mines from Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.) by occupation: NA

Languages [time series]

French, 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 73.62 years male: 70.32 years female: 77.09 years (1994 est.)

Literacy [time series]

age 15 and over can read and write (1976) total population: 91% male: 91% female: 90%

Nationality [time series]

noun: New Caledonian(s) adjective: New Caledonian

Net migration rate [time series]

0.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population [time series]

181,309 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.79% (1994 est.)

Religions [time series]

Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%

Total fertility rate [time series]

2.62 children born/woman (1994 est.)