Page last updated on January 28, 2014
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.
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
total: 18,575 sq km
country comparison to the world: 156
land: 18,275 sq km
water: 300 sq km
slightly smaller than New Jersey
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
coastal plains with interior mountains
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m
nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
arable land: 0.38%
permanent crops: 0.27%
other: 99.34% (2011)
cyclones, most frequent from November to March
volcanism: Matthew and Hunter Islands are historically active
erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires
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
noun: New Caledonian(s)
adjective: New Caledonian
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)
French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
264,022 (July 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
0-14 years: 24% (male 32,390/female 30,996)
15-24 years: 17.1% (male 23,000/female 22,060)
25-54 years: 42.6% (male 56,533/female 55,907)
55-64 years: 8.1% (male 10,526/female 10,842)
65 years and over: 8.2% (male 9,732/female 12,036) (2013 est.)
total dependency ratio: 48.3 %
youth dependency ratio: 33.6 %
elderly dependency ratio: 14.7 %
potential support ratio: 6.8 (2013)
total: 30.7 years
male: 30.1 years
female: 31.3 years (2013 est.)
1.45% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 83
15.81 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 127
5.39 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 177
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.)
urban population: 57% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
NOUMEA (capital) 144,000 (2009)
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.)
total: 5.54 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 178
male: 6.54 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 4.49 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
total population: 77.13 years
country comparison to the world: 70
male: 73.08 years
female: 81.37 years (2013 est.)
2.02 children born/woman (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 126
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.2%
male: 96.8%
female: 95.5% (1996 census)
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
territorial collectivity (or a sui generis collectivity) of France since 1998
parliamentary representative democracy
name: Noumea
geographic coordinates: 22 16 S, 166 27 E
time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
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
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
Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1789); note - the local holiday is New Caledonia Day, 24 September (1853)
4 October 1958 (French Constitution with changes as reflected in Noumea Accord of 5 May 1998) (2013)
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
18 years of age; universal
chief of state: President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); represented by High Commissioner Jean-Jacques BROT (since 2 February 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
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)
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
highest court(s): 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
Caledonia Together [Philippe GOMES]
PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WFTU (NGOs)
none (overseas territory of France)
none (overseas territory of France)
the flag of France is used
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)
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.
$9.28 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 154
$9.28 billion (2008 est.)
0.6% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
$37,700 (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
household consumption: 65.5%
government consumption: 28%
investment in fixed capital: 28.2%
investment in inventories: 0%
exports of goods and services: 26.8%
imports of goods and services: -48.5%
agriculture: 2.1%
industry: 28.3%
services: 69.6% (2012 est.)
vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products; fish
nickel mining and smelting
7% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
106,400 (2010)
country comparison to the world: 183
agriculture: 20%
industry: 20%
services: 60% (2002)
17.1% (2004)
country comparison to the world: 152
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
revenues: $996 million
expenditures: $1.072 billion (2001 est.)
1.7% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 35
$1.321 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 150
ferronickels, nickel ore, fish
Japan 17.2%, France 16.3%, South Korea 12.3%, China 9.6%, Australia 8.4%, Belgium 4.9% (2012)
$3.245 billion (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 143
machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs
France 33.5%, Singapore 22.5%, Australia 11.7%, NZ 5.1% (2012)
$79 million (1998 est.)
country comparison to the world: 192
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar -
1.978 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 135
1.84 billion kWh (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
0 kWh (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
499,000 kW (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
76.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 95
0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 146
15.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 98
7.6% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 30
0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 197
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 168
0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 210
13,640 bbl/day (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 148
116.9 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 119
14,670 bbl/day (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 120
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 171
0 cu m (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 152
0 cu m (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 102
0 cu m (1 January 2013 es)
country comparison to the world: 174
3.026 million Mt (2011 est.)
country comparison to the world: 140
80,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 151
231,000 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 178
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)
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)
34,231 (2012)
country comparison to the world: 104
85,000 (2009)
country comparison to the world: 165
25 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 128
total: 12
over 3,047 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 1 (2013)
total: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m:
total: 5,622 km (2006)
country comparison to the world: 151
registered in other countries: 3 (France 3) (2010)
country comparison to the world: 135
no regular military forces; French military, police, and gendarmerie (2012)
males age 16-49: 68,219 (2010 est.)
males age 16-49: 56,233
females age 16-49: 55,983 (2010 est.)
male: 2,272
female: 2,167 (2010 est.)
defense is the responsibility of France
