New Caledonia (2006) | French Southern and Antarctic Lands (2001) | |
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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 | none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 districts named Ile Crozet, Iles Kerguelen, and Iles Saint-Paul et Amsterdam; excludes "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 28.4% (male 31,818/female 30,503)
15-64 years: 64.9% (male 71,565/female 70,815) 65 years and over: 6.6% (male 6,773/female 7,772) (2006 est.) |
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Agriculture - products | vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products; fish | - |
Airports | 25 (2006) | none |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 11
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 2 (2006) |
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Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 6 (2006) |
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Area | total: 19,060 sq km
land: 18,575 sq km water: 485 sq km |
total:
7,781 sq km land: 7,781 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen; excludes "Adelie Land" claim of about 500,000 sq km in Antarctica that is not recognized by the US |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than New Jersey | slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Delaware |
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 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. | The Southern Lands consist of two archipelagos, Iles Crozet and Iles Kerguelen, and two volcanic islands, Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul. They contain no permanent inhabitants and are visited only by researchers studying the native fauna. The Antarctic portion consists of "Adelie Land," a thin slice of the Antarctic continent discovered and claimed by the French in 1840. |
Birth rate | 18.11 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
Budget | revenues: $856.3 million
expenditures: $836.5 million (1996 est.) |
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Capital | name: Noumea
geographic coordinates: 22 16 S, 166 27 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) |
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Climate | tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid | antarctic |
Coastline | 2,254 km | 1,232 km |
Constitution | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution) | - |
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:
Territory of the French Southern and Antarctic Lands conventional short form: French Southern and Antarctic Lands local long form: Territoire des Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises local short form: Terres Australes et Antarctiques Francaises |
Death rate | 5.69 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) | - |
Debt - external | $79 million (1998 est.) | - |
Dependency status | territorial collectivity of France since 1998 | overseas territory of France since 1955; administered from Paris by High Commissioner of the Republic Brigitte GIRARDIN (since 25 March 1998), assisted by Secretary General Jean-Yves HERMOSO (since NA) |
Diplomatic representation from the US | none (overseas territory of France) | none (overseas territory of France) |
Diplomatic representation in the US | none (overseas territory of France) | none (overseas territory of France) |
Disputes - international | Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu | "Adelie Land" claim in Antarctica is not recognized by the US |
Economic aid - recipient | $525 million annual subsidy from France (2004) | - |
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. | Economic activity is limited to servicing meteorological and geophysical research stations and French and other fishing fleets. The fish catches landed on Iles Kerguelen by foreign ships are exported to France and Reunion. |
Electricity - consumption | 1.47 billion kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2003) | - |
Electricity - production | 1.581 billion kWh (2003) | - |
Elevation extremes | lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m |
lowest point:
Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Ross on Iles Kerguelen 1,850 m |
Environment - current issues | erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires | NA |
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 - 95.89 (2005), 96.04 (2004), 105.66 (2003), 126.71 (2002), 133.26 (2001) | - |
Executive branch | chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner Michel MATHIEU (since 15 July 2005)
head of government: President of the Government Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU (since 10 June 2004) cabinet: Consultative Committee consists of eight members chosen from leading figures on the island to advise the High Commissioner 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 29 June 2004 when Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU was elected on the third vote with 8 votes for and 3 abstentions |
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Exports | NA bbl/day | - |
Exports - commodities | ferronickels, nickel ore, fish | - |
Exports - partners | Japan 21.4%, France 16%, Taiwan 11.4%, South Korea 10.1%, Spain 9%, China 7.2%, South Africa 5.2%, Belgium 4.5% (2005) | - |
Fiscal year | calendar year | - |
Flag description | the flag of France is used | the flag of France is used |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 15%
industry: 8.8% services: 76.2% (1997 est.) |
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GDP - real growth rate | NA% | - |
Geographic coordinates | 21 30 S, 165 30 E | 43 00 S, 67 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 | islands component is widely scattered across remote locations in the southern Indian Ocean |
Heliports | 6 (2006) | - |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
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Imports | NA bbl/day | - |
Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs | - |
Imports - partners | France 39%, Singapore 17.4%, Australia 13%, NZ 5.3% (2005) | - |
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: 7.57 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.27 deaths/1,000 live births female: 6.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
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Inflation rate (consumer prices) | -0.6% (2000 est.) | - |
International organization participation | ICFTU, PIF (observer), SPC, UPU, WFTU, WMO | - |
Irrigated land | 100 sq km (2003) | 0 sq km (1993) |
Judicial branch | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court | - |
Labor force | 78,990 (including 11,300 unemployed) (2004) | - |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 20%
industry: 20% services: 60% (1999 est.) |
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Land boundaries | 0 km | 0 km |
Land use | arable land: 0.32%
permanent crops: 0.22% other: 99.46% (2005) |
arable land:
0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 0% forests and woodland: 0% other: 100% |
Languages | French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects | - |
Legal system | the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law | the laws of France, where applicable, apply |
Legislative branch | unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres Territorial (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 NA 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 1 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 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 |
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Life expectancy at birth | total population: 74.27 years
male: 71.29 years female: 77.39 years (2006 est.) |
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Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91% male: 92% female: 90% (1976 est.) |
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Location | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia | south of Africa, islands in the southern Indian Ocean, about equidistant between Africa, Antarctica, and Australia; note - French Southern and Antarctic Lands includes Ile Amsterdam, Ile Saint-Paul, Iles Crozet, and Iles Kerguelen in the southern Indian Ocean, along with the French-claimed sector of Antarctica, "Adelie Land"; the US does not recognize the French claim to "Adelie Land" |
Map references | Oceania | Antarctic Region |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM from Iles Kerguelen only territorial sea: 12 NM |
Merchant marine | total: 2 ships (1000 GRT or over) 3,566 GRT/2,543 DWT
by type: cargo 1, passenger/cargo 1 (2006) |
total:
74 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,024,194 GRT/5,255,703 DWT ships by type: bulk 7, cargo 5, chemical tanker 9, container 11, liquefied gas 7, petroleum tanker 23, roll on/roll off 12 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: France 1 (2000 est.) |
Military - note | defense is the responsibility of France | 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 - dollar figure | NA | - |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | - |
National holiday | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) | - |
Nationality | noun: New Caledonian(s)
adjective: New Caledonian |
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Natural hazards | cyclones, most frequent from November to March | Ile Amsterdam and Ile Saint-Paul are extinct volcanoes |
Natural resources | nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper | fish, crayfish |
Net migration rate | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2006 est.) |
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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 [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-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 | 219,246 (July 2006 est.) | no indigenous inhabitants (July 2001 est.)
note: in 1997, there were about 100 researchers whose numbers vary from winter (July) to summer (January) |
Population below poverty line | NA% | - |
Population growth rate | 1.24% (2006 est.) | - |
Ports and harbors | - | none; offshore anchorage only |
Radio broadcast stations | 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: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
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Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | - |
Telephone system | general assessment: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
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Telephones - main lines in use | 55,300 (2005) | - |
Telephones - mobile cellular | 134,300 (2005) | - |
Television broadcast stations | 6 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1997) | - |
Terrain | coastal plains with interior mountains | volcanic |
Total fertility rate | 2.28 children born/woman (2006 est.) | - |
Unemployment rate | 17.1% (2004) | - |
Waterways | - | none |