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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 Dependency status: overseas territory of France since 1956 Government type: NA Capital: Noumea Administrative divisions: none (overseas...
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...
French is the official language, and you'll need to speak some if you venture out of Noumea (where at least some of those working in the tourist industry speak some English). An estimated 27 Kanak languages coexist in New Caledonia, but after being actively discouraged - or at least ignored - by the French, there is no single unifying Kanak language....
Discovered by Europeans in 1766, New Caledonia has been a French colony since 1853. It became a French Overseas Territory in 1946. From time to time, attempts have been made by the indigenous population to free themselves from French rule. The most serious of these was the Kanak Revolt of 1878, which was only subdued after a guerrilla campaign lasting...
Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia Geographic coordinates: 21 30 S, 165 30 E Map references: Oceania Area: total area: 19,060 sq km land area: 18,575 sq km comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey Land boundaries: 0 km Coastline: 2,254 km Maritime claims: exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea:...
Population: 213,679 (July 2004 est.) Age structure: 0-14 years: 29.4% (male 32,076; female 30,772) 15-64 years: 64.3% (male 69,150; female 68,310) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 6,259; female 7,112) (2004 est.) Median age: total: 27.2 years male: 26.9 years female: 27.5 years (2004 est.) Population growth rate: 1.33% (2004 est.) Birth rate: 18.98 births/1,000...
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