New Caledonia (2003) | Sweden (2005) | |
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 | 21 counties (lan, singular and plural); Blekinge, Dalarnas, Gavleborgs, Gotlands, Hallands, Jamtlands, Jonkopings, Kalmar, Kronobergs, Norrbottens, Orebro, Ostergotlands, Skane, Sodermanlands, Stockholms, Uppsala, Varmlands, Vasterbottens, Vasternorrlands, Vastmanlands, Vastra Gotalands |
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.) |
0-14 years: 17.1% (male 791,215/female 747,621)
15-64 years: 65.5% (male 2,990,436/female 2,904,873) 65 years and over: 17.4% (male 677,161/female 890,468) (2005 est.) |
Agriculture - products | vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products | barley, wheat, sugar beets; meat, milk |
Airports | 30 (2002) | 254 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 6 under 914 m: 2 (2002) |
total: 154
over 3,047 m: 3 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 82 914 to 1,523 m: 22 under 914 m: 35 (2004 est.) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 21
914 to 1,523 m: 12 under 914 m: 9 (2002) |
total: 100
914 to 1,523 m: 10 under 914 m: 90 (2004 est.) |
Area | total: 19,060 sq km
land: 18,575 sq km water: 485 sq km |
total: 449,964 sq km
land: 410,934 sq km water: 39,030 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than New Jersey | slightly larger than California |
Background | 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. | A military power during the 17th century, Sweden has not participated in any war in almost two centuries. An armed neutrality was preserved in both World Wars. Sweden's long-successful economic formula of a capitalist system interlarded with substantial welfare elements was challenged in the 1990s by high unemployment and in 2000-02 by the global economic downturn, but fiscal discipline over the past several years has allowed the country to weather economic vagaries. Indecision over the country's role in the political and economic integration of Europe delayed Sweden's entry into the EU until 1995, and waived the introduction of the euro in 1999. |
Birth rate | 19.45 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 10.36 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Budget | revenues: $861.3 million
expenditures: $735.3 million, including capital expenditures of $52 million (1996 est.) |
revenues: $201.3 billion
expenditures: $199.6 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
Capital | Noumea | Stockholm |
Climate | tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid | temperate in south with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers; subarctic in north |
Coastline | 2,254 km | 3,218 km |
Constitution | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) | 1 January 1975 |
Country name | 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 |
conventional long form: Kingdom of Sweden
conventional short form: Sweden local long form: Konungariket Sverige local short form: Sverige |
Currency | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF); note - may adopt the euro in 2003 | - |
Death rate | 5.63 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 10.36 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Debt - external | $79 million (1998 est.) | $66.5 billion (1994) |
Dependency status | overseas territory of France since 1956 | - |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador M. Teel BIVINS
embassy: Dag Hammarskjolds VAG 31, SE-11589 Stockholm mailing address: American Embassy Stockholm, Department of State, 5750 Stockholm Place, Washington, DC 20521-5750 (pouch) telephone: [46] (08) 783 53 00 FAX: [46] (08) 661 19 64 |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of France) | chief of mission: Ambassador Jan ELIASSON
chancery: 1501 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20005-1702 telephone: [1] (202) 467-2600 FAX: [1] (202) 467-2699 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York |
Disputes - international | Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu | none |
Economic aid - donor | - | ODA, $1.7 billion (1997) |
Economic aid - recipient | $880 million annual subsidy from France | - |
Economy - overview | 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. | Aided by peace and neutrality for the whole 20th century, Sweden has achieved an enviable standard of living under a mixed system of high-tech capitalism and extensive welfare benefits. It has a modern distribution system, excellent internal and external communications, and a skilled labor force. Timber, hydropower, and iron ore constitute the resource base of an economy heavily oriented toward foreign trade. Privately owned firms account for about 90% of industrial output, of which the engineering sector accounts for 50% of output and exports. Agriculture accounts for only 2% of GDP and 2% of the jobs. The government's commitment to fiscal discipline resulted in a substantial budgetary surplus in 2001, which was cut by more than half in 2002, due to the global economic slowdown, declining revenue, and increased spending. The Swedish central bank (the Riksbank) focuses on price stability with its inflation target of 2%. Growth remained sluggish in 2003, but picked up in 2004. Presumably because of generous sicktime benefits, Swedish workers report in sick more often than other Europeans. On 14 September 2003, Swedish voters turned down entry into the euro system, concerned about the impact on democracy and sovereignty. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.5 billion kWh (2001) | 138.1 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2001) | 14.8 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2001) | 20.1 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production | 1.613 billion kWh (2001) | 142.8 billion kWh (2002) |
Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel: 76.3%
hydro: 23.7% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001) |
- |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m |
lowest point: reclaimed bay of Lake Hammarsjon, near Kristianstad -2.41 m
highest point: Kebnekaise 2,111 m |
Environment - current issues | erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires | acid rain damage to soils and lakes; pollution of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea |
Environment - international agreements | - | party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Ethnic groups | Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3% | indigenous population: Swedes and Finnish and Sami minorities; foreign-born or first-generation immigrants: Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, Turks |
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) | Swedish kronor per US dollar - 7.3489 (2004), 8.0863 (2003), 9.7371 (2002), 10.3291 (2001), 9.1622 (2000) |
Executive branch | 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 |
chief of state: King CARL XVI GUSTAF (since 19 September 1973); Heir Apparent Princess VICTORIA Ingrid Alice Desiree, daughter of the monarch (born 14 July 1977)
head of government: Prime Minister Goran PERSSON (since 21 March 1996) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the prime minister elections: the monarchy is hereditary; following legislative elections, the prime minister is elected by the parliament; election last held 15 September 2002 (next to be held NA September 2006) election results: Goran PERSSON reelected prime minister with 131 out of 349 votes |
Exports | NA (2001) | 203,700 bbl/day (2001) |
Exports - commodities | ferronickels, nickel ore, fish | machinery 35%, motor vehicles, paper products, pulp and wood, iron and steel products, chemicals |
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) | US 10.7%, Germany 10.2%, Norway 8.6%, UK 7.8%, Denmark 6.7%, Finland 5.7%, France 4.8%, Netherlands 4.8%, Belgium 4.5% (2004) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Flag description | the flag of France is used | blue with a golden yellow cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) |
GDP | purchasing power parity - $3 billion (2002 est.) | - |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 5%
industry: 30% services: 65% (1997 est.) |
agriculture: 2%
industry: 29% services: 69% (2001) |
GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $14,000 (2002 est.) | purchasing power parity - $28,400 (2004 est.) |
GDP - real growth rate | NA | 3.6% (2004 est.) |
Geographic coordinates | 21 30 S, 165 30 E | 62 00 N, 15 00 E |
Geography - note | 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 | strategic location along Danish Straits linking Baltic and North Seas |
Heliports | 5 (2002) | 2 (2004 est.) |
Highways | total: 4,825 km
paved: 2,287 km unpaved: 2,538 km (1999) |
total: 213,237 km
paved: 167,604 km (including 1,542 km of expressways) unpaved: 45,633 km (2002) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 3.7%
highest 10%: 20.1% (1992) |
Imports | NA (2001) | 553,100 bbl/day (2001) |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs | machinery, petroleum and petroleum products, chemicals, motor vehicles, iron and steel; foodstuffs, clothing |
Imports - partners | France 52.8%, Australia 12.7%, Singapore 9.8% (2002) | Germany 18.7%, Denmark 9.2%, Norway 7.6%, UK 7.5%, Netherlands 6.8%, Finland 6.4%, France 5.5%, Belgium 4% (2004) |
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 | 6 June 1523 (Gustav VASA elected king) |
Industrial production growth rate | -0.6% (1996) | 5.5% (2004 est.) |
Industries | nickel mining and smelting | iron and steel, precision equipment (bearings, radio and telephone parts, armaments), wood pulp and paper products, processed foods, motor vehicles |
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.) |
total: 2.77 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 2.93 deaths/1,000 live births female: 2.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -0.6% (2000 est.) | 0.7% (2004 est.) |
International organization participation | ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WFTU, WMO | AfDB, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA, EU, FAO, G- 6, G- 9, G-10, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MIGA, MONUC, NAM (guest), NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Paris Club, PCA, PFP, UN, UNAMSIL, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNMEE, UNMIK, UNMIL, UNMISET, UNMOGIP, UNOMIG, UNTSO, UPU, WCO, WEU (observer), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC |
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 1 (2000) | - |
Irrigated land | 160 sq km (1991) | 1,150 sq km (1998 est.) |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court | Supreme Court or Hogsta Domstolen (judges are appointed by the prime minister and the cabinet) |
Labor force | 79,395 (including 15,018 unemployed, 1996) | 4.46 million (2004 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 7%, industry 23%, services 70% (1999 est.) | agriculture 2%, industry 24%, services 74% (2000 est.) |
Land boundaries | 0 km | total: 2,233 km
border countries: Finland 614 km, Norway 1,619 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.38%
permanent crops: 0.33% other: 99.29% (1998 est.) |
arable land: 6.54%
permanent crops: 0.01% other: 93.45% (2001) |
Languages | French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects | Swedish, small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities |
Legal system | the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law | civil law system influenced by customary law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations |
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 |
unicameral Parliament or Riksdag (349 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional representation basis to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 15 September 2002 (next to be held September 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - Social Democrats 39.8%, Moderates 15.2%, Liberal Party 13.3%, Christian Democrats 9.1%, Left Party 8.3%, Center Party 6.1%, Greens 4.6%; seats by party - Social Democrats 144, Moderates 55, Liberal Party 48, Christian Democrats 33, Left Party 30, Center Party 22, Greens 17 |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 73.52 years
male: 70.57 years female: 76.62 years (2003 est.) |
total population: 80.4 years
male: 78.19 years female: 82.74 years (2005 est.) |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91% male: 92% female: 90% (1976 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99% (1979 est.) male: NA% female: NA% |
Location | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia | Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, between Finland and Norway |
Map references | Oceania | Europe |
Maritime claims | exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm (adjustments made to return a portion of straits to high seas)
exclusive economic zone: agreed boundaries or midlines continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
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.) |
total: 205 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 2,702,763 GRT/1,884,570 DWT
by type: bulk carrier 6, cargo 33, chemical tanker 51, passenger 4, passenger/cargo 37, petroleum tanker 14, roll on/roll off 37, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 22 foreign-owned: 42 (Belgium 2, Denmark 4, Finland 11, Germany 6, Italy 7, Japan 2, Netherlands 1, Norway 9) registered in other countries: 155 (2005) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | - |
Military branches | no regular indigenous military forces; French Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force | Army, Royal Swedish Navy (RSwN), Air Force (Flygvapnet) |
Military expenditures - dollar figure | $192.3 million (FY96) | $5.729 billion (2004) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 5.3% (FY96) | 1.7% (2004) |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | Flag Day, 6 June |
Nationality | noun: New Caledonian(s)
adjective: New Caledonian |
noun: Swede(s)
adjective: Swedish |
Natural hazards | cyclones, most frequent from November to March | ice floes in the surrounding waters, especially in the Gulf of Bothnia, can interfere with maritime traffic |
Natural resources | nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper | iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver, tungsten, uranium, arsenic, feldspar, timber, hydropower |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) | 1.67 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
Pipelines | - | gas 798 km (2004) |
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] | Center Party [Maud OLOFSSON]; Christian Democratic Party [Goran HAGGLUND]; Green Party [no formal leader but party spokespersons are Maria WETTERSTRAND and Peter ERIKSSON]; Left Party or V (formerly Communist) [Lars OHLY]; Liberal People's Party [Lars LEIJONBORG]; Moderate Party (conservative) [Fredrik REINFELDT]; Social Democratic Party [Goran PERSSON] |
Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
Population | 210,798 (July 2003 est.) | 9,001,774 (July 2005 est.) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | NA |
Population growth rate | 1.38% (2003 est.) | 0.17% (2005 est.) |
Ports and harbors | Mueo, Noumea, Thio | Goteborg, Helsingborg, Karlshamn, Lulea, Malmo, Oxelosund, Stenungsund, Stockholm, Trelleborg |
Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 1, FM 265, shortwave 1 (1998) |
Railways | 0 km | total: 11,481 km
standard gauge: 11,481 km 1.435-m gauge (9,400 km electrified) (2004) |
Religions | Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10% | Lutheran 87%, Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist |
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.) |
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.76 male(s)/female total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
general assessment: excellent domestic and international facilities; automatic system
domestic: coaxial and multiconductor cables carry most of the voice traffic; parallel microwave radio relay systems carry some additional telephone channels international: country code - 46; 5 submarine coaxial cables; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Eutelsat, and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Sweden shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Norway) |
Telephones - main lines in use | 47,000 (1997) | 6,579,200 (2002) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 13,040 (1998) | 7.949 million (2002) |
Television broadcast stations | 6 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1997) | 169 (plus 1,299 repeaters) (1995) |
Terrain | coastal plains with interior mountains | mostly flat or gently rolling lowlands; mountains in west |
Total fertility rate | 2.39 children born/woman (2003 est.) | 1.66 children born/woman (2005 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 19% (1996) | 5.6% (2004 est.) |
Waterways | none | - |