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New Caledonia
*** Shopping-Tip: New Caledonia
:''For the former North American fur-trading district called New Caledonia, see
New Caledonia (Canada).''
{{Infobox_Country
|native_name =Nouvelle-Calédonie
|common_name =New Caledonia
|image_flag =Flag_of_France.svg
|image_coat =NC Armoires.gif
|image_map =New caledonia.jpg
|national_motto =
|national_anthem =''
La Marseillaise''
|official_languages =
French language French
|capital =
Nouméa
|latd= |latm= |latNS= |longd= |longm= |longEW=
|largest_city =
Nouméa
|government_type =
overseas territory of France
|leader_titles =
President of France PresidentHigh Commissioner
President of the Government
|leader_names =
Jacques ChiracMichel Mathieu
Marie-Noëlle Thémereau
|area_rank =~151st
|area_magnitude =1 E8
|area=19,058
|areami²=7,359
|percent_water =Land:
1 E8 m² 18,575.5 km²
|population_estimate = 232,258
|population_estimate_rank = 181st
|population_estimate_year =January 2005
|population_census =230,789
|population_census_year = September 2004
|population_density =12.5
|population_densitymi² =32.4
|population_density_rank =~172nd
|GDP_PPP = $3.158 billion
|GDP_PPP_rank =170th
|GDP_PPP_year=2003
|GDP_PPP_per_capita =$15,000
(2003 est.)
|GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank =65th
|sovereignty_type =
overseas territory of France
|established_events =
|established_dates = since 1853
|HDI =n/a
|HDI_rank =n/a
|HDI_year = 2003
|HDI_category =
unranked
|currency = CFP franc
|currency_code =XPF
|country_code =
|time_zone =
|utc_offset =+11
|time_zone_DST =
|utc_offset_DST =
|cctld =
.nc
|calling_code = 687
|footnotes =
}}
'''New Caledonia''' (
French language French: ''Nouvelle-Calédonie''; popular names: ''Kanaky'', ''Le caillou'') is a "''
sui generis'' collectivity" (in practice an
overseas territory) of
France made up of a main
island (''Grande Terre'') and several smaller islands. It is located in the
subregion region of
Melanesia in the southwest
Pacific Ocean Pacific. It has a land area of 18,575.5
square kilometres (7,172
square mile sq mi). The population at the
2004 census was 230,789 inhabitants. It has an
Internet country code top-level domain (
ccTLD) of
.nc. The capital and largest city of the territory is
Nouméa. The currency is the
CFP franc.
Since 1986 the
United Nations Committee on
Decolonization has included New Caledonia on the
United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, a highly political list that is disputed by
France,
Morocco, the
United States, and the
United Kingdom, which all have territories on the list. The list is partial and controversial because it does not cover all peoples and territorial entities in the world which are neither
sovereign countries nor part of any sovereign country.
New Caledonia will decide whether to remain within the French Republic or become an independent state in a
referendum sometime after 2014.
Its capital Nouméa is the seat of the
subregion regional international organization organization the
Secretariat of the Pacific Community (formerly the South Pacific Commission).
Name
The name ''
Caledonia'' derives from the
Latin name of an area corresponding to modern
Scotland. The name ''Kanaky'' is also in common usage in French, English and the indigenous languages. This name is favored by
Melanesian nationalists. The word comes from ''kanaka'', a
Polynesian languages Polynesian word meaning ''human'' used by Polynesians to call themselves. The word was later used by the French to call all the native inhabitants of the South Pacific Ocean, including the Melanesian (non-Polynesian) native inhabitants of New Caledonia. The word, turned into ''Canaque'' in French, became derogative. In the 1960s and 1970s, when the Melanesian native inhabitants started to organize themselves into political parties and ask for independence, this derogative word was turned into a symbol of political emancipation and pride. In 1983, during the period of political turmoil, the terms KANAK and KANAKY became a political brand names and almost instantly disappeared from the lips of the
Caldoches who realised how the name had changed into a political statement.
Geography
''Main article:
Geography of New Caledonia''
New Caledonia is located around {{coor dm|21|30|S|165|30|E|type:country}} in the southwest
Pacific Ocean, approximately 1,200
kilometres (746
mile mi) east of
Australia and 1,500 kilometres (932 mi) northwest of
New Zealand. The island nation of
Vanuatu lies to the northeast.
New Caledonia is made up of a main island, the '''Grande Terre''', and several smaller islands, the Belep archipelago to the north of the Grande Terre, the
Loyalty Islands to the east of the Grande Terre, the
ÃŽle des Pins to the south of the Grande Terre, and the
Chesterfield Islands and
Bellona Reefs further to the west.
The Grande Terre is by far the largest of the islands, and the only mountainous island. It has an area of 16,372 square kilometres (6,321 sq mi), and is elongated northwest-southeast, 350 kilometres (217 mi) in length and 50 to 70 kilometres (31–44 mi) wide. A mountain range runs the length of the island, with five peaks over 1,500 meters (4,900 ft). The highest point is Mont Panié at 1,628 meters (5,341
foot (unit of length) ft) elevation .
New Caledonia contains about one-quarter of the world's
nickel resources. The mining is mostly done in
Open-pit mining open-pit mining
Climate
Image:New Caledonia - S199828000484.jpg thumb|250px|right|New Caledonia from space
New Caledonia lies astride the
Tropic of Capricorn, between 19° and 23° south latitude. The climate of the islands is
tropical, and rainfall is highly seasonal, brought by trade winds that usually come from the east. Rainfall averages about 1,500 millimetres (59
inch in) yearly on the Loyalty Islands, 2,000 millimetres (79
inch in) at low elevations on eastern the Grande Terre, and 2,000-4,000 millimetres (79–157.5 in) at high elevations on the Grande Terre. The western side of the Grande Terre lies in the
rain shadow of the central mountains, and rainfall averages 1,200 millimetres (47 in) per year.
Ecology
Unlike many of the Pacific islands which are of relatively recent volcanic origin, New Caledonia is an ancient fragment of the
Gondwana supercontinent. New Caledonia and New Zealand separated from Australia 85 million years ago, and from one another 55 million years ago, and New Caledonia still carries many unique and
endemic (ecology) endemic plants and animals of Gondwanan origin. (see
Biodiversity of New Caledonia and
Endemic Birds of New Caledonia). The best known is a hen-sized bird, the Cagou or
Kagu, which cannot fly, has a large crest, and a funny cooing, and whose song and image serves as an emblem. The
Niaouli tree, which also grows in
Australia and
New Guinea, is of medical interest, as
its sap gives gomenol, which smells like camphor and is used to treat head colds.
Before the Europeans arrived, there was no mammal other than the roussette (aka flying fox), a big vegetarian
megabat bat, a local delicacy.
The islands make up two terrestrial ecoregions, the
New Caledonia rain forests on the Loyalty Islands, Ile des Pins, and the eastern side of Grand Terre, and the
New Caledonia dry forests in the rain shadow on the western side of Grand Terre.
As the Europeans settled on the dry west coast and left the east to Kanaks, the political division maps the natural one.
New Caledonia's freshwater ecology also evolved in long isolation, and the
New Caledonia rivers and streams are home to many endemic species.
The
New Caledonia Barrier Reef, which surrounds the Grande Terre and the ÃŽle des Pins, is the second-largest
coral reef in the world after Australia's
Great Barrier Reef, reaching a length of 1,500 kilometres (930 mi). The reef has great species diversity, is home to endangered
dugongs ''(Dugong dugon)'', and is an important nesting site for
Green Sea Turtle ''(Chelonia mydas)''.
Administration
Image:NC Armoires.gif emblem.html" title="Meaning of 190px 190px|thumb|left|Official [[emblem..html" title="Meaning of thumb|left|Official [[emblem">190px|thumb|left|Official [[emblem.">thumb|left|Official [[emblem">190px|thumb|left|Official [[emblem.
Along with other Pacific Ocean's territories of
French Polynesia and
Wallis and Futuna, New Caledonia is part of the
French Republic. Its official status, unique in the French Republic, is said to be ''
sui generis'', because New Caledonia is the only French subdivision that is not a ''
collectivité territoriale''. New Caledonia was a
French colonial empire colony until
1946, then an overseas territory (''
territoire d'outre-mer'', or ''TOM'') from
1946 to
1999. The capital is
Nouméa, the only major conurbation in the territory.
Administrative Divisions
{{main|Subdivisions of New Caledonia}}
Subdivision Administratively, the archipelago is divided into three
provinces:
Islands Province (''Province des ÃŽles'' =
Loyalty Islands),
North Province (''Province Nord'' = the northern mainland) and
South Province (''Province Sud'' = the southern mainland). It is further subdivided into 33
communes.
In addition, a parallel layer of administration exists for Kanak tribal affairs; these are called ''aires coutumières'' ("traditional spheres") and are eight in number ([http://www.gouv.nc/static/pages/outils/telechargement/aires_coutum.zip see map of the "aires coutumières"]). Their jurisdiction does not encompass non-Kanaks living within these zones. The ''aires coutumières'' more or less correspond to the indigenous language areas and/or areas of pre-French tribal alliances.
History
The western
Pacific was first populated about 50,000 years ago. The Austronesians moved into the area later. The diverse group of people that settled over the
Melanesian archipelagos are known as the
Lapita. They arrived in the
archipelago now commonly known as New Caledonia and the
Loyalty Islands around
1500 BC. The
Lapita were highly skilled navigators and agriculturists with influence over a large area of the
Pacific.
From about the
11th century Anno Domini AD Polynesians also arrived and mixed with the populations of the archipelago.
Europeans first sighted New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands in the late
18th century. The British explorer
James Cook sighted
Grande Terre in
1774 and named it ''New Caledonia'' after the
Scottish Highlands, which it resembled, because of the purple hills and mountainside which looked as if they were covered in heather. ''
Caledonia'' was a popular poetic and patriotic term for Scotland, and James Cook's father was Scottish.
British and North American
whaling whalers and
sandalwood traders became interested in New Caledonia and tensions developed as their approach became increasingly dishonest (an arrogant attitude and cheating became commonplace). Europeans used
alcoholic beverage alcohol and
tobacco amongst other things to
barter for commodities. Contact with Europeans brought new diseases such as
smallpox,
measles,
dysentery,
influenza,
syphilis and
leprosy. Many people died as a result of these diseases. Tensions developed into hostilities and in
1849 the crew of the ''Cutter'' were killed and eaten by the Pouma clan.
As trade in
sandalwood declined it was replaced by a new form of trade.
Blackbirding involved enslaving people from New Caledonia, the
Loyalty Islands,
Vanuatu,
Papua New Guinea and the
Solomon Islands to work in sugar cane plantations in
Fiji and
Queensland. The trade ceased at the start of the
20th century.
Catholic and Protestant missionaries first arrived in the nineteenth century. They had a profound effect on indigenous culture. They insisted people should wear clothes to cover themselves. They eradicated many local practices and traditions.
The island was made a French possession in
1853 in an attempt by
Napoleon III to rival the British colonies in
Australia and
New Zealand. Following the example set by the
United Kingdom British in nearby
Australia, between 1854 and 1922 France sent a total of 22,000 convicted felons to
penal colonies along the south-west coast of the island; this number includes regular criminals as well as political prisoners such as Parisian socialists and
Kabyle nationalists. Towards the end of the penal colony era, free European
settlers (including former convicts) and Asian contract workers by far out-numbered the population of forced workers. The indigenous Kanak populations declined drastically in that same period due to introduced diseases and an
apartheid-like system called ''Code de l'Indigénat'' which imposed severe restrictions on their livelihood, freedom of movement and land ownership.
New Caledonia has been on a
United Nations list of non-self-governing territories since
1986. This list includes such places as the
American Samoa, the British
Falkland Islands, or the New Zealand territory of
Tokelau, but noticeably it does not include places like
Tibet or
West Papua, which has led to its reputation as a politically biased list. Agitation by the
Front de Libération Nationale Kanak Socialiste (
FLNKS) for independence began in
1985. The FLNKS (led by the late
Jean-Marie Tjibaou, assassinated in
1989) advocated the creation of an independent state of 'Kanaky'. The troubles culminated in
1988 with a bloody
Ouvéa cave hostage taking hostage taking in Ouvéa. The unrest led to agreement on increased autonomy in the
Matignon Accords, 1988 Matignon Accords of
1988 and the
Nouméa Accord of
1998. This Accord describes the
devolution process as "irreversible" and also provides for a local Caledonian citizenship, separate official symbols of Caledonian identity (such as a "national"
vexillology flag), as well as mandating a referendum on the contentious issue of independence from the French Republic sometime after 2014.
Politics
''Main article:
Politics of New Caledonia''
Image:Flag of New Caledonia.svg thumbnail|right|Flag of New Caledonia|Flag of the independence movements
The unique status of New Caledonia is in between that of an independent country and a normal
Département d'outre-mer overseas ''département'' of France. On the one hand, a territorial Congress (''
Congrès du territoire'') and a government of the territory have been established, and a devolution of powers is organized by the 1998
Nouméa Accord. Key areas such as taxation, labour law, health and hygiene and foreign trade are already in the hands of the territorial Congress. Further competence will supposedly be given to the territorial Congress in the near future. Eventually, the French Republic should only remain competent for foreign affairs, justice, defence, public order, and treasury.
A New Caledonian "citizenship" has also been introduced: only New Caledonian "citizens" have the right to vote in the local elections. This measure has been criticised, because it creates a second-class status for French citizens living in New Caledonia who do not possess New Caledonian "citizenship" (because they settled in the territory recently). New Caledonia is also allowed to engage in international cooperation with independent countries of the
Pacific Ocean. Finally, the territorial Congress is allowed to pass statutes that are derogatory to
French law in a certain number of areas.
On the other hand, New Caledonia remains an integral part of the French Republic. Inhabitants of New Caledonia are French citizens and carry French passports. They take part in the legislative and presidential French elections. New Caledonia sends two representatives to the
French National Assembly and one senator to the
French Senate. The representative of the French central state in New Caledonia is the
High Commissioner of the Republic (''
Haut-Commissaire de la République'', locally known as "''haussaire''"), who is the head of civil services, and who seats in the government of the territory.
It was decided in the Nouméa Accord that the territorial Congress will have the right to call for a
referendum on
independence after
2014, at a time of its choosing.
The current president of the government elected by the territorial Congress is
Marie-Noëlle Thémereau, from the loyalist (i.e. anti-independence) ''
Avenir ensemble'' party ("Future together"), which toppled the long-time ruling
RPCR (Rally for Caledonia inside the Republic) in May 2004. "Future Together" is a party of mostly Caucasian and Polynesian New Caledonians opposed to independence but tired of the hegemonic and allegedly corrupt anti-independence RPCR. Their toppling of the RPCR (that was until then seen as the only voice of New Caledonian whites) was a surprise to many, and a sign that the society of New Caledonia is undergoing changes. "Future together", as the name implies, is opposed to a racial vision of New Caledonian society, opposing Melanesian native inhabitants and European settlers, and is in favour of a multicultural New Caledonia, better reflecting the existence of large populations of Polynesians, Indonesians, Chinese, and other immigrants. Some members of "Future Together" are even in favour of independence, though not necessarily on the same basis as the Melanesian independence parties.
Demographics
''Main article:
Demographics of New Caledonia''
Though still the relative majority, the indigenous
Melanesia Melanesian Kanak people Kanak community now represents 44.6% of the whole population (at 1996 census), their proportion of the population having declined due to immigration and other factors. The rest of the population is made up of ethnic groups that arrived in New Caledonia in the last 150 years:
Europeans (34.5%),
Polynesians (
Wallis and Futuna Wallisians,
Tahitians) (11.8%),
Indonesians (2.6%),
Vietnamese people Vietnamese (1.4%),
Ni-Vanuatu (1.2%), and various other groups (3.9%), such as
Malabar Malabaris,
Kabyles du Pacifique Berbers,
Japanese people Japanese,
Overseas Chinese Chinese,
Fijian people Fijians. Some of this immigration was a direct consequence of various conflicts around the world but in particular of the crumbling of the French Empire.
The Kanak are known officially as
Melanesians. Similarly, those whose roots are in
French Polynesia are known either as Tahitians (which excludes persons originating in the other archipelagoes of French Polynesia) or simply as Polynesians (which would include both Tahitians and Wallisians, as well as many other minor groups). Whites that have lived in New Caledonia for several generations are locally known as ''
Caldoches'', whereas newcomers who have immigrated from metropolitan France are called ''
Métros'' or ''
Métropolitains''. Within the official statistical category "Europeans" no distinction is made between Caledonian-born whites and French-born whites, however it is estimated that approximately two thirds identify themselves with the Caldoche community while the rest see themselves primarily as
French people French immigrants. There is a significant contingent of people that arrive from France to work for a year or two and others that have come to retire. The Caldoche usually refer to themselves simply as ''calédoniens'' and may be either white (mostly French or
German people German) or white with an admixture of Asian, Melanesian or Polynesian ancestry. Caldoche culture has many similarities with
culture of Australia Australian and
Afrikaner culture. Until very recently the Kanak population held an economically disadvantaged position in New Caledonian society, while wealthy French expatriats formed the top of the socio-economic hierarchy. The Asian and Polynesian inhabitants dominate certain segments of the local economy.
There have been frequent accusations by the pro-independence movement that the French government is attempting to skew the demographic balance between the ethnic communities by clandestinely settling thousands of people from mainland France among the white Caledonians. Censuses are extremely critical to the balance of power in New Caledonia, and the organisation of a new census was regularly postponed after
1996. Eventually the census was carried out in August and September
2004, amidst raging controversies over ethnic questions. Due to an intervention by French president
Jacques Chirac, questions asking for the ethnicity of people were deleted from the 2004 census, officially because they were deemed to contravene the
Constitution of France French Constitution, which states that no distinction based on ethnicity or religion should be made among French citizens. The indigenous Melanesian Kanak leaders, who are extremely sensitive to ethnic balance issues, called for New Caledonians of Kanak ethnicity not to return census forms if questions regarding ethnicity were not asked, threatening to derail the census process. Eventually, the stalemate was resolved when the local New Caledonian statistical office (a branch of the national French statistical office
INSEE) agreed to ask questions regarding ethnicity. However, it is not known whether questions regarding ethnicity were asked to all residents of New Caledonia, and at any rate no data have been released, leaving the ethnic tables from the 1996 census as the only information on ethnicity currently available.
According to the 2004 census, there were 230,789 inhabitants in New Caledonia as of September 2004. This means a population increase of 1.9% per year since 1996, which is less than had been anticipated. In particular, Kanak leaders were fearful of a large influx of white people from
metropolitan France which would alter the ethnic balance in the territory. Census results show that immigration to New Caledonia was not as high as anticipated, with nonetheless a positive migration flow of about 1,000 people yearly to New Caledonia between 1996 and 2004.
Pictures Gallery
Image:Hienghene_La_Poule.JPG|"La Poule" ("The Hen") in Hienghène
Image:Nouméa_Phare_Amédée.JPG|"Le phare Amédée" ("The Amédée hlighthouse") in Nouméa
Image:Ouvéa_Plage_de_Mouli.JPG|A beach on the Ouvéa atoll
Image:Nouméa_Ile_des_Pins_Upi.JPG|Upi Bay on the Isle Of Pines
Image:Nouméa_Ile_des_Pins_Saint_Joseph.JPG|"Baie de Saint-Joseph" on the Isle Of Pines
Image:Pirogue_Nouvelle_Calédonie.JPG|A traditional dugout from the Island Of Pines
Image:Kiosque.jpg|A famous music Kiosk on "Place des Cocotiers" in Nouméa
Image:fontaine_celeste_noumea.jpg|Fontaine Céleste, on "Place des Cocotiers" à Nouméa
Image:Sud NC.JPG|A typical landscape from the South of "Grande Terre", the main island.
Image:femmes_kanak.jpg|A Group of Kanak women
Image:201 au 28 -07-2004 553.jpg|"La Baie des Tortues" ("Turtles Bay"), near Bourail.
Image:Plage ouvea.jpg|25kms of white sands waitind just for you in Ouvéa !!
Miscellaneous
*
Communications in New Caledonia
* '''Disputes - international:'''
Matthew Island Matthew and
Hunter Islands claimed by
France and
Vanuatu.
*
Economy of New Caledonia
*
Military of New Caledonia
*
Music of New Caledonia
* Sister city:
Gold Coast, Queensland Gold Coast,
Australia
*
Transportation in New Caledonia
See also
*
French overseas departments and territories
*
Administrative divisions of France
*
Islands controlled by France in the Indian and Pacific oceans
* '''New Caledonia''' was also the name of an early settlement in western
Canada which later became part of
British Columbia; see
New Caledonia (Canada).
Publications
* J. W. Anderson, ''Fiji and New Caledonia'', (London, 1880)
* Alfred Schreiner, ''La Nouvelle-Calédonie depuis sa découverte jusqu'à nos jours'', (Paris, 1882)
* León Vallée ''Essai d'une bibliographie de la Nouvelle-Cadédonie et dépendances'', (Paris, 1885)
* G. Griffith, ''In an Unknown Prison Land: An Account of Convicts and Colonists in New Caledonia'', (London, 1901)
* J. B. Alberti, ''La colonisation à la Nouvelle-Calédonie'', (Paris, 1909)
External links and references
{{wikinewscat|New Caledonia|New Caledonia}}
{{wikinews|New Caledonia prepares for 2011 South Pacific Games}}
-
Endemic flora of New-Caledonia (French language)
-
Finding New Caledonia
-
"France's Best Kept Secret" by Roderick Eime
-
Jane's New Caledonia Home Page
-
Map of New Caledonia
-
New Caledonia photos
-
New Caledonia travel photos
-
New-Caledonia pictures 500 high-quality pictures of New-Caledonia (French language)
-
Tourism Information of New-Caledonia (French language)
-
New Caledonia Travel Overview
* This article incorporates edited material from the
CIA World Factbook 2000
-
Willgoto New Caledonia Travel guide and directory
-
past and current developments of France's overseas administrative divisions like New Caledonia (French language)
-
Croix du Sud Good source of information in English and French
-
Dictionnaire Franco-Calédonien de brousse-en-folie.com A comprehensive list of French words, idioms and phrases unique to New Caledonia
-
Proposals for a new flag for ''New Caledonia-Kanaky''
-
General information and maps of the provinces, municipalities and the tribal zones
{{Subdivisions of New Caledonia}}
{{Pacific_Islands}}
Category:Emergency laws
Category:Melanesia
Category:New Caledonia
Category:Special territories of the European Union
Category:Special territories
Category:Archipelagoes
Category:Melanesia
Category:Oceania
Category:Proposed countries
{{Link FA|hr}}
zh-min-nan:Sin Calédonie
ca:Nova Caledònia
de:Neukaledonien
et:Uus-Kaledoonia
el:Î?Îα Καληδονία
es:Nueva Caledonia
eo:Nov-Kaledonio
fr:Nouvelle-Calédonie
ko:ëˆ„ë²¨ì¹¼ë ˆë?„니
hr:Nova Kaledonija
io:Nova-Kaledonia
id:Kaledonia Baru
is:Nýja-KaledónÃa
it:Nuova Caledonia
he:×§×œ×“×•× ×™×” החדשה
jv:Kaledonia Baru
lt:Naujoji Kaledonija
hu:Új-Kaledónia
nl:Nieuw-Caledonië (collectief)
ja:ニューカレドニア
no:Ny-Caledonia
pl:Nowa Kaledonia
pt:Nova Caledónia
ru:Ð?оваÑ? КаледониÑ?
sk:Nová Kaledónia
sl:Nova Kaledonija
sr:Ð?ова Каледонија
sh:Nova Kaledonija
fi:Uusi-Kaledonia
sv:Nya Kaledonien
tr:Yeni Kaledonya
zh:新喀里多尼亞
{{sisterlinkswp|Category:New Caledonia}}
Category:Oceanic dependencies
Category:Melanesia
Category:French overseas departments, territories and collectivities
ca:Categoria:Nova Caledònia
de:Kategorie:Neukaledonien
fr:Catégorie:Nouvelle-Calédonie
ko:분류:ëˆ„ë²¨ì¹¼ë ˆë?„니
io:Category:Nova-Kaledonia
nl:Categorie:Nieuw-Caledonië
fi:Luokka:Uusi-Kaledonia
*** Shopping-Tip: New Caledonia
