Introduction
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 was brutally suppressed by colonial authorities. 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 December 2021, voters rejected independence 96% to 4%; however, a boycott by key Kanak groups spurred challenges about the legitimacy of the vote. In February 2021, pro-independence parties gained a majority in the New Caledonian Government for the first time. France and New Caledonia officials remain in talks about the status of the country.
Visit the Definitions and Notes page to view a description of each topic.
Geography
Location
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Geographic coordinates
21 30 S, 165 30 E
Map references
Oceania
Area - comparative
slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries
total: 0 km
Coastline
2,254 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain
coastal plains with interior mountains
Elevation
highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
Natural resources
nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
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.)
Irrigated land
100 sq km (2012)
Population distribution
most of the populace lives in the southern part of the main island, in and around the capital of Noumea
Natural hazards
cyclones, most frequent from November to March
volcanism: Matthew and Hunter Islands are historically active
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
People and Society
Nationality
noun: New Caledonian(s)
adjective: New Caledonian
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.)
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.
Religions
Christian 85.2%, Muslim 2.8%, other 1.6%, unaffiliated 10.4% (2020 est.)
Age structure
0-14 years: 20.96% (male 32,199/female 30,825)
15-64 years: 68.45% (male 103,611/female 102,208)
65 years and over: 10.59% (2023 est.) (male 13,914/female 17,925)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 49.6
youth dependency ratio: 33.6
elderly dependency ratio: 16
potential support ratio: 6.3 (2021 est.)
Median age
total: 33.9 years (2023 est.)
male: 33.1 years
female: 34.8 years
comparison ranking: total 103
Net migration rate
3.6 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia
comparison ranking: 35
Population distribution
most of the populace lives in the southern part of the main island, in and around the capital of Noumea
Urbanization
urban population: 72.7% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 1.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
198,000 NOUMEA (capital) (2018)
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: 0.78 male(s)/female
total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate
total: 4.9 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 5.9 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 3.9 deaths/1,000 live births
comparison ranking: total 178
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 79.1 years (2023 est.)
male: 75.2 years
female: 83.1 years
comparison ranking: total population 65
Gross reproduction rate
0.9 (2023 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.)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: NA
rural: NA
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
22.5% (2023 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 96.9%
male: 97.3%
female: 96.5% (2015)
Environment
Environment - current issues
preservation of coral reefs; prevention of invasive species; limiting erosion caused by nickel mining and forest fires
Climate
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
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.)
Air pollutants
carbon dioxide emissions: 5.33 megatons (2016 est.)
Waste and recycling
municipal solid waste generated annually: 108,157 tons (2016 est.)
Government
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
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)
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Territorial Congress); an overseas collectivity of France
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
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
Administrative divisions
3 provinces; Province Iles (Islands Province), Province Nord (North Province), and Province Sud (South Province)
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
National holiday
Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - the local holiday is New Caledonia Day, 24 September (1853)
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
Legal system
civil law system based on French civil law
Citizenship
see France
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by High Commissioner Patrice FAURE (since 6 June 2021)
head of government: President of the Government Louis MAPOU (since 22 July 2021); Vice President Isabelle CHAMPMOREAU (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: Thieryy SANTA (The Republicans) elected president by Territorial Congress with 6 of 11 votes
Legislative branch
description: unicameral Territorial Congress or Congrès du Territoire (54 seats; members indirectly selected proportionally by the partisan makeup of the 3 Provincial Assemblies or Assemblés Provinciales; members of the 3 Provincial Assemblies directly elected by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); note - the Customary Senate is the assembly of the various traditional councils of the Kanaks, the indigenous population, which rules on laws affecting the indigenous population
New Caledonia indirectly elects 2 members to the French Senate by an electoral colleges for a 6-year term with one seat renewed every 3 years and directly elects 2 members to the French National Assembly by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term
elections:
Territorial Congress - last held on 12 May 2019 (next to be held in May 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 - N/A; 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
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
Political parties and leaders
Caledonia Together or CE [Philippe GOMES]
Caledonian Union or UC [Daniel GOA]
Future With Confidence or AEC [Virginie RUFFENACH]
Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (alliance includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM) [Victor TUTUGORO]
Labor Party or PT [Louis Kotra UREGEI]
National Union for Independence or UNI [Louis MAPOU]
Oceanian Awakening [Milakulo TUKUMULI]
Party of Kanak Liberation or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE]
Socialist Kanak Liberation or LKS [Basile CITRE]
The Republicans (formerly The Rally or UMP) [Sonia BACKES]
International organization participation
ITUC (NGOs), PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WMO
Diplomatic representation in the US
none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic representation from the US
embassy: none (overseas territory of France)
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
National symbol(s)
fleche faitiere (native rooftop adornment), kagu bird; national colors: gray, red
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
Economy
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
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
comparison ranking: 162
GDP (official exchange rate)
$9.77 billion (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 1.4% (2017 est.)
industry: 26.4% (2017 est.)
services: 72.1% (2017 est.)
comparison rankings: services 61; industry 104; agriculture 189
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 64.3% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 24% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 38.4% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 18.7% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -45.5% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
coconuts, vegetables, maize, fruit, beef, pork, potatoes, bananas, eggs, yams
Industries
nickel mining and smelting
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 41% (2021 est.)
male: 39.2%
female: 43.2%
comparison ranking: total 11
Population below poverty line
17% (2008)
Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: NA
highest 10%: NA
Budget
revenues: $1.995 billion (2015 est.)
expenditures: $1.993 billion (2015 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
-$654.237 million (2016 est.)
-$1.861 billion (2013 est.)
comparison ranking: 126
Exports
$1.92 billion (2021 est.)
$1.8 billion (2020 est.)
$1.79 billion (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 160
Exports - partners
China 55%, South Korea 16%, Japan 11%, Taiwan 4%, Spain 3% (2021)
Exports - commodities
iron alloys, nickel, essential oils, recreational boats, shrimp (2021)
Imports
$2.26 billion (2021 est.)
$2.1 billion (2020 est.)
$2.48 billion (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: 168
Imports - partners
France 39%, Australia 14%, Singapore 11%, New Zealand 7%, China 7% (2021)
Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, coal, cars, packaged medicines, delivery trucks (2021)
Debt - external
$112 million (31 December 2013 est.)
$79 million (31 December 1998 est.)
comparison ranking: 192
Exchange rates
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
100.88 (2021 est.)
104.711 (2020 est.)
106.589 (2019 est.)
101.047 (2018 est.)
105.633 (2017 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 1.071 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 2,940,707,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 0 kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 64.293 million kWh (2019 est.)
comparison rankings: imports 139; exports 122; installed generating capacity 133; transmission/distribution losses 167; consumption 140
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 91.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 1.5% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 7.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
production: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 1.151 million metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 1.151 million metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 2 million metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 19,300 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
Natural gas
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
5.886 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 2.879 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 3.007 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
comparison ranking: total emissions 132
Communications
Telephones - fixed lines
total subscriptions: 46,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 160
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 260,000 (2021 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 90 (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total subscriptions 180
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 country 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)
Broadcast media
the publicly owned French Overseas Network (RFO), which operates in France's overseas departments and territories, broadcasts over the RFO Nouvelle-Calédonie TV and radio stations; a small number of privately owned radio stations also broadcast
Internet users
total: 237,800 (2021 est.)
percent of population: 82% (2021 est.)
comparison ranking: total 178
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 55,000 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 19 (2020 est.)
comparison ranking: total 142
Transportation
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)
Airports - with paved runways
12
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
Airports - with unpaved runways
13
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
Heliports
8 (2021)
Merchant marine
total: 23 (2022)
by type: general cargo 5, oil tanker 1, other 17
comparison ranking: total 145
Ports and terminals
major seaport(s): Noumea
Military and Security
Military and security forces
no regular military forces; France bases land, air, and naval forces on New Caledonia (Forces Armées de la Nouvelle-Calédonie, FANC)
Military - note
defense is the responsibility of France
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international
New Caledonia-France-Vanuatu: Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu