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 a referendum between 2014 and 2018 to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia

slightly smaller than New Jersey

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

coastal plains with interior mountains

nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper

cyclones, most frequent from November to March

erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires

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

Melanesian 44.1%, European 34.1%, Wallisian & Futunian 9%, Tahitian 2.6%, Indonesian 2.5%, Vietnamese 1.4%, Ni-Vanuatu 1.1%, other 5.2% (1996 census)

French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%

260,166 (July 2012 est.)

16.05 births/1,000 population (2012 est.)

5.34 deaths/1,000 population (July 2012 est.)

4.18 migrant(s)/1,000 population

NOUMEA (capital) 144,000 (2009)

2.04 children born/woman (2012 est.)

territorial collectivity (or a sui generis collectivity) of France since 1998

parliamentary representative democracy

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

none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new referendum is scheduled to take place between 2014 and 2018

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789); note - the local holiday is New Caledonia Day, 24 September (1853)

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

civil law system based on French law; the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands

18 years of age; universal

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)

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court

Caledonia My Country; Caledonia Together [Philippe GOMES]; Caledonian Union or UC [Nicholas ABOUT]; Communist Republican and Left Party or CRC-SPG [Nichole BORVO COHEN-SEAT]; Democratic and European Social Rally or R.D.S.E. [Yvon COLLIN]; Front National or FN [Jean-Marie LE PEN]; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Labor Party [Louis Kotra UREGEI]; National Union for Independence (Union Nationale pour l'Independance) or UNI; Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; Renewed Caledonian Union; Socialist Group [Jean Pierre BEL]; Socialist Kanak Liberation or LKS [Nidoish NAISSELINE]; The Future Together or AE [Didier LEROUX]; The Rally or UMP [Gerard LONGUET]; Union of Pro-Independence Co-operation Committees [Francois BURCK]

PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WFTU

none (overseas territory of France)

the flag of France is used

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.

$3.158 billion (2003 est.)

$3.3 billion (2003 est.)

30.2% of GDP (2001 est.)

-2.3% of GDP (2001 est.)

vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products; fish

nickel mining and smelting

$969.4 million (2009 est.)

ferronickels, nickel ore, fish

Japan 19.5%, France 18.3%, Australia 12.9%, South Korea 10.5%, Belgium 5.1%, US 4.8%, China 4.3%, Spain 4.1% (2011)

$3.313 billion (2010 est.)

machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs

France 33.8%, Singapore 19.2%, Australia 11.9%, NZ 4.7%, China 4.4% (2011)

$79 million (1998 est.)

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar -

1.675 billion kWh (2009 est.)

1.558 billion kWh (2009 est.)

421,000 kW (2009 est.)

79.1% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

18.5% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

2.4% of total installed capacity (2009 est.)

0 bbl/day (2011 est.)

0 bbl/day (2009 est.)

0 bbl (1 January 2012 est.)

0 bbl/day (2008 est.)

13,640 bbl/day (2011 est.)

730 bbl/day (2008 est.)

14,550 bbl/day (2008 est.)

0 cu m (1 January 2012 est.)

3.027 million Mt (2010 est.)

the publicly-owned French Overseas Network (RFO), which operates in France's overseas departments and territories, broadcasts over the RFO Nouvelle Caledonie TV and radio stations; a small number of privately-owned radio stations also broadcast (2008)

no regular military forces; French military, police, and gendarmerie (2009)

defense is the responsibility of France

Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu