NEW CALEDONIA                                                                   
(overseas territory of France)                                                  
GEOGRAPHY                                                                       
Total area: 19,060 km2; land area: 18,760 km2                                   
                                                                                
Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey                              
                                                                                
Land boundaries: none                                                           
                                                                                
Coastline: 2,254 km                                                             
                                                                                
Maritime claims:                                                                
                                                                                
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;                                                
                                                                                
Territorial sea: 12 nm                                                          
                                                                                
Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid                
                                                                                
Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains                                 
                                                                                
Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver,             
gold, lead, copper                                                              
                                                                                
Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and                 
pastures 14%; forest and woodland 51%; other 35%                                
                                                                                
Environment: typhoons most frequent from November to March                      
                                                                                
Note: located 1,750 km east of Australia in the South Pacific                   
Ocean                                                                           
                                                                                
PEOPLE                                                                          
Population: 171,559 (July 1991), growth rate 1.9% (1991)                        
                                                                                
Birth rate: 23 births/1,000 population (1991)                                   
                                                                                
Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)                                    
                                                                                
Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)                           
                                                                                
Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)                       
                                                                                
Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 76 years female (1991)                 
                                                                                
Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/woman (1991)                            
                                                                                
Nationality: noun--New Caledonian(s); adjective--New Caledonian                 
                                                                                
Ethnic divisions: Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%,             
Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3.0%                   
                                                                                
Religion: Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%                         
                                                                                
Language: French; 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects                             
                                                                                
Literacy: 91% (male 91%, female 90%) age 15 and over can                        
read and write (1976)                                                           
                                                                                
Labor force: 50,469; foreign workers for plantations and mines from             
Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.)                    
                                                                                
Organized labor: NA                                                             
                                                                                
GOVERNMENT                                                                      
Long-form name: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies                     
                                                                                
Type: overseas territory of France since 1956                                   
                                                                                
Capital: Noumea                                                                 
                                                                                
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                                                                         
                                                                                
Independence: none (overseas territory of France); note--a                      
referendum on independence will be held in 1998, with a review of the           
issue in 1992                                                                   
                                                                                
Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)                           
                                                                                
Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy              
to the islands; formerly under French law                                       
                                                                                
National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)                        
                                                                                
Executive branch: high commissioner, Consultative Committee                     
(cabinet)                                                                       
                                                                                
Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly                             
                                                                                
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal                                                
                                                                                
Leaders:                                                                        
                                                                                
Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May                     
1981);                                                                          
                                                                                
Head of Government High Commissioner and President of the Council               
of Government Bernard GRASSET (since 15 July 1988)                              
                                                                                
Political parties:                                                              
white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique              
(RPCR), conservative, Jacques LAFLEUR--affiliated to France's                   
Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR);                                         
Melanesian proindependence Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front            
(FLNKS), Paul NEAOUTYINE;                                                       
Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS), Nidoish                   
NAISSELINE;                                                                     
National Front (FN), extreme right, Guy GEORGE;                                 
Caledonie Demain (CD), right-wing, Bernard MARANT;                              
Union Oceanienne (UO), conservative, Michel HEMA;                               
Front Uni de Liberation Kanak (FULK), proindependence, Yann                     
CELENE                                                                          
                                                                                
Suffrage: universal adult at age 18                                             
                                                                                
Elections:                                                                      
                                                                                
Territorial Assembly--last held 11 June 1989 (next to be held NA                
1993);                                                                          
results--percent of vote by party--RPCR 44.5%, FLNKS 28.5%, FN 7%, CD           
5%, UO 4%, other 11%;                                                           
seats--(54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, other 5; note--election              
boycotted by FULK;                                                              
                                                                                
French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be                          
held September 1992);                                                           
results--percent of vote by party NA;                                           
seats--(1 total) RPCR 1;                                                        
                                                                                
French National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988                          
(next to be held June 1993);                                                    
results--percent of vote by party--RPR 83.5%, FN 13.5%, other 3%;               
seats--(2 total) RPCR 2                                                         
                                                                                
Communists: number unknown; Palita extreme left party; some                     
politically active Communists deported during 1950s; small number of            
North Vietnamese                                                                
                                                                                
Member of: FZ, SPC, WFTU, WMO                                                   
                                                                                
Diplomatic representation: as an overseas territory of France,                  
New Caledonian interests are represented in the US by France                    
                                                                                
Flag: the flag of France is used                                                
                                                                                
ECONOMY                                                                         
Overview: New Caledonia has more than 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 negligible amount of the land is suitable for                  
cultivation, and food accounts for about 25% of imports.                        
                                                                                
GNP: $973 million, per capita $5,790; real growth rate 2.4%                     
(1990 est.)                                                                     
                                                                                
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1989)                                   
                                                                                
Unemployment rate: 16.0% (1989)                                                 
                                                                                
Budget: revenues $224.0 million; expenditures $211.0 million,                   
including capital expenditures of NA (1985)                                     
                                                                                
Exports: $344 million (f.o.b., 1989);                                           
                                                                                
commodities--nickel metal 87%, nickel ore;                                      
                                                                                
partners--France 52.3%, Japan 15.8%, US 6.4%                                    
                                                                                
Imports: $389 million (c.i.f., 1989);                                           
commodities--foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical                       
equipment;                                                                      
                                                                                
partners--France 44.0%, US 10%, Australia 9%                                    
                                                                                
External debt: $NA                                                              
                                                                                
Industrial production: growth rate NA%                                          
                                                                                
Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 2,200 million kWh produced,                   
12,790 kWh per capita (1990)                                                    
                                                                                
Industries: nickel mining                                                       
                                                                                
Agriculture: large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, corn,               
wheat, vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef                                  
                                                                                
Illicit drugs: illicit cannabis cultivation is becoming a principal             
source of income for some families                                              
                                                                                
Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral                 
commitments (1970-88), $3.9 billion                                             
                                                                                
Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural--francs);               
1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes                                               
                                                                                
Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF)                   
per US$1--93.28 (January 1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30             
(1988), 109.27 (1987), 125.92 (1986), 163.35 (1985); note--linked at the        
rate of 18.18 to the French franc                                               
                                                                                
Fiscal year: calendar year                                                      
                                                                                
COMMUNICATIONS                                                                  
Highways: 6,340 km total; only about 10% paved (1987)                           
                                                                                
Ports: Noumea, Nepoui, Poro, Thio                                               
                                                                                
Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft                                           
                                                                                
Airports: 29 total, 27 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways;                
none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with            
runways 1,220-2,439 m                                                           
                                                                                
Telecommunications: 32,578 telephones (1987); stations--5 AM, 3 FM,             
7 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station                                    
                                                                                
DEFENSE FORCES                                                                  
Branches: Gendarmerie, Police Force                                             
                                                                                
Manpower availability: males 15-49, 46,388; NA fit for military                 
service                                                                         
                                                                                
Note: defense is the responsibility of France                                   
                                                                                
