New Caledonia
Country Guide

Explore New Caledonia

New Caledonia with its capital Noumea is located in Oceania (Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean). It covers some 18,576 square kilometers (slightly smaller than New Jersey) with 279,070 citizens. French is the language commonly spoken used in New Caledonia. This country shares no land borders with another country.

New Caledonia is a dependent overseas territory of France lying in the western Pacific Ocean, in the Coral Sea, to the east of Australia and west of Vanuatu. New Caledonia offers beaches, mountaintop fondue in chalets, camping, amazing snorkeling and diving, and fabulous French food. The main island of New Caledonia is one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean and its terrain consist of coastal plains with interior mountains. The highest point is Mont Panie (1,628 m).

Popular Destinations in New Caledonia

Administrative regions of New Caledonia

• Loyalty Islands
• Province Nord
• Province Sud

About the country

The landscape is coastal plains with interior mountains. The average density of population is about 15 per km². The climate in New Caledonia can be described as tropicalmodified by southeast trade winds, hot, humid. Potential threats by nature are cyclones, most frequent from November to March Matthew and Hunter Islands are historically active

To reach someone New Caledonia dial +687 prior to a number. The local cellular networks are operated on 900 MHz, 3G. Websites typically end with the top level domain ".nc". If you want to bring electric appliances (e.g. battery chaarger), keep in min the local 220 V - 50 Hz (plugs: C, F). The sign for the locally used currency Franc is XPF.

New Caledonia has two official flags; alongside the flag of France, the Kanak (indigenous Melanesian) flag has equal status; the latter consists of three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a large yellow disk - diameter two-thirds the height of the flag - shifted slightly to the hoist side is edged in black and displays a black fleche faitiere symbol, a native rooftop adornment.

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 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct a referendum by November 2018 to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.

Geography

Area
Total (World Rank: 156)	18,575	sq km
Land (World Rank: 154)	18,275	sq km
Water (World Rank: 128)	300	sq km
Forest (World Rank: 129)	9.80	%
Comparative	slightly smaller than New Jersey
Coastline
2254
Elevation
Highest point (World Rank: 140)	1,628	m
Agricultural land
Total (World Rank: 194)	10.40	%
Arable (World Rank: 210)	0.40	%
Permanent crops (World Rank: 176)	0.20	%
Permanent pastures (World Rank: 129)	9.80	%
Irrigated land (World Rank: 141)	100	sq km
Map reference
Oceania
Environment
Issues	erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires
Hazzards	- cyclones, most frequent from November to March - Matthew and Hunter Islands are historically active
Location
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Climate
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain
coastal plains with interior mountains

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People

Population
Total (World Rank: 182)	279,070
Deathrate (World Rank: 174)	0.57	%
Birthrate (World Rank: 128)	1.50	%
Growthrate (World Rank: 83)	1.33	%
Migration rate (World Rank: 29)	0.39	%
Fertility rate (World Rank: 126)	1.93	%
Median age
Male (World Rank: 99)	31.20
Female (World Rank: 99)	32.70
Age structure
0 14 male (World Rank: 183)	32,025
0 14 female (World Rank: 181)	30,648
15 24 male (World Rank: 180)	23,438
15 24 female (World Rank: 180)	22,438
25 54 male (World Rank: 181)	61,169
25 54 female (World Rank: 181)	60,232
55 64 male (World Rank: 179)	11,352
55 64 female (World Rank: 179)	12,097
65 x male (World Rank: 174)	11,396
65 x female (World Rank: 175)	14,275
Health
Infant mortality rate (World Rank: 171)	0.53	%
Life expectancy total (World Rank: 63)	78	years
Life expectancy female (World Rank: 51)	82	years
Life expectancy male (World Rank: 82)	74	years
Physicians per 1000 (World Rank: 70)	2.22
Sanitation access total (World Rank: 13)	100.00	%
Drinking water access (World Rank: 72)	98.50	%

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Energy

Electricity
Production (World Rank: 135)	2,416,000,000	kWh
Consumption (World Rank: 142)	2,000,000,000	kWh
Source fossil (World Rank: 93)	76.70	%
Source nuclear (World Rank: 98)	15.60	%
Source renew (World Rank: 77)	7.70	%
Refined products
Consumption (World Rank: 143)	17,000	bbl / day
Export (World Rank: 119)	117	bbl / day
Import (World Rank: 121)	17,370	bbl / day
Carbon footprint
2500000

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Economy

Gdp
Purchasing power parity (World Rank: 158)	10,770,000,000	USD
Real growth rate (World Rank: 159)	1.40	%
Per capita purchasing power parity (World Rank: 59)	31,100	USD
Source agriculture (World Rank: 189)	1.40	%
Source industry (World Rank: 111)	26.10	%
Source service (World Rank: 56)	72.40	%
Labourforce
Total (World Rank: 180)	119,500
In poverty (World Rank: 119)	17.00	%
Products
Industries	- nickel mining - smelting
Agriculture	- beef - fish - livestock products - vegetables - venison
Exports	- ferronickels - fish - nickel ore
Imports	- chemicals - equipment - foodstuffs - fuels - machinery

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Communication

Phone
Landline total (World Rank: 142)	92,000
Landline per 100 (World Rank: 53)	34.00
Mobile per 100 (World Rank: 144)	91.00
Assessment	0
Internet
Users (World Rank: 168)	201,000
Population (World Rank: 65)	74.00	%

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Transport

Air
Airports paved (World Rank: 107)	12.00
Airports unpaved (World Rank: 122)	13.00
Heliports (World Rank: 28)	8.00
Road
Total length (World Rank: 151)	5,622

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Nation

National symbol
kagu bird
National colours
yellow
Adjective
New Caledonian
Noun
New Caledonian(s)
Background
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 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct a referendum by November 2018 to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.
Flag description
New Caledonia has two official flags; alongside the flag of France, the Kanak (indigenous Melanesian) flag has equal status; the latter consists of three equal horizontal bands of blue (top), red, and green; a large yellow disk - diameter two-thirds the height of the flag - shifted slightly to the hoist side is edged in black and displays a black fleche faitiere symbol, a native rooftop adornment

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