Akrotiri (2006) | New Caledonia (2008) | |
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 |
Age structure | - | 0-14 years: 27.9% (male 31,578/female 30,270)
15-64 years: 65.3% (male 72,821/female 72,109) 65 years and over: 6.8% (male 7,047/female 8,118) (2007 est.) |
Agriculture - products | - | vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products; fish |
Airports | - | 25 (2007) |
Airports - with paved runways | - | total: 12
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 9 under 914 m: 2 (2007) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 13
914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 6 (2007) |
Area | total: 123 sq km
note: includes a salt lake and wetlands |
total: 19,060 sq km
land: 18,575 sq km water: 485 sq km |
Area - comparative | about 0.7 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly smaller than New Jersey |
Background | By terms of the 1960 Treaty of Establishment that created the independent Republic of Cyprus, the UK retained full sovereignty and jurisdiction over two areas of almost 254 square kilometers - Akrotiri and Dhekelia. The southernmost and smallest of these is the Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area, which is also referred to as the Western Sovereign Base Area. | 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 as many as three referenda between 2013 and 2018, to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence. |
Birth rate | - | 17.75 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Budget | - | revenues: $996 million
expenditures: $1.072 billion (2001 est.) |
Capital | name: Episkopi Cantonment; also serves as capital of Dhekelia
geographic coordinates: 34 40 N, 32 51 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
name: Noumea
geographic coordinates: 22 16 S, 166 27 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
Climate | temperate; Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and cool winters | tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid |
Coastline | 56.3 km | 2,254 km |
Constitution | Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia Order in Council 1960, effective 16 August 1960 | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) |
Country name | conventional long form: Akrotiri Sovereign Base Area
conventional short form: Akrotiri |
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 |
Death rate | - | 5.72 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) |
Debt - external | - | $79 million (1998 est.) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of UK; administered by an administrator who is also the Commander, British Forces Cyprus | territorial collectivity of France since 1998 |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas territory of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of the UK) | none (overseas territory of France) |
Disputes - international | - | Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu |
Economic aid - recipient | - | $524.3 million annual subsidy from France (2004) |
Economy - overview | Economic activity is limited to providing services to the military and their families located in Akrotiri. All food and manufactured goods must be imported. | 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. |
Electricity - consumption | - | 1.403 billion kWh (2005) |
Electricity - exports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - imports | - | 0 kWh (2005) |
Electricity - production | - | 1.508 billion kWh (2005) |
Elevation extremes | - | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m |
Environment - current issues | shooting around the salt lake; note - breeding place for loggerhead and green turtles; only remaining colony of griffon vultures is on the base | erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires |
Ethnic groups | - | Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3% |
Exchange rates | - | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - NA (2007), 95.025 (2006), 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003) |
Executive branch | chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Administrator Air Vice-Marshal Richard LACEY (since 26 April 2006); note - reports to the British Ministry of Defence elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; the administrator is appointed by the monarch |
chief of state: President Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007); represented by High Commissioner Yves DASSONVILLE (since 9 November 2007)
head of government: President of the Government Harold MARTIN (since 7 August 2007) 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 7 August 2007 when Harold MARTIN was elected following the resignation of Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU as president on 24 July 2007 (next to be held in 2012) |
Exports | - | 605.7 bbl/day (2004) |
Exports - commodities | - | ferronickels, nickel ore, fish |
Exports - partners | - | Japan 17.4%, France 15.9%, Taiwan 14.5%, China 10.8%, Spain 9.4%, Belgium 7.3%, Italy 6%, Australia 4.6% (2006) |
Fiscal year | - | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of the UK is used | the flag of France is used |
GDP - composition by sector | - | agriculture: 15%
industry: 8.8% services: 76.2% (2003) |
GDP - real growth rate | - | NA% |
Geographic coordinates | 34 37 N, 32 58 E | 21 30 S, 165 30 E |
Geography - note | British extraterritorial rights also extended to several small off-post sites scattered across Cyprus | 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 |
Heliports | - | 6 (2007) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | - | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
Imports | - | 11,980 bbl/day (2004) |
Imports - commodities | - | machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs |
Imports - partners | - | France 39.4%, Singapore 15.1%, Australia 11.3%, NZ 4.8% (2006) |
Independence | - | none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new referendum is scheduled for 2014 |
Industrial production growth rate | - | -0.6% (1996) |
Industries | - | nickel mining and smelting |
Infant mortality rate | - | total: 7.42 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.12 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.69 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | - | 1.4% (2000 est.) |
International organization participation | - | ITUC, PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WFTU, WMO |
Irrigated land | - | 100 sq km (2003) |
Judicial branch | - | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court |
Labor force | - | 78,990 (2004) |
Labor force - by occupation | - | agriculture: 20%
industry: 20% services: 60% (2002) |
Land boundaries | total: 47.4 km
border countries: Cyprus 47.4 km |
0 km |
Land use | - | arable land: 0.32%
permanent crops: 0.22% other: 99.46% (2005) |
Languages | English, Greek | French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects |
Legal system | the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply | based on French civil law; the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands |
Legislative branch | - | 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 9 May 2004 (next to be held in 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPCR-UMP 16, AE 16, UNI-FLNKS 8, UC 7, FN 4, others 3 note: New Caledonia currently holds one seat in the French Senate; by 2010, New Caledonia will gain a second seat in the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held not later than September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 1; New Caledonia also elects two seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 10 and 17 June 2007 (next to be held on June 2012); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2 |
Life expectancy at birth | - | total population: 74.5 years
male: 71.52 years female: 77.63 years (2007 est.) |
Literacy | - | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.2% male: 96.8% female: 95.5% (1996 census) |
Location | peninsula on the southwest coast of Cyprus | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia |
Map references | Middle East | Oceania |
Maritime claims | - | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
Merchant marine | - | total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,566 GRT/2,543 DWT
by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2007) |
Military - note | Akrotiri has a full RAF base, Headquarters for British Forces on Cyprus, and Episkopi Support Unit | defense is the responsibility of France |
Military branches | - | no regular indigenous military forces; French Armed Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | - | NA |
National holiday | - | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Nationality | - | noun: New Caledonian(s)
adjective: New Caledonian |
Natural hazards | - | cyclones, most frequent from November to March |
Natural resources | - | nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper |
Net migration rate | - | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2007 est.) |
Political parties and leaders | - | Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX]; Caledonian Union or UC; Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes or FCCI [Francois BURCK]; Front National or FN [Guy GEORGE]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE]; Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (anti independence) or RPCR-UMP [Jacques LAFLEUR]; The Future Together or AE [Harold MARTIN]; Union Nationale pour l'Independance or UNI [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; note - may no longer exist, but Paul NEAOUTYINE has since become a president of Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA; Union Progressiste Melanesienne or UPM [Victor TUTUGORO] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | - | NA |
Population | no indigenous inhabitants
note: approximately 1,300 military personnel are on the base; there are another 5,000 British citizens who are families of military personnel or civilian staff on both Akrotiri and Dhekelia; Cyprus citizens work on the base, but do not live there |
221,943 (July 2007 est.) |
Population below poverty line | - | NA% |
Population growth rate | - | 1.203% (2007 est.) |
Radio broadcast stations | FM 1
note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 and Radio 2 service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006) |
AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) |
Religions | - | Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10% |
Sex ratio | - | at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.043 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.868 male(s)/female total population: 1.009 male(s)/female (2007 est.) |
Suffrage | - | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | - | general assessment: NA
domestic: a submarine cable network connection between New Caledonia and Australia, scheduled for completion in 2008, will improve high-speed connectivity and access to international networks international: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
Telephones - main lines in use | - | 55,300 (2005) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | - | 134,300 (2005) |
Television broadcast stations | British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to Akrotiri, Dhekelia, and Nicosia (2006) | 6 (plus 25 repeaters) (1997) |
Terrain | - | coastal plains with interior mountains |
Total fertility rate | - | 2.25 children born/woman (2007 est.) |
Unemployment rate | - | 17.1% (2004) |