Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2004) - New Caledonia (2003)

Compare British Indian Ocean Territory (2004) z New Caledonia (2003)

	British Indian Ocean Territory (2004)	New Caledonia (2003)

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
Age structure	-	0-14 years: 29.7% (male 31,990; female 30,695) 15-64 years: 64.2% (male 68,093; female 67,205) 65 years and over: 6.1% (male 6,016; female 6,799) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products	-	vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products
Airports	1 (2003 est.)	30 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2004 est.)	total: 9 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 2 (2002)
Airports - with unpaved runways	-	total: 21 914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 9 (2002)
Area	total: 60 sq km land: 60 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the entire Chagos Archipelago	total: 19,060 sq km land: 18,575 sq km water: 485 sq km
Area - comparative	about 0.3 times the size of Washington, DC	slightly smaller than New Jersey
Background	Established as a territory of the UK in 1965, a number of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) islands were transferred to the Seychelles when it attained independence in 1976. Subsequently, BIOT has consisted only of the six main island groups comprising the Chagos Archipelago. The largest and most southerly of the islands, Diego Garcia, contains a joint UK-US naval support facility. All of the remaining islands are uninhabited. Former agricultural workers, earlier residents in the islands, were relocated primarily to Mauritius but also to the Seychelles, between 1967 and 1973. In 2000, a British High Court ruling invalidated the local immigration order that had excluded them from the archipelago, but upheld the special military status of Diego Garcia.	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 seems to have dissipated.
Birth rate	-	19.45 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget	-	revenues: $861.3 million expenditures: $735.3 million, including capital expenditures of $52 million (1996 est.)
Capital	-	Noumea
Climate	tropical marine; hot, humid, moderated by trade winds	tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Coastline	698 km	2,254 km
Constitution	-	28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Country name	conventional long form: British Indian Ocean Territory conventional short form: none abbreviation: BIOT	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
Currency	-	Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF); note - may adopt the euro in 2003
Death rate	-	5.63 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external	-	$79 million (1998 est.)
Dependency status	overseas territory of the UK; administered by a commissioner, resident in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London	overseas territory of France since 1956
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	Mauritius and Seychelles claim the Chagos Archipelago and its former inhabitants, who reside chiefly in Mauritius, but in 2001 were granted UK citizenship and the right to repatriation since eviction in 1965; the UK resists the Chagossians' demand for an immediate return to the islands; repatriation is complicated by the exclusive US military lease of Diego Garcia that restricted access to the largest island in the chain	Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu
Economic aid - recipient	-	$880 million annual subsidy from France
Economy - overview	All economic activity is concentrated on the largest island of Diego Garcia, where joint UK-US defense facilities are located. Construction projects and various services needed to support the military installations are done by military and contract employees from the UK, Mauritius, the Philippines, and the US. There are no industrial or agricultural activities on the islands. When the Ilois return, they plan to reestablish sugarcane production and fishing.	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 one-fourth 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	NA kWh	1.5 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - exports	-	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - imports	-	0 kWh (2001)
Electricity - production	NA kWh; note - electricity supplied by the US military	1.613 billion kWh (2001)
Electricity - production by source	-	fossil fuel: 76.3% hydro: 23.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location on Diego Garcia 15 m	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m
Environment - current issues	NA	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 - 135.04 (January 2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.44 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25 (1998)
Executive branch	chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952) head of government: Commissioner Tony CROMBIE (since January 2004); Administrator Charles A. HAMILTON (since 2002); note - both reside in the UK cabinet: NA elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; commissioner and administrator appointed by the monarch	chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner Daniel CONSTANTIN (since 3 July 2002) head of government: President of the Government Pierre FROGIER (since 5 April 2001) cabinet: Consultative Committee 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; note - last election held 28 November 2002 when Pierre FROGIER was reelected
Exports	-	NA (2001)
Exports - commodities	-	ferronickels, nickel ore, fish
Exports - partners	-	Japan 20.6%, France 20.4%, Taiwan 16.3%, South Africa 11.3%, Spain 7.7%, South Korea 5.4%, Australia 5.4%, Italy 5.3% (2002)
Fiscal year	-	calendar year
Flag description	white with six blue wavy horizontal stripes; the flag of the UK is in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the striped section bears a palm tree and yellow crown centered on the outer half of the flag	the flag of France is used
GDP	-	purchasing power parity - $3 billion (2002 est.)
GDP - composition by sector	-	agriculture: 5% industry: 30% services: 65% (1997 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $14,000 (2002 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	-	NA
Geographic coordinates	6 00 S, 71 30 E	21 30 S, 165 30 E
Geography - note	archipelago of 2,300 islands; Diego Garcia, largest and southernmost island, occupies strategic location in central Indian Ocean; island is site of joint US-UK military facility	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	-	5 (2002)
Highways	total: NA km paved: short section of paved road between port and airfield on Diego Garcia unpaved: NA km	total: 4,825 km paved: 2,287 km unpaved: 2,538 km (1999)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	-	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%
Imports	-	NA (2001)
Imports - commodities	-	machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs
Imports - partners	-	France 52.8%, Australia 12.7%, Singapore 9.8% (2002)
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: 8.06 deaths/1,000 live births male: 8.76 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.31 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-	-0.6% (2000 est.)
International organization participation	-	ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WFTU, WMO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)	-	1 (2000)
Irrigated land	0 sq km (1998 est.)	160 sq km (1991)
Judicial branch	-	Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court
Labor force	-	79,395 (including 15,018 unemployed, 1996)
Labor force - by occupation	-	agriculture 7%, industry 23%, services 70% (1999 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km	0 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2001)	arable land: 0.38% permanent crops: 0.33% other: 99.29% (1998 est.)
Languages	-	French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Legal system	the laws of the UK, where applicable, apply	the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law
Legislative branch	-	unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres Territorial (54 seats; members are members of the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 9 May 1999 (next to be held NA 2004) election results: percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - RPCR 24, FLNKS 12, UNI 6, FCCI 4, FN 4, Alliance pour la Caledonie 3, LKS 1 note: New Caledonia elects 1 seat to the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held NA September 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 and 16 June 2002 (next to be held by June 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - UMP 2
Life expectancy at birth	-	total population: 73.52 years male: 70.57 years female: 76.62 years (2003 est.)
Literacy	-	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91% male: 92% female: 90% (1976 est.)
Location	archipelago in the Indian Ocean, south of India, about one-half the way from Africa to Indonesia	Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Map references	Political Map of the World	Oceania
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 3 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm	exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine	-	total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,261 GRT/1,600 DWT ships by type: cargo 1 note: includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of convenience: Malaysia 1 (2002 est.)
Military - note	defense is the responsibility of the UK; the US lease on Diego Garcia expires in 2016	defense is the responsibility of France
Military branches	-	no regular indigenous military forces; French Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure	-	$192.3 million (FY96)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	-	5.3% (FY96)
National holiday	-	Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)
Nationality	-	noun: New Caledonian(s) adjective: New Caledonian
Natural hazards	NA	cyclones, most frequent from November to March
Natural resources	coconuts, fish, sugarcane	nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
Net migration rate	-	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Political parties and leaders	-	Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX]; 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 [leader NA] (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE]; Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (anti independent) or RPCR [Jacques LAFLEUR]; 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 1,200 former agricultural workers resident in the Chagos Archipelago, often referred to as Chagossians or Ilois, were relocated to Mauritius and the Seychelles in the 1960s and 1970s, in November 2000 they were granted the right of return by a British High Court ruling, though no timetable has been set; in 2001, there were approximately 1,500 UK and US military personnel and 2,000 civilian contractors living on the island of Diego Garcia (July 2004 est.)	210,798 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line	-	NA%
Population growth rate	-	1.38% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors	Diego Garcia	Mueo, Noumea, Thio
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 2, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)
Railways	-	0 km
Religions	-	Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
Sex ratio	-	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage	-	18 years of age; universal
Telephone system	general assessment: separate facilities for military and public needs are available domestic: all commercial telephone services are available, including connection to the Internet international: international telephone service is carried by satellite (2000)	general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use	NA	47,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular	-	13,040 (1998)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	6 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1997)
Terrain	flat and low (most areas do not exceed four meters in elevation)	coastal plains with interior mountains
Total fertility rate	-	2.39 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate	-	19% (1996)
Waterways	-	none

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