New Caledonia

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

1 (2000)

Internet country code

.nc

Internet users

24,000 (2001)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios

107,000 (1997)

Telephone system

general assessment: NA domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Telephones - main lines in use

47,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular

13,040 (1998)

Television broadcast stations

6 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions

52,000 (1997)

Agriculture - products

vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products

Budget

revenues: $861.3 million expenditures: $735.3 million, including capital expenditures of $52 million (1996 est.)

Currency

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF); note - may adopt the euro in 2003

Currency code

XPF

Debt - external

$79 million (1998 est.)

Economic aid - recipient

$880 million annual subsidy from France

Economy - overview

New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known nickel resources. In recent years, the economy has suffered because of depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a small amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition to nickel, the substantial financial support from France and tourism are keys to the health of the economy. The situation in 1998 was clouded by the spillover of financial problems in East Asia and by lower prices for nickel. Nickel prices jumped in 1999-2000, and large additions were made to capacity. Strikes in the building industry in 2001, which lasted four months, adversely affected many other sectors of the economy. French Government interests in the New Caledonian nickel industry are being transferred to local ownership.

Electricity - consumption

1.455 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2000)

Electricity - production

1.565 billion kWh (2000)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel: 78% hydro: 22% other: 0% (2000) nuclear: 0%

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), 106.11 (1997); note - linked at the rate of 119.25 XPF to the euro

Exports

$400 million f.o.b. (2000)

Exports - commodities

ferronickels, nickel ore, fish

Exports - partners

Japan 25.8%, France 18.8%, Taiwan 12%, Australia 8.2%, US 3.0% (1999)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $3.1 billion (2000 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 5% industry: 30% services: 65% (1997 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2000 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

2.1% (2000 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%

Imports

$1 billion f.o.b. (2000)

Imports - commodities

transport equipment, machinery and electrical equipment, fuels, minerals, wine, sugar, rice

Imports - partners

France 50.2%, Australia 15.1%, Singapore 5.9%, New Zealand 5.2%, Japan 3.7% (1999)

Industrial production growth rate

-0.6% (1996)

Industries

nickel mining and smelting

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.3% (2000 est.)

Labor force

79,395 (including 15,018 unemployed, 1996)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture 7%, industry 23%, services 70% (1999 est.)

Population below poverty line

NA%

Unemployment rate

19% (1996)

Area

total: 19,060 sq km water: 485 sq km land: 18,575 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Coastline

2,254 km

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m

Environment - current issues

erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires

Geographic coordinates

21 30 S, 165 30 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

Irrigated land

160 sq km (1991)

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land: 0.38% permanent crops: 0.33% other: 99.29% (1998 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM

Natural hazards

cyclones, most frequent from November to March

Natural resources

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

Terrain

coastal plains with interior mountains

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

Capital

Noumea

Constitution

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Country name

conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies conventional short form: New Caledonia local short form: Nouvelle-Caledonie local long form: Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances

Dependency status

overseas territory of France since 1956

Diplomatic representation from the US

none (overseas territory of France)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of France)

Executive branch

chief of state: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner Daniel CONSTANTIN (since 3 July 2002) 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 head of government: President of the Government Pierre FROGIER (since 5 April 2001) cabinet: Consultative Committee

Flag description

the flag of France is used

Government type

NA

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

International organization participation

ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WFTU, WMO

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

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 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA

National holiday

Bastille Day, 14 July (1789)

Political parties and leaders

Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX]; Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes or FCCI [Raphael MAPOU]; Front National or FN [Guy GEORGE]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS [Rock WAMYTAN] (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE]; Rally for Caledonia in the Republic 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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

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.

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

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$192.3 million (FY96)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

5.3% (FY96)

Age structure

0-14 years: 30% (male 31,862; female 30,577) 15-64 years: 64.1% (male 67,043; female 66,102) 65 years and over: 5.9% (male 5,777; female 6,497) (2002 est.)

Birth rate

19.91 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate

5.62 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Ethnic groups

Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3%

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA%

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Infant mortality rate

8.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Languages

French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 73.27 years female: 76.36 years (2002 est.) male: 70.32 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 91% male: 92% female: 90% (1976 est.)

Nationality

noun: New Caledonian(s) adjective: New Caledonian

Net migration rate

0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Population

207,858 (July 2002 est.)

Population growth rate

1.43% (2002 est.)

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: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.44 children born/woman (2002 est.)

Disputes - international

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

Airports

29 (2001)

Airports - with paved runways

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)

Heliports

5 (2002)

Highways

total: 4,825 km paved: 2,287 km unpaved: 2,538 km (1999)

Merchant marine

total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 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.)

Ports and harbors

Mueo, Noumea, Thio

Railways

0 km (2002)

Waterways

none