New Caledonia

Radio broadcast stations

AM 5, FM 3, shortwave 0

Radios

97,000 (1992 est.)

Telephone system

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

Telephones

38,748 (1993 est.)

Television broadcast stations

7

Televisions

47,000 (1992 est.)

Agriculture - products

vegetables; beef, other livestock products

Budget

revenues: $755.6 million expenditures: $755.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1995 est.)

Currency

1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes

Debt - external

$NA

Economic aid

recipient: ODA, $NA note: important support from France

Economy - overview

New Caledonia has more than 20% 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 negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 25% of imports. In addition to nickel, financial support from France and tourism are key to the health of the economy.

Electricity - capacity

NA kW

Electricity - consumption per capita

5,744 kWh (1995 est.)

Electricity - production

1.12 billion kWh (1994)

Exchange rates

Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 98.48 (January 1997), 93.00 (1996), 90.75 (1995), 100.93 (1994), 102.96 (1993), 96.24 (1992); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc

Exports

total value: $528 million (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: nickel metal 24.5%, nickel ore partners: France 32.2%, Japan 23.5%, Germany 6.7%, US 3.6%, India 1.2%

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power parity - $1.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture : 5% industry: 35% services: 60% (1992 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $8,000 (1995 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

NA%

Imports

total value : $980 million (c.i.f., 1992) commodities: foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment partners: France 46.3%, ECE 14.9%, Australia 10.2%, Japan 6.3%, New Zealand 4.4%

Industrial production growth rate

NA%

Industries

nickel mining and smelting

Inflation rate - consumer price index

1.4% (1990)

Labor force

total : 70,044 (1988) by occupation: agriculture 32%, industry 20%, services 40%, mining 8% (1992)

Unemployment rate

15% (1994)

Area

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

NA

Environment - international agreements

party to : NA signed, but not ratified: NA

Geographic coordinates

21 30 S, 165 30 E

Irrigated land

NA sq km

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

arable land : 0% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 12% forests and woodland: 39% other: 49% (1993 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

typhoons 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

Constitution

28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

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

Data code

NC

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 and President of the Council of Government Dominque BUR (since NA August 1995) head of government: President of the Territorial Congress Pierre FROGIER (since 31 July 1995) cabinet: Consultative Committee elections: high commissioner appointed by the president of France on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the Territorial Congress elected by the members of the congress

Flag description

three horizontal bands, blue (top), red, and green, with a yellow disk enclosing a black symbol centered to the hoist side; the flag of France is used for official occasions

Government type

NA

Independence

none (overseas territory of France; a referendum on independence will be held in 1998)

International organization participation

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

Judicial branch

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel

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 six-year terms) elections: last held 9 July 1995 (next to be held NA July 2001) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPCR 22, FLNKS 12, UNCT 7, various left parties 7, various right parties 6 note : New Caledonia elects 1 seat to the French Senate; elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held NA September 2001); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPCR 1; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 21 March 1993 (next to be held 25 May-1 June 1997 - special election); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPCR 2

National capital

Noumea

National holiday

National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Political parties and leaders

white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique or RPCR (conservative) [Jacques LAFLEUR, president] - affiliated to France's Rassemblement pour la Republique or RPR (also called South Province Party); Melanesian proindependence Kanaka Socialist National Liberation Front or FLNKS [Rock WAMYTAN]; Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation or LKS [Nidoish NAISSELINE]; National Front or FN (extreme right) [Guy GEORGE]; Caledonie Demain or CD (right-wing) [Bernard MARANT]; Union Oceanienne or UO (conservative) [Michel HEMA]; Front de Developpement des Iles Loyautes or FDIL [Cono HAMU]; Union Caledonian or UC [Francois BURCK, president]; A New Caledonia for All or UNCT [Didier LEROUX]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of France

Military branches

French Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

NA%

Age structure

0-14 years : 30% (male 29,204; female 28,140) 15-64 years: 65% (male 62,344; female 60,864) 65 years and over: 5% (male 4,972; female 5,479) (July 1997 est.)

Birth rate

21.43 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate

4.86 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Ethnic groups

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

Infant mortality rate

13.3 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)

Languages

French, 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 74.68 years male: 71.4 years female: 78.11 years (1997 est.)

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

0.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)

Population

191,003 (July 1997 est.)

Population growth rate

1.68% (1997 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: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.5 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Disputes - international

Matthew and Hunter Islands claimed by France and Vanuatu NEW ZEALAND

Airports

28 (1996 est.)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 16 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 12 (1996 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total : 12 914 to 1,523 m: 12 (1996 est.)

Heliports

7 (1996 est.)

Highways

total: 5,562 km paved: 975 km unpaved: 4,587 km (1993)

Merchant marine

total: 1 roll-on/roll-off ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 3,079 GRT/724 DWT (1996 est.)

Ports and harbors

Mueo, Noumea, Thio

Railways

0 km