New Caledonia

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

total: 55,000 (2020 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 19 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

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

Internet country code

.nc

Internet users

total: 237,800 (2021 est.) percent of population: 82% (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

general assessment: New Caledonia s telecom sector provides fixed and mobile voice services, mobile internet, fixed broadband access, and wholesale services for other ISPs; the territory is well serviced by extensive 3G and LTE networks, and is considered to have one of the highest smartphone adoption rates in the Pacific region; by 2025, smart phone penetration is expected to reach 71%; while DSL is still the dominant fixed broadband technology, and a nationwide FttP network; the South Pacific region has become a hub for submarine cable system developments in recent years, with further networks scheduled to come online later in 2021 and into 2022; these new cables are expected to increase competition in the region with regards to international capacity; in 2020, the government owned telco commissioned Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) to build the Gondwana-2 cable system to provide additional network capacity and complement the Gondwana-1 cable (2022) domestic: fixed-line is 16 per 100 and mobile-cellular telephone subscribership 90 per 100 persons (2021) international: country code - 687; landing points for the Gondwana-1 and Picot-1 providing connectivity via submarine cables around New Caledonia and to Australia; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 46,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 260,000 (2021 est.) subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 90 (2021 est.)

Agricultural products

coconuts, vegetables, fruits, maize, beef, pork, eggs, yams, bananas, mangoes/guavas (2022) note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

Budget

revenues: $1.995 billion (2015 est.) expenditures: $1.993 billion (2015 est.)

Current account balance

-$654.237 million (2016 est.) -$1.119 billion (2015 est.) -$1.3 billion (2014 est.) note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

Economic overview

upper-middle-income French Pacific territorial economy; enormous nickel reserves; ongoing French independence negotiations; large Chinese nickel exporter; luxury eco-tourism destination; large French aid recipient; high cost-of-living; lingering wealth disparities

Exchange rates

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 110.347 (2023 est.) 113.474 (2022 est.) 100.88 (2021 est.) 104.711 (2020 est.) 106.589 (2019 est.)

Exports

$1.92 billion (2021 est.) $1.8 billion (2020 est.) $1.79 billion (2019 est.) note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

Exports - commodities

iron alloys, nickel ore, nickel, aircraft, essential oils (2022) note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

Exports - partners

China 62%, South Korea 14%, Japan 12%, Taiwan 2%, Spain 2% (2022) note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

GDP (official exchange rate)

$9.623 billion (2022 est.) note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

GDP - composition, by end use

household consumption: 65.6% (2017 est.) government consumption: 23.5% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 27.9% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: -0.1% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 21% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -37.9% (2017 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 1.8% (2019 est.) industry: 22.3% (2019 est.) services: 65.2% (2019 est.) note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

Imports

$2.26 billion (2021 est.) $2.1 billion (2020 est.) $2.48 billion (2019 est.) note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

Imports - commodities

refined petroleum, coal, cars, packaged medicine, trucks (2022) note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

Imports - partners

France 30%, Australia 22%, Singapore 13%, China 6%, Malaysia 6% (2022) note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

Industrial production growth rate

4.3% (2014 est.) note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

Industries

nickel mining and smelting

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

1.4% (2017 est.) 0.58% (2016 est.) 0.57% (2015 est.) note: annual % change based on consumer prices

Labor force

119,000 (2023 est.) note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

Public debt

6.5% of GDP (2015 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

$10.266 billion (2021 est.) $11.11 billion (2017 est.) $10.89 billion (2016 est.) note: data are in 2015 dollars

Real GDP growth rate

3.5% (2022 est.) -2.1% (2021 est.) -2.4% (2020 est.) note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP per capita

$35,700 (2021 est.) $31,100 (2015 est.) $32,100 (2014 est.)

Remittances

6.45% of GDP (2022 est.) 6.17% of GDP (2021 est.) 6.57% of GDP (2020 est.) note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Taxes and other revenues

20.4% (of GDP) (2015 est.)

Unemployment rate

11.22% (2023 est.) 11.29% (2022 est.) 12.54% (2021 est.) note: % of labor force seeking employment

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

total: 32.6% (2023 est.) male: 29.8% (2023 est.) female: 35.7% (2023 est.) note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

Carbon dioxide emissions

4.806 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from coal and metallurgical coke: 2.366 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.) from petroleum and other liquids: 2.44 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

Coal

consumption: 1.039 million metric tons (2022 est.) imports: 1.039 million metric tons (2022 est.) proven reserves: 2 million metric tons (2022 est.)

Electricity

installed generating capacity: 1.069 million kW (2022 est.) consumption: 2.666 billion kWh (2022 est.) transmission/distribution losses: 66.3 million kWh (2022 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population: 100% (2022 est.)

Electricity generation sources

fossil fuels: 83.4% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) solar: 6.5% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) wind: 2% of total installed capacity (2022 est.) hydroelectricity: 8.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Petroleum

refined petroleum consumption: 16,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions: 5.33 megatons (2016 est.)

Climate

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Environment - current issues

preservation of coral reefs; prevention of invasive species; limiting erosion caused by nickel mining and forest fires

Land use

agricultural land: 10.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 9.8% (2018 est.) forest: 45.9% (2018 est.) other: 43.7% (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 72.7% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually: 108,157 tons (2016 est.)

Area

total : 18,575 sq km land: 18,275 sq km water: 300 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Climate

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Coastline

2,254 km

Elevation

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

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

100 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

total: 0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 10.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 9.8% (2018 est.) forest: 45.9% (2018 est.) other: 43.7% (2018 est.)

Location

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

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Natural hazards

cyclones, most frequent from November to March volcanism: Matthew and Hunter Islands are historically active

Natural resources

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

Population distribution

most of the populace lives in the southern part of the main island, in and around the capital of Noumea

Terrain

coastal plains with interior mountains

Administrative divisions

3 provinces; Province Iles (Islands Province), Province Nord (North Province), and Province Sud (South Province)

Capital

name: Noumea geographic coordinates: 22 16 S, 166 27 E time difference: UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) etymology: established in 1854 as Port-de-France, the settlement was renamed Noumea in 1866, in order to avoid any confusion with Fort-de-France in Martinique; the New Caledonian language of Ndrumbea (also spelled Ndumbea, Dubea, and Drubea) spoken in the area gave its name to the capital city, Noumea, as well as to the neighboring town (suburb) of Dumbea

Citizenship

see France

Constitution

history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution with changes as reflected in the Noumea Accord of 5 May 1998) amendments: French constitution amendment procedures apply

Country name

conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies conventional short form: New Caledonia local long form: Territoire des Nouvelle-Cal donie et d pendances local short form: Nouvelle-Cal donie etymology: British explorer Captain James COOK discovered and named New Caledonia in 1774; he used the appellation because the northeast of the island reminded him of Scotland (Caledonia is the Latin designation for Scotland)

Dependency status

special collectivity (or a sui generis collectivity) of France since 1998; note - independence referenda took place on 4 November 2018, 4 October 2020, and 12 December 2021 with a majority voting in each case to reject independence in favor of maintaining the status quo; an 18-month transition period is now in place (ending 30 June 2023), during which a referendum on the new status of New Caledonia within France will take place

Diplomatic representation from the US

embassy: none (overseas territory of France)

Diplomatic representation in the US

none (overseas territory of France)

Executive branch

chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by High Commissioner Louise LEFRANC (since 6 February 2023) head of government: President of the Government Louis MAPOU (since 22 July 2021) cabinet: Cabinet elected from and by the Territorial Congress elections/appointments: French president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of New Caledonia elected by Territorial Congress for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 8 July 2021 (next to be held in 2026) election results: 2021: Louis MAPOU (PALIKA) elected president by Territorial Congress with 6 of 11 votes 2019: Thierry SANTA (The Republicans) elected president by Territorial Congress with 6 of 11 votes

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

Government type

parliamentary democracy (Territorial Congress); an overseas collectivity of France

Independence

none (overseas collectivity of France); note - in three independence referenda, on 4 November 2018, 4 October 2020, and 12 December 2021, the majority voted to reject independence in favor of maintaining the status quo; an 18-month transition period is now in place (ending 30 June 2023), during which a referendum on the new status of New Caledonia within France will take place

International organization participation

ITUC (NGOs), PIF, SPC, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WMO

Judicial branch

highest court(s): Court of Appeal in Noumea or Cour d'Appel; organized into civil, commercial, social, and pre-trial investigation chambers; court bench normally includes the court president and 2 counselors); Administrative Court (number of judges NA); note - final appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (in Paris); final appeals beyond the Administrative Court are referred to the Administrative Court of Appeal (in Paris) judge selection and term of office: judge appointment and tenure based on France's judicial system subordinate courts: Courts of First Instance include: civil, juvenile, commercial, labor, police, criminal, assizes, and also a pre-trial investigation chamber; Joint Commerce Tribunal; administrative courts

Legal system

civil law system based on French civil law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Territorial Congress or Congr s du Territoire (54 seats; members indirectly selected proportionally by the partisan makeup of the 3 Provincial Assemblies or Assembl s Provinciales; members of the 3 Provincial Assemblies directly elected by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms) elections: Territorial Congress - last held on 12 May 2019 (next to be held by 15 December 2024) French Senate - election last held on 24 September 2023 (next to be held on 30 September 2026) French National Assembly - election last held on 12 and 19 June 2022 (next to be held by June 2027) election results: Territorial Congress - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Future With Confidence 18, UNI 9, UC 9, CE 7, FLNKS 6, Oceanic Awakening 3, PT 1, LKS 1 (Anti-Independence 28, Pro-Independence 26) French Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2 French National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CE 2 note 1: the Customary Senate is the assembly of the various traditional councils of the Kanaks, the indigenous population; it rules on laws affecting Kanaks note 2: New Caledonia indirectly elects 2 members to the French Senate and directly elects 2 members to the French National Assembly (see France entry for electoral details)

National anthem

name: "Soyons unis, devenons freres" (Let Us Be United, Let Us Become Brothers) lyrics/music: Chorale Melodia (a local choir) note: adopted 2008; contains a mixture of lyrics in both French and Nengone (an indigenous language); as a self-governing territory of France, in addition to the local anthem, "La Marseillaise" is official (see France)

National heritage

total World Heritage Sites: 1 (natural); note - excerpted from the France entry selected World Heritage Site locales: Lagoons of New Caledonia

National holiday

F te de la F d ration, 14 July (1790); note - the local holiday is New Caledonia Day, 24 September (1853)

National symbol(s)

fleche faitiere (native rooftop adornment), kagu bird; national colors: gray, red

Political parties

Caledonia Together or CE Caledonian Union or UC Future With Confidence or AEC Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (alliance includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM) Labor Party or PT National Union for Independence or UNI Oceanian Awakening Party of Kanak Liberation or PALIKA Socialist Kanak Liberation or LKS The Republicans (formerly The Rally or UMP)

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

The first humans settled in New Caledonia around 1600 B.C. The Lapita were skilled navigators, and evidence of their pottery around the Pacific has served as a guide for understanding human expansion in the region. Successive waves of migrants from other islands in Melanesia intermarried with the Lapita, giving rise to the Kanak ethnic group considered indigenous to New Caledonia. British explorer James COOK was the first European to visit New Caledonia in 1774, giving it the Latin name for Scotland. Missionaries first landed in New Caledonia in 1840. In 1853, France annexed New Caledonia to preclude any British attempt to claim the island. France declared it a penal colony in 1864 and sent more than 20,000 prisoners to New Caledonia in the ensuing three decades. Nickel was discovered in 1864, and French prisoners were directed to mine it. France brought in indentured servants and enslaved labor from elsewhere in Southeast Asia to work the mines, blocking Kanaks from accessing the most profitable part of the local economy. In 1878, High Chief ATAI led a rebellion against French rule. The Kanaks were relegated to reservations, leading to periodic smaller uprisings and culminating in a large revolt in 1917 that colonial authorities brutally suppressed. During World War II, New Caledonia became an important base for Allied troops, and the US moved its South Pacific headquarters to the island in 1942. Following the war, France made New Caledonia an overseas territory and granted French citizenship to all inhabitants in 1953, thereby permitting the Kanaks to move off the reservations. The Kanak nationalist movement began in the 1950s, but most voters chose to remain a territory in an independence referendum in 1958. The European population of New Caledonia boomed in the 1970s with a renewed focus on nickel mining, reigniting Kanak nationalism. Key Kanak leaders were assassinated in the early 1980s, leading to escalating violence and dozens of fatalities. The Matignon Accords of 1988 provided for a 10-year transition period. The Noumea Accord of 1998 transferred increasing governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia over a 20-year period and provided for three independence referenda. In the first held in 2018, voters rejected independence by 57% to 43%; in the second held in 2020, voters rejected independence 53% to 47%. In the third referendum held in 2021, voters rejected independence 96% to 4%; however, a boycott by key Kanak groups spurred challenges about the legitimacy of the vote. Pro-independence parties subsequently won a majority in the New Caledonian Government for the first time. France and New Caledonia officials remain in talks about the status of the territory.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Military and security forces

no regular military forces; France bases land, air, and naval forces on New Caledonia (Forces Arm es de la Nouvelle-Cal donie, FANC) (2024)

Age structure

0-14 years: 20.7% (male 32,238/female 30,858) 15-64 years: 68.4% (male 104,825/female 103,349) 65 years and over: 10.8% (2024 est.) (male 14,326/female 18,571)

Birth rate

13.8 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

NA

Current health expenditure

NA

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

22.5% (2023 est.)

Death rate

6 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Dependency ratios

total dependency ratio: 49.6 youth dependency ratio: 33.6 elderly dependency ratio: 16 potential support ratio: 6.3 (2021 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 99.3% of population unimproved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 0.7% of population (2020 est.)

Education expenditures

NA

Ethnic groups

Kanak 39.1%, European 27.1%, Wallisian, Futunian 8.2%, Tahitian 2.1%, Indonesian 1.4%, Ni-Vanuatu 1%, Vietnamese 0.9%, other 17.7%, unspecified 2.5% (2014 est.)

Gross reproduction rate

0.89 (2024 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 4.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.) male: 5.8 deaths/1,000 live births female: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects major-language sample(s): The World Factbook, une source indispensable d'informations de base. (French) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 79.3 years (2024 est.) male: 75.4 years female: 83.3 years

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96.9% male: 97.3% female: 96.5% (2015)

Major urban areas - population

198,000 NOUMEA (capital) (2018)

Median age

total: 34.3 years (2024 est.) male: 33.5 years female: 35.1 years

Nationality

noun: New Caledonian(s) adjective: New Caledonian

Net migration rate

3.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Physician density

NA

Population

total: 304,167 male: 151,389 female: 152,778 (2024 est.)

Population distribution

most of the populace lives in the southern part of the main island, in and around the capital of Noumea

Population growth rate

1.14% (2024 est.)

Religions

Christian 85.2%, Muslim 2.8%, other 1.6%, unaffiliated 10.4% (2020 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 100% of population unimproved: urban: NA rural: NA total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.83 children born/woman (2024 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 72.7% of total population (2023) rate of urbanization: 1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Airports

21 (2024)

Heliports

2 (2024)

Merchant marine

total: 23 (2023) by type: general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 17

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 3 (2020) (registered in France) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 15 (registered in France)

Ports

total ports: 3 (2024) large: 0 medium: 0 small: 1 very small: 2 ports with oil terminals: 1 key ports: Baie de Kouaoua, Baie Ugue, Noumea

Roadways

total: 5,622 km (2006)