New Caledonia

total: 55,371 (2016) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 20.43 (2019)

the publicly owned French Overseas Network (RFO), which operates in France's overseas departments and territories, broadcasts over the RFO Nouvelle-Cal donie TV and radio stations; a small number of privately owned radio stations also broadcast

.nc

total: 235,200 (2021 est.) percent of population: 82.01% (2019 est.)

general assessment: New Caledonia has a well-developed telecom sector with 3G and LTE network services; one of the highest smart phone adoption rates in the region; telecommunications sector is dominated by government-owned company with a monopoly on fixed and mobile services, Internet, and broadband access; hub for submarine cables that will increase competition and capacity; importer of broadcasting equipment and computers from France (2020) domestic: fixed-line 29 per 100 and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership 96 per 100 persons (2019) international: country code - 687; landing points for the Gondwana-1 and Picot-1 providing connectivity via submarine cables around New Caledonia and to Australia; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

total subscriptions: 77,719 (2018) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 28.67 (2018 est.)

total subscriptions: 260,277 (2018) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 96.02 (2019 est.)

coconuts, vegetables, maize, fruit, beef, pork, potatoes, bananas, eggs, yams

revenues: 1.995 billion (2015 est.) expenditures: 1.993 billion (2015 est.)

0% (of GDP) (2015 est.)

-$1.469 billion (2014 est.) -$1.861 billion (2013 est.)

$112 million (31 December 2013 est.) $79 million (31 December 1998 est.)

New Caledonia has 11% of the world's nickel reserves, representing the second largest reserves on the planet. 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. With the gradual increase in the production of two new nickel plants in 2015, average production of metallurgical goods stood at a record level of 94 thousand tons. However, the sector is exposed to the high volatility of nickel prices, which have been in decline since 2016. In 2017, one of the three major mining firms on the island, Vale, put its operations up for sale, triggering concerns of layoffs ahead of the 2018 independence referendum.

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 110.2 (2017 est.) 107.84 (2016 est.) 107.84 (2015 est.) 89.85 (2013 est.) 90.56 (2012 est.)

$2.207 billion (2014 est.)

iron alloys, nickel, cobalt, carbonates, essential oils (2019)

China 59%, South Korea 14%, Japan 11% (2019)

calendar year

$9.77 billion (2017 est.)

household consumption: 64.3% (2017 est.) government consumption: 24% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 38.4% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 18.7% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -45.5% (2017 est.)

agriculture: 1.4% (2017 est.) industry: 26.4% (2017 est.) services: 72.1% (2017 est.)

lowest 10%: NA highest 10%: NA

$2.715 billion (2015 est.) $4.4 billion (2014 est.)

refined petroleum, aircraft, coal, cars, packaged medicines (2019)

France 43%, Australia 12%, Singapore 12%, China 6% (2019)

3.5% (2017 est.)

nickel mining and smelting

1.4% (2017 est.) 0.6% (2016 est.)

119,500 (2016 est.)

agriculture: 2.7% industry: 22.4% services: 74.9% (2010)

17% (2008)

6.5% of GDP (2015 est.) 6.5% of GDP (2014 est.)

$11.11 billion (2017 est.) $10.89 billion (2016 est.) $10.77 billion (2015 est.) note: data are in 2015 dollars

2% (2017 est.) 1.1% (2016 est.) 3.2% (2015 est.)

$31,100 (2015 est.) $32,100 (2014 est.) $29,800 (2012 est.)

20.4% (of GDP) (2015 est.)

14.7% (2014) 14% (2009)

total: 38.4% male: 37.1% female: 40% (2014 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

2.739 billion kWh (2016 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

87% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

8% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

6% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

0 kWh (2016 est.)

996,200 kW (2016 est.)

2.945 billion kWh (2016 est.)

electrification - total population: 100% (2020)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (2017 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

20,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

19,100 bbl/day (2015 est.)

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

carbon dioxide emissions: 5.33 megatons (2016 est.)

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

preservation of coral reefs; prevention of invasive species; limiting erosion caused by nickel mining and forest fires

agricultural land: 10.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 9.8% (2018 est.) forest: 45.9% (2018 est.) other: 43.7% (2018 est.)

degree of risk: high (2020) food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea vectorborne diseases: malaria

urban population: 71.9% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually: 108,157 tons (2016 est.)

total: 18,575 sq km land: 18,275 sq km water: 300 sq km

slightly smaller than New Jersey

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

2,254 km

highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

21 30 S, 165 30 E

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

100 sq km (2012)

total: 0 km

agricultural land: 10.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 9.8% (2018 est.) forest: 45.9% (2018 est.) other: 43.7% (2018 est.)

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

Oceania

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

cyclones, most frequent from November to March volcanism: Matthew and Hunter Islands are historically active

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

most of the populace lives in the southern part of the main island, in and around the capital of Noumea

coastal plains with interior mountains

3 provinces; Province Iles (Islands Province), Province Nord (North Province), and Province Sud (South Province)

name: Noumea geographic coordinates: 22 16 S, 166 27 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: established in 1854 as Port-de-France, the settlement was renamed Noumea in 1866, in order to avoid any confusion with Fort-de-France in Martinique; the New Caledonian language of Ndrumbea (also spelled Ndumbea, Dubea, and Drubea) spoken in the area gave its name to the capital city, Noumea, as well as to the neighboring town (suburb) of Dumbea

see France

history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution with changes as reflected in the Noumea Accord of 5 May 1998) amendments: French constitution amendment procedures apply

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 etymology: British explorer Captain James COOK discovered and named New Caledonia in 1774; he used the appellation because the northeast of the island reminded him of Scotland (Caledonia is the Latin designation for Scotland)

special collectivity (or a sui generis collectivity) of France since 1998; note - independence referenda took place on 4 November 2018, 4 October 2020, and 12 December 2021 with a majority voting in each case to reject independence in favor of maintaining the status quo; an 18-month transition period is now in place (ending 30 June 2023), during which a referendum on the new status of New Caledonia within France will take place

embassy: none (overseas territory of France)

none (overseas territory of France)

chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by High Commissioner Laurent PREVOST (since 5 August 2019) head of government: President of the Government Thierry SANTA (since 9 July 2019); Temporary Vice President Gilbert TUIENON (since 9 July 2019); note - Temporary Vice President Gilbert TUIENON was elected so that the new government could take over; Philippe GERMAIN' s government remained caretaker government until the new government was settled cabinet: Cabinet elected from and by the Territorial Congress elections/appointments: French president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of New Caledonia elected by Territorial Congress for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 13 June 2017 (next to be held in 2022) election results: Thierry SANTA elected president by Territorial Congress with 6 votes out of 11

New Caledonia has two official flags; alongside the flag of France, the Kanak (indigenous Melanesian) flag has equal status; the latter consists of three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a large yellow disk - diameter two-thirds the height of the flag - shifted slightly to the hoist side is edged in black and displays a black fleche faitiere symbol, a native rooftop adornment

parliamentary democracy (Territorial Congress); an overseas collectivity of France

none (overseas collectivity of France); note - in three independence referenda, on 4 November 2018, 4 October 2020, and 12 December 2021, the majority voted to reject independence in favor of maintaining the status quo; an 18-month transition period is now in place (ending 30 June 2023), during which a referendum on the new status of New Caledonia within France will take place

ITUC (NGOs), PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WMO

highest courts: Court of Appeal in Noumea or Cour d'Appel; organized into civil, commercial, social, and pre-trial investigation chambers; court bench normally includes the court president and 2 counselors); Administrative Court (number of judges NA); note - final appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (in Paris); final appeals beyond the Administrative Court are referred to the Administrative Court of Appeal (in Paris) judge selection and term of office: judge appointment and tenure based on France's judicial system 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

civil law system based on French civil law

description: unicameral Territorial Congress or Congr s du Territoire (54 seats; members indirectly selected proportionally by the partisan makeup of the 3 Provincial Assemblies or Assembl s Provinciales; members of the 3 Provincial Assemblies directly elected by proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); 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 indirectly elects 2 members to the French Senate by an electoral colleges for a 6-year term with one seat renewed every 3 years and directly elects 2 members to the French National Assembly by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term elections: Territorial Congress - last held on 12 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2024) French Senate - election last held in September 2019 (next to be held not later than 2021) French National Assembly - election last held on 11 and 18 June 2017 (next to be held by June 2022) election results: Territorial Congress - percent of vote by party - N/A; seats by party -Future With Confidence 18, UNI 9, UC 9, CE 7, FLNKS 6, Oceanic Awakening 3, PT 1, LKS 1 (Anti-Independence 28, Pro-Independence 26); composition - NA representation in French Senate - NA representation in French National Assembly - NA French Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2 French National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CE 2

name: "Soyons unis, devenons freres" (Let Us Be United, Let Us Become Brothers) lyrics/music: Chorale Melodia (a local choir) note: adopted 2008; 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)

Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - the local holiday is New Caledonia Day, 24 September (1853)

fleche faitiere (native rooftop adornment), kagu bird; national colors: gray, red

Build Our Rainbow Nation Caledonia Together or CE [Philippe GERMAIN] Caledonian Union or UC [Daniel GOA] Future Together (l'Avenir Ensemble) [Harold MARTIN] Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (alliance includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM) [Victor TUTUGORO] Labor Party (Parti Travailliste) or PT [Louis Kotra UREGEI] National Union for Independence (Union Nationale pour l'Independance) or UNI Party of Kanak Liberation (Parti de Liberation Kanak) or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE] Socialist Kanak Liberation or LKS [Nidoish NAISSELINE] The Republicans (formerly The Rally or UMP) [interim leader Thierry SANTA] Union for Caledonia in France

18 years of age; universal

The first humans settled in New Caledonia around 1600 B.C. The Lapita were skilled navigators and evidence of their pottery around the Pacific has served as a guide for understanding human expansion in the region. Successive waves of migrants from other islands in Melanesia intermarried with the Lapita, giving rise to the Kanak ethnic group considered indigenous to New Caledonia. British explorer James COOK was the first European to visit New Caledonia in 1774, giving it the Latin name for Scotland. Missionaries first landed in New Caledonia in 1840. In 1853, France annexed New Caledonia to preclude any British attempt. France declared it a penal colony in 1864 and sent more than 20,000 prisoners to New Caledonia in the ensuing three decades. Nickel was discovered in 1864 and French prisoners were directed to mine it. France brought in indentured servants and enslaved labor from elsewhere in Southeast Asia to work the mines, blocking Kanaks from accessing the most profitable part of the local economy. In 1878, High Chief ATAI led a rebellion against French rule. The Kanaks were relegated to reservations, leading to periodic smaller uprisings and culminating in a large revolt in 1917 that was brutally suppressed by colonial authorities. During World War II, New Caledonia became an important base for Allied troops, and the US moved its South Pacific headquarters to the island in 1942. Following the war, New Caledonia was made an overseas territory and French citizenship was granted to all inhabitants in 1953, thereby permitting the Kanaks to move off the reservations. The Kanak nationalist movement began in the 1950s but most voters chose to remain a territory in an independence referendum in 1958. The European population of New Caledonia boomed in the 1970s with a renewed focus on nickel mining, reigniting Kanak nationalism. Key Kanak leaders were assassinated in the early 1980s, leading to escalating violence and dozens of fatalities. The Matignon Accords of 1988 provided for a 10-year transition period. The Noumea Accord of 1998 transferred an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia over a 20-year period and provided for three independence referenda. In the first held in 2018, voters rejected independence by 57 to 43 percent; in the second held in 2020, voters rejected independence 53 to 47 percent. A third referendum is planned for December 2021. In February 2021, pro-independence parties gained a majority in the New Caledonian Government for the first time.

defense is the responsibility of France

no regular military forces; France bases land, air, and naval forces on New Caledonia (Forces Arm es de la Nouvelle-Cal donie, FANC)

0-14 years: 21.74% (male 32,227/female 30,819) 15-24 years: 15.63% (male 23,164/female 22,163) 25-54 years: 43.73% (male 63,968/female 62,856) 55-64 years: 9.06% (male 12,700/female 13,568) 65 years and over: 9.84% (male 12,552/female 15,992) (2020 est.)

14.28 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

NA

NA

NA

5.84 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio: 46.6 youth dependency ratio: 32.4 elderly dependency ratio: 14.2 potential support ratio: 7 (2020 est.)

improved: total: 100% of population unimproved: total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

NA

Kanak 39.1%, European 27.1%, Wallisian, Futunian 8.2%, Tahitian 2.1%, Indonesian 1.4%, Ni-Vanuatu 1%, Vietnamese 0.9%, other 17.7%, unspecified 2.5% (2014 est.)

NA

NA

NA

total: 5.08 deaths/1,000 live births male: 6.07 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects major-language sample(s): The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

total population: 78.59 years male: 74.66 years female: 82.71 years (2021 est.)

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96.9% male: 97.3% female: 96.5% (2015)

degree of risk: high (2020) food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea vectorborne diseases: malaria

198,000 NOUMEA (capital) (2018)

total: 32.9 years male: 32.1 years female: 33.7 years (2020 est.)

noun: New Caledonian(s) adjective: New Caledonian

3.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia

2.22 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

293,608 (July 2021 est.)

most of the populace lives in the southern part of the main island, in and around the capital of Noumea

1.22% (2021 est.)

Christian 85.2%, Muslim 2.8%, other 1.6%, unaffiliated 10.4% (2020 est.)

improved: total: 100% of population unimproved: total: 0% of population (2017 est.)

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

1.87 children born/woman (2021 est.)

total: 38.4% male: 37.1% female: 40% (2014 est.)

urban population: 71.9% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu

total: 25 (2013)

total: 12 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 1 (2019)

total: 13 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 8 (2013)

8 (2013)

total: 24 by type: general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 18 (2021)

number of registered air carriers: 3 (registered in France) (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 15 (registered in France)

major seaport(s): Noumea

total: 5,622 km (2006)