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Nouvelle-Calédonie New Caledonia Flag Emblem Anthem: La Marseillaise Capital (and largest city) Nouméa Official languages French Government Overseas territory of France  -  President of France Nicolas Sarkozy  -  President of the Government of New Caledonia Harold Martin  -  High Commissioner Yves Dassonville Overseas territory of France since 1853  Area  -  Total 18,575 km² (154th) 7,359 sq mi  Population  -  Jan. 1, 2007 estimate 240,400[1] (176th)  -  Aug./Sept. 2004 census 230,789[2]   -  Density 13/km² (200th) 34/sq mi GDP (nominal) 2006 estimate  -  Total $6.813 billion[3] (not ranked)  -  Per capita $28,568 [3] (not ranked) HDI (2003) n/a (unranked) (n/a) Currency CFP franc (XPF) Time zone (UTC+11) Internet TLD .nc Calling code +687 New Caledonia[4] (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), the Loyalty Islands, and several smaller islands. It is located in the region of Melanesia in the southwest Pacific. At about half the size of Taiwan, it has a land area of 18,575.5 square kilometres (7,172 sq mi). The population was 240,400 inhabitants as of January 2007 official estimates.[1] 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. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Image File history File links NC_Armoires. ... The only flag in official use in New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France, is the French tricolour. ... The emblem of New Caledonia consists of a nautilus shell in the foreground; the symbol behind it is a flèche faitière, a kind of arrow which adorns the roofs of Kanak houses, thrust through tutut shells. ... A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history, traditions and struggles of its people, recognized either by a countrys government as the official national song, or by convention through use by the people. ... This article is about the anthem La Marseillaise. A sculpture popularly called La Marseillaise is part of the sculptural program of the Arc de Triomphe. ... Image File history File links LocationNewCaledonia. ... Not to be confused with capitol. ... Population: 201,816 (July 2000 est. ... Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. ... An official language is a language that is given a special legal status in the countries, states, and other territories. ... The President of France, known officially as the President of the Republic (Président de la République in French), is Frances elected Head of State. ... Nicolas Sarkozy at Paris, May 2005. ... The contents of this page have yet fully to incorporate the effects of the Noumea Accord of 1998 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... Harold Martin (b. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... To help compare different orders of magnitude and geographical regions, we list here areas between 100 km² and 1000 km². See also areas of other orders of magnitude. ... This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Map of countries by population for the year 2007 This is a list of countries ordered according to population. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Population density by country, 2006 List of countries and dependencies by population density in inhabitants/km². The list includes sovereign states and self-governing dependent territories that are recognized by the United Nations. ... World map of GDP (Nominal and PPP). ... Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head. ... Map of countries by 2006 GDP (nominal) per capita (IMF, October 2007). ... This page talks about Human Development Index, for other HDIs see HDI (disambiguation) World map indicating Human Development Index (2007). ... This talks about the countries in the Human Development Index, for information on the Human Development Index, please Click Here World map indicating Human Development Index (2007) (Colour-blind compliant map) For red-green color vision problems. ... ISO 4217 Code XPF User(s) New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna Inflation 2. ... ISO 4217 is the international standard describing three letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... UTC redirects here. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... .nc is the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD) for New Caledonia. ... This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E.164. ... Sui generis is a (post) Latin expression, literally meaning a scholar like what pradeep is or unique in its characteristics. ... A United Kingdom overseas territory (formerly known as a dependent territory or earlier as a crown colony) is a territory that is under the sovereignty and formal control of the United Kingdom but is not part of the United Kingdom proper ( Great Britain and Northern Ireland). ... The Loyalty Islands. ... The definition of continental subregions in use by the United Nations. ... map of Melanesia Melanesia (from Greek: μέλας black, νῆσος island) is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western side of the West Pacific to the Arafura Sea, north and northeast of Australia. ... Pacific redirects here. ... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... “TLD” redirects here. ... A country code top-level domain (ccTLD) is a top-level domain used and reserved for a country or a dependent territory. ... .nc is the Internet country code top-level domain ( ccTLD) for New Caledonia. ... Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. ... ISO 4217 Code XPF User(s) New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna Inflation 2. ... Since 1986 the United Nations Committee on Decolonization has included New Caledonia on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. New Caledonia will decide whether to remain within the French Republic or become an independent state in a referendum sometime after 2014. UN redirects here. ... Colonialism in 1945 Decolonization refers to the undoing of colonialism, the establishment of governance or authority through the creation of settlements by another country or jurisdiction. ... Map of the countries in the UN list:  current  former The United Nations maintains a list of territories that do not govern themselves. ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A referendum (plural referendums or referenda), ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... Its capital Nouméa is the seat of the regional organization the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (formerly the South Pacific Commission). Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. ... The definition of continental subregions in use by the United Nations. ... For the political science journal, see International Organization. ... Flag of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community The Secretariat of the Pacific Community or SPC is a regional intergovernmental organisation whose membership includes both nations and territories. ... Contents 1 Origin of the name 2 History 3 Politics 3.1 Representation at the national level 4 Geography 5 Subdivisions 6 Climate 7 Ecology 7.1 Ecology and politics 8 Economy 9 Demography 9.1 Languages 10 Culture 10.1 Sports 11 Images of New Caledonia 12 Miscellaneous topics 13 See also 14 External links 15 Footnotes 16 References [edit] Origin of the 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 Hawai`ian word (elsewhere tangata and variants) meaning "human/person/people", used by Polynesians to refer to themselves. The word was later used by the French about all the indigenous inhabitants of the South Pacific Ocean, including the Melanesian (non-Polynesian) native inhabitants of New Caledonia. The word, turned into Canaque in French, became derogatory. In the 1960s and 1970s, when the Melanesian native inhabitants started to organize themselves into political parties and call for independence, the word was transformed into a symbol of political emancipation and pride. In 1983, during the period of political turmoil, the terms Kanak and Kanaky became political brand names and colonial whites (Caldoches) realized the name had changed into a political statement. Caledonia is the Latin name given by the Roman Empire to a northern area of the island of Great Britain. ... For other uses, see Latins and Latin (disambiguation). ... This article is about the country. ... map of Melanesia Melanesia (from Greek: μέλας black, νῆσος island) is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western side of the West Pacific to the Arafura Sea, north and northeast of Australia. ... The Polynesian languages are a language family spoken in the region known as Polynesia. ... Polynesian is an adjectival form which refers variously to: Polynesian pie Polynesian sauce, a food condiment available at Chick-fil-A the aboriginal inhabitants of Polynesia, and their: Polynesian culture Polynesian mythology Polynesian languages Category: ... Caldoche is the name given to European inhabitants of the French territory of New Caledonia. ... [edit] 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. For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ... Melanesia (from Greek black islands) is a region extending from the west Pacific to the Arafura Sea, north and north-east of Australia. ... The Mergui Archipelago The Archipelago Sea, situated between the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland, the largest archipelago in the world by the number of islands. ... Lapita is the common name of an ancient Pacific Ocean culture which is believed by some to be the common ancestor of several cultures in Polynesia and surrounding areas. ... The Mergui Archipelago The Archipelago Sea, situated between the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland, the largest archipelago in the world by the number of islands. ... The Loyalty Islands. ... Lapita is the common name of an ancient Pacific Ocean culture which is believed by some to be the common ancestor of several cultures in Polynesia and surrounding areas. ... For other meanings of Pacific, see Pacific (disambiguation). ... From about the 11th century 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, Caledonia being the Latin name for Scotland. During the same voyage he also named the islands to the north of New Caledonia the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu), after the islands north of Scotland. This article is about the British explorer. ... Guadeloupe consists of two islands separated by a salt river and whose combined shape resembles a butterfly. ... The New Hebrides are an island group in the South Pacific that now form the nation of Vanuatu. ... Whalers operated off New Caledonia during the 19th century. Sandalwood traders were welcome but as supplies diminished, the traders became abusive. The 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. The branches of a young sandalwood tree found in Hawaii Sandalwood is the fragrant wood of trees in the genus Santalum. ... Smallpox (also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera) is a contagious disease unique to humans. ... Dysentery (formerly known as flux or the bloody flux) is frequent, small-volume, severe diarrhea that shows blood in the feces along with intestinal cramping and tenesmus (painful straining to pass stool). ... Flu redirects here. ... Syphilis is a curable sexually transmitted disease caused by the Treponema pallidum spirochete. ... For the malady found in the Hebrew Bible, see the article Tzaraath. ... As trade in sandalwood declined it was replaced by a new form of trade, Blackbirding. Blackbirding was a euphemism for 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. The victims of this trade were called Kanakas, a label later shortened to Kanak and adopted by the indigenous population after French annexation. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,024 × 768 pixels, file size: 615 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Fontaine Céleste on the Place des Cocotiers in Nouméa, New Caledonia File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as... The branches of a young sandalwood tree found in Hawaii Sandalwood is the fragrant wood of trees in the genus Santalum. ... Blackbirding refers to the recruitment of people through trickery and kidnappings to work on plantations, particularly the sugar cane plantations of Queensland (Australia) and Fiji[1] , as well as in the early days of the pearling industry in Broome. ... Blackbirding refers to the recruitment of people through trickery and kidnappings to work on plantations, particularly the sugar cane plantations of Queensland (Australia) and Fiji[1] , as well as in the early days of the pearling industry in Broome. ... The Loyalty Islands. ... Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Anna Bligh (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd... The island was made a French possession in late 1853 in an attempt by Napoleon III to rival the British colonies in Australia and New Zealand. Following the example set by the British in nearby Australia, between 1864 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. Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (April 20, 1808 - January 9, 1873) was the son of King Louis Bonaparte and Queen Hortense de Beauharnais; both monarchs of the French puppet state, the Kingdom of Holland. ... A penal colony is a colony used to house prisoners. ... This article focuses on the geographical area of Kabylie and its people. ... Settlers are people who have travelled of their own choice, from the land of their birth to live in new lands or colonies. ... A segregated beach in South Africa, 1982. ... Forced Labor: The construction of the Guinée railway by African sujets of French West Africa, c. ... During World War II, US and Allies forces built a major position in New Caledonia to combat the advance of Japan in South-East Asia and toward Australia. Noumea served as a headquarters for the United States military in the Pacific. The proximity of the territory with the South Pacific operations permitted also quick repairs in Noumea of damaged US ships. The American 23rd Infantry Division is still unofficially named Americal, the name being a contraction of "America" and "New Caledonia". Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... This article is about the independent states that comprised the Allies. ... The ensign of Imperial Japanese Navy was a prominent symbol of Imperial Japan. ... The Americal Division of the United States Army was formed in May 1942 on the island of New Caledonia. ... The U.S. military headquarters - a pentagonal complex - was, after the war, taken over as the base for a new regional intergovernmental development organisation: the South Pacific Commission, later known as the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. Flag of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community The Secretariat of the Pacific Community or SPC is a regional intergovernmental organisation whose membership includes both nations and territories. ... Hienghène New Caledonia has been on a United Nations list of non-self-governing territories since 1986. 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 hostage taking in Ouvéa. The unrest led to agreement on increased autonomy in the 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" flag), as well as mandating a referendum on the contentious issue of independence from the French Republic sometime after 2014. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1800 × 1200 pixel, file size: 168 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Nouvelle-Calédonie - Hienghène - le rocher dit La Poule photo personnelle libre de droits - personal picture free license File historyClick on a date/time... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (1800 × 1200 pixel, file size: 168 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Nouvelle-Calédonie - Hienghène - le rocher dit La Poule photo personnelle libre de droits - personal picture free license File historyClick on a date/time... Hienghène is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... Map of the countries in the UN list:  current  former The United Nations maintains a list of territories that do not govern themselves. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... The National Union for Independence-Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (French: Union Nationale pour lIndépendance - Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste) is a militant socialist pro-independence political party in New Caledonia. ... Jean-Marie Tjibaou (1936 – 1989) was involved in politics in New Caledonia. ... From April 22, 1988 to May 5, 1988, independence fighters took 27 French gendarmes as hostages in the island of Ouvéa, New Caledonia, requesting instant independence of New Caledonia from France. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Politics of New Caledonia. ... Look up Devolution in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Flag of the Fédération internationale des associations vexillologiques. ... [edit] Politics Main article: Politics 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 Overseas department of France. The contents of this page have yet fully to incorporate the effects of the Noumea Accord of 1998 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... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Caledonia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Caledonia. ... Under the 1946 Constitution of the Fourth Republic, the French colonies of Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana in the Caribbean and Réunion in the Indian Ocean became départements doutre-mer (Overseas departments) or DOMs. ... On the one hand, both a Territorial Congress (Congress of New Caledonia) and government have been established, and are increasingly empowered via the gradual implementation of a devolution of powers from France in favour of New Caledonia, pursuant to the 1998 Nouméa Accord. Key areas (e.g. taxation, labour law, health and hygiene, foreign trade, and others) are already in the hands of the Territorial Congress and government. Further authority will be given to the Territorial Congress in the near future. Ultimately, the French Republic should only remain in charge of foreign affairs, justice, defense, public order, and treasury. An additional enhancement to New Caledonian autonomy has come in the form of recently-introduced territorial "citizenship": Only New Caledonian "citizens" have the right to vote in local elections. The introduction of this right 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). Further signs of increased autonomy for the territory, include New Caledonia's right to engage in international cooperation with independent countries of the Pacific Ocean region, the continued use of a local currency (the French Pacific Franc, or CFP) rather than the Euro, as well as the authority of the Territorial Congress to pass statutes overriding French law in a certain number of areas. The Congress of New Caledonia (French: ), a territorial congress (congrès territorial or congrès du territoire), is the legislature of New Caledonia. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Politics of New Caledonia. ... ISO 4217 Code XPF User(s) New Caledonia, French Polynesia, and Wallis and Futuna Inflation 2. ... For other uses, see Euro (disambiguation). ... In academic terms, French law can be divided into two areas: private law (droit privé) and public law (droit public). Private law includes, in particular, civil law (droit civil) and criminal law (droit pénal). Public law includes, in particular, administrative law (droit administratif) and constitutional law (droit constitutionnel). However... On the other hand, New Caledonia remains a part of the French Republic. The inhabitants of New Caledonia are French citizens and carry French passports. They take part in the legislative and presidential French elections, sending two representatives to the French National Assembly and one senator to the French Senate. At the 2007 French presidential election the voter turnout in New Caledonia was 68.14%.[5] 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 sits as an integral part of the territorial government. The Palais Bourbon, front The French National Assembly (French: Assemblée nationale) is one of the two houses of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. ... The Senate amphitheater in the Luxembourg Palace The Senate (in French :le Sénat) is the upper house of the Parliament of France. ... The 2007 French presidential election, the ninth of the Fifth French Republic was held to elect the successor to Jacques Chirac as president of France for a five-year term. ... Voters lining up outside a Baghdad polling station during the 2005 Iraqi election. ... High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment. ... The Nouméa Accord provides a mechanism for the determination of the ultimate status and degree of New Caledonian territorial autonomy: Pursuant to the Accord, the Territorial Congress will have the right to call for a referendum on independence, at any time of its choosing after 2014. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Politics of New Caledonia. ... Elections Part of the Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A referendum (plural referendums or referenda), ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita, originally a decree of the Concilium Plebis) is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. ... The current president of the government elected by the territorial Congress is Harold Martin, from the loyalist (i.e. anti-independence) "Future Together" party (l'Avenir Ensemble), which toppled the long-time ruling RPCR (Rally for Caledonia in the Republic) in May 2004. "Future Together" is a party of mostly White and Polynesian New Caledonians opposed to independence, but rebelling against the hegemonistic and (allegedly) corrupt anti-independence RPCR, led by the now-discredited Jacques Lafleur. 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 New Caledonian society is undergoing changes. "Future Together," as the name implies, is opposed to a racial-oriented vision of New Caledonian political life, one based purely on the political primacy of either the Melanesian native inhabitants or the descendants of European settlers. Rather, it is in favour of a multicultural New Caledonia, of governing principles that better reflect the reality of the existence of large populations of Polynesians, Indonesians, Chinese, and other immigrant communities that make up the territory's population. Some members of "Future Together" are even in favour of independence, though not necessarily on the same basis as the Melanesian independence parties. The EFI Wizard Harold Martin Harold Martin is an American drag racer in the IHRA series. ... The Future Together (Avénir ensemble) is a political party in New Caledonia, supporting the maintenance of the relations with France. ... The Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (Rassemblement pour une Calédonie dans la République) is a political party in New Caledonia, strongly supportive of the French status of New Caledonia. ... Jacques Lafleur (20 November 1932 - ) is a French politician born in New Caledonia. ... [edit] Representation at the national level New Caledonia sends two deputies to the French National Assembly, one representing the commune (municipality) of Nouméa, the commune of L'Île-des-Pins and the Loyalty Islands Province, and the other representing the rest of New Caledonia. New Caledonia also sends one senator to the French Senate. A Member of Parliament, or MP, is a representative elected by the voters to a parliament. ... The Palais Bourbon, front The French National Assembly (French: ) is one of the two houses of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. ... Map of the 36,568 communes of metropolitan France. ... Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. ... LÃŽle-des-Pins is a commune in the South Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. ... The Loyalty Islands. ... The Senate (in French : le Sénat) is the upper house of the Parliament of France. ... [edit] Geography Main article: Geography of New Caledonia New Caledonia map from CIA World Factbook Île des Pins La Baie des Tortues New Caledonia is located around 21°30′S, 165°30′E in the southwest Pacific Ocean, approximately 1,200 kilometres (746 mi) east of Australia and 1,500 kilometres (932 mi) northwest of New Zealand. The island nation of Vanuatu lies to the northeast. Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia Geographic coordinates: 21°30′ S 165°30′ E Map references: Oceania Area:x total: 19,060 sq km land: 18,575 sq km (7,172 sq. ... New Caledonia, from the CIA fact book. ... New Caledonia, from the CIA fact book. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,800 × 1,200 pixels, file size: 305 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Nouvelle-Calédonie - Nouméa - Ile des Pins - la baie dUpi photo personnelle libre de droits - personal picture free license File historyClick... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,800 × 1,200 pixels, file size: 305 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Nouvelle-Calédonie - Nouméa - Ile des Pins - la baie dUpi photo personnelle libre de droits - personal picture free license File historyClick... The Isle of Pines or Kunie is a small island belonging to the French territory of New Caledonia, measuring 14km by 8km. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 642 KB) Baie des Tortues (Turtles bay) near La roche percée (The pierced rock) at Bourail in New Caledonia. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 642 KB) Baie des Tortues (Turtles bay) near La roche percée (The pierced rock) at Bourail in New Caledonia. ... 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 Île des Pins to the south of the Grande Terre, the Chesterfield Islands and Bellona Reefs further to the west. Belep Islands are a group of islands and a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... The Loyalty Islands. ... The Isle of Pines or Kunie is a small island belonging to the French territory of New Caledonia, measuring 14km by 8km. ... Chesterfield Islands from space Chesterfield Islands (îles Chesterfield in french) is an archipelago of New Caledonia located in the Coral Sea, 550 km North East of Grande Terre the main island of New Caledonia. ... 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 ft) elevation. The total area of New Caledonia is 19,060 square kilometers (7,359 sq mi), 18,575 square kilometers (7,172 sq mi) of those being land. Mont Panié is the highest peak of New Caledonia with 1,628 meters. ... Topographic map of New Caledonia Piroque Île des Pins New Caledonia is one of the northernmost parts of a (93%) submerged continent called Zealandia. It sank after rifting away from Australia 60–85 million years ago (mya) and from Antarctica between 130 and 85 mya. New Caledonia itself is separated from Australia since 65 mya, and subsequently drifted in a north-easterly direction, reaching its present position about 50 mya.[6] Image File history File links Size of this preview: 781 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,399 × 1,842 pixels, file size: 759 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 781 × 600 pixelsFull resolution‎ (2,399 × 1,842 pixels, file size: 759 KB, MIME type: image/png) File historyClick on a date/time to view the file as it appeared at that time. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1800x1200, 270 KB) free license picture - photo personnelle libre de droits Pirogue traditionnelle de lÃŽle des Pins près de Nouméa en Nouvelle-Calédonie File links The following pages link to this file: Sailing ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1800x1200, 270 KB) free license picture - photo personnelle libre de droits Pirogue traditionnelle de lÃŽle des Pins près de Nouméa en Nouvelle-Calédonie File links The following pages link to this file: Sailing ... The Isle of Pines or Kunie is a small island belonging to the French territory of New Caledonia, measuring 14km by 8km. ... Animated, colour-coded map showing the various continents. ... Topography of Zealandia. ... In geology, a rift is a place where the Earths lithosphere is expanding. ... [edit] Subdivisions Main article: Administrative divisions of New Caledonia Along with other Pacific Ocean 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 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. New Caledonia 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). ... The French Republic or France (French: République française or France) is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. ... Sui generis is a (post) Latin expression, literally meaning a scholar like what pradeep is or unique in its characteristics. ... // Metropolitan France As of January 1, 2004, metropolitan France is divided into: 22 régions (although strictly speaking Corsica is in fact a territorial collectivity, not a région, but is referred to as a région in common speech) the régions are divided into 96 départements the... -1... A Territoire doutre-mer (TOM, French for Overseas territory) is an administrative division of France. ... Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. ... A conurbation is an urban area comprising a number of cities, towns and villages which, through population growth and expansion, have physically merged to form one continuous built up area. ... Administratively, the archipelago is divided into three provinces: Subnational entities redirects here. ... A province is a territorial unit, almost always a country subdivision. ... South Province (province Sud). Provincial capital: Nouméa. Population: 164,113 inhabitants (2004). North Province (province Nord). Provincial capital: Koné. Population: 44,596 inhabitants (2004). Loyalty Islands Province (province des îles Loyauté). Provincial capital: Lifou. Population: 22,080 inhabitants (2004). Baie de Saint-Joseph à l'Île des Pins Ouvéa atoll It is further subdivided into thirty-three communes. One commune, Poya, is divided between two provinces. The northern half of Poya, with the main settlement and most of the population, is part of the North Province, while the southern half of the commune, with only 122 inhabitants in 2004, is part of the South Province. The South Province (French Province Sud) is one of three administrative subdivisions in New Caledonia. ... Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. ... The North Province (French Province Nord) is one of three administrative subdivisions in New Caledonia. ... Koné is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... The Loyalty Islands. ... Lifou from space, November 1990 Lifou is the largest and most important island of the Loyalty Islands. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,800 × 1,200 pixels, file size: 516 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Nouvelle-Calédonie - Nouméa - Ile des Pins - Saint-Joseph photo personnelle libre de droits - personal picture free license File historyClick on a... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,800 × 1,200 pixels, file size: 516 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Nouvelle-Calédonie - Nouméa - Ile des Pins - Saint-Joseph photo personnelle libre de droits - personal picture free license File historyClick on a... The Isle of Pines or Kunie is a small island belonging to the French territory of New Caledonia, measuring 14km by 8km. ... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,800 × 1,200 pixels, file size: 279 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) La plage de Mouli à Ouvéa (Nouvelle-Calédonie) photo personnelle libre de droits personal picture free license File historyClick on a date... Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution‎ (1,800 × 1,200 pixels, file size: 279 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) La plage de Mouli à Ouvéa (Nouvelle-Calédonie) photo personnelle libre de droits personal picture free license File historyClick on a date... Ouvéa from space, November 1990 Ouvea may refer to: Ouvéa, an island in the Loyalty Islands of New Caledonia. ... The commune is the lowest level of administrative division in the French Republic. ... Poya is a municipality in New Caledonia that lies partly in both the South and the North Province. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... South Province North Province Loyalty Islands Province Thio Yaté L'Île-des-Pins Le Mont-Dore Nouméa Dumbéa Païta Bouloupari La Foa Sarraméa Farino Moindou Bourail Poya (south part) Poya (north part) Pouembout Koné Voh Kaala-Gomen Koumac Poum Belep Ouégoa Pouébo Hienghène Touho Poindimié Ponérihouen Houaïlou Kouaoua Canala Ouvéa Lifou Maré There are also three administrative subdivisions, simply known as subdivisions in French, with exactly the same names and same boundaries as the three provinces, except that the commune of Poya is entirely contained inside the North Subdivision. Contrary to the provinces, which are full political divisions with provincial assemblies and executives, the administrative subdivisions are merely deconcentrated divisions of the French central state, akin to the arrondissements of metropolitan France, with a Deputy Commissioner of the Republic (commissaire délégué de la République), akin to a subprefect of metropolitan France, in residence in each subdivision's chief town. The South Province (French Province Sud) is one of three administrative subdivisions in New Caledonia. ... The North Province (French Province Nord) is one of three administrative subdivisions in New Caledonia. ... The Loyalty Islands. ... Thio is a municipality in the South Province of New Caledonia. ... Yaté is a municipality in the South Province of New Caledonia. ... LÃŽle-des-Pins is a commune in the South Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. ... Le Mont-Dore is a commune in the suburbs of Nouméa in the South Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. ... Nouméa is the capital city of the French territory of New Caledonia. ... Dumbéa is a municipality in Greater Nouméa in the South Province of New Caledonia. ... Païta is a municipality in Greater Nouméa in the South Province of New Caledonia. ... Bouloupari (locally spelled Boulouparis, but this spelling is not recognized by French authorities) is a commune in the South Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. ... La Foa is a municipality in the South Province of New Caledonia. ... Sarraméa is a municipality in the South Province of New Caledonia. ... Farino is a municipality in the South Province of New Caledonia. ... Moindou is a municipality in the South Province of New Caledonia. ... Bourail is a municipality in the South Province of New Caledonia. ... Poya is a municipality in New Caledonia that lies partly in both the South and the North Province. ... Poya is a municipality in New Caledonia that lies partly in both the South and the North Province. ... Pouembout is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... Koné is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... Voh is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... Kaala-Gomen is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... Koumac is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... The Workers Party of Marxist Unification (POUM, Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista) was a Spanish political party around the time of the Spanish Civil War. ... Belep Islands are a group of islands and a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... Ouégoa is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... Pouébo is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... Hienghène is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... Touho is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... Poindimié is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... Ponérihouen is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... Houaïlou is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... Kouaoua is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... Canala is a municipality in the North Province of New Caledonia. ... Ouvéa from space, November 1990 Ouvea may refer to: Ouvéa, an island in the Loyalty Islands of New Caledonia. ... Lifou from space, November 1990 Lifou is the largest and most important island of the Loyalty Islands. ... Maré is one of the three main islands in the Loyalty Islands and a municipality in the Islands Province of New Caledonia. ... Decentralization is the process of dispersing decision-making closer to the point of service or action. ... The 100 French départements are divided into 342 arrondissements. ... Metropolitan France Metropolitan France (French: or la Métropole) is the part of France located in Europe, including Corsica (French: Corse). ... Subprefecture is an administrative level that is below prefecture or province. ... The subdivision chief towns are the same as the provincial capitals except in the South Subdivision where the chief town is La Foa, whereas the capital of the South Province is Nouméa. Thus, although the provincial assembly of the South Province sits in Nouméa, the South Subdivision's Deputy Commissioner of the Republic is in residence in La Foa. This was decided in order to counterbalance the overwhelming weight of Nouméa in New Caledonia. La Foa is a municipality in the South Province of New Caledonia. ... In addition, a parallel layer of administration exists for Kanak tribal affairs; these are called aires coutumières ("traditional spheres") and are eight in number (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 of pre-French tribal alliances. [edit] Climate 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 in) yearly on the Loyalty Islands, 2,000 millimetres (79 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. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (734x870, 179 KB) Summary SeaWiFS captured this view of New Caledonia with neighboring Vanuatu hidden just beneath the clouds to the northeast. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (734x870, 179 KB) Summary SeaWiFS captured this view of New Caledonia with neighboring Vanuatu hidden just beneath the clouds to the northeast. ... World map showing the Tropic of Capricorn For the novel by Henry Miller, see Tropic of Capricorn (novel). ... The tropics are the geographic region of the Earth centered on the equator and limited in latitude by the two tropics: the Tropic of Cancer in the north and the Tropic of Capricorn in the southern hemisphere. ... For the Australian television series see Rain Shadow (TV series). ... [edit] Ecology "Baie des Tortues" (Turtle Bay) near "La roche percée" (Pierced Rock) at Bourail in New Caledonia New Caledonia is considered one of the world's most botanically-important, and critically endangered hotspots. Unlike many of the Pacific Islands, which are of relatively recent volcanic origin, New Caledonia is an ancient fragment of the Gondwana super-continent. New Caledonia and New Zealand separated from Australia 85 million years ago[citation needed], and from one another 55 million years ago[citation needed]. This isolated New Caledonia from the rest of the world's landmasses, and made it a Noah's Ark of sorts, preserving a snapshot of prehistoric Gondwanan forests. The country still shelters an extraordinary diversity of unique, endemic, and extremely primitive plants and animals of Gondwanan origin. For more information on the significance of this country's flora and fauna, as well as the dangers it faces, and its effects on national social, economic, and political life, see Biodiversity of New Caledonia and Endemic Birds of New Caledonia. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 642 KB) Baie des Tortues (Turtles bay) near La roche percée (The pierced rock) at Bourail in New Caledonia. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 642 KB) Baie des Tortues (Turtles bay) near La roche percée (The pierced rock) at Bourail in New Caledonia. ... For other uses of Gondwana and Gondwanaland, see Gondwana (disambiguation). ... This article is about the vessel described in the Hebrew scriptures. ... In biology and ecology endemic means exclusively native to a place or biota, in contrast to cosmopolitan or introduced. ... The Biodiversity of New Caledonia, a large Pacific island group, is considered to be one of the most important in the region. ... This article is one of a series providing information about endemism among birds in the Worlds various zoogeographic zones. ... Although the majority of the country's citizens are unaware of the extraordinary nature of their country's biological patrimony, a few of the country's animals and plants have become somewhat emblematic in local culture. Among the best known is a hen-sized, flightless bird, commonly-known as the Cagou or Kagu, which has a large crest and an odd barking call. Its song and image are frequently seen as nationally-recognized icons. Another commonly used cultural emblem is the Columnar or Cook's Pine (Araucaria columnaris), an important symbol in Kanak culture. The Niaouli tree (also native to Australia and New Guinea), is of medicinal interest, locally and abroad. Its sap (which contains Gomenol, a camphor-smelling compound), is used to treat head colds, and as an antiseptic. It also shows potential to treat other medical ailments. Before the Europeans arrived, there was no mammal other than the Roussette (aka flying fox), a large vegetarian bat, considered a local delicacy. Less well-known by the native population is the fact their country is home to a species of plant, (Amborella trichopoda), believed to be genetically close to the ancestor of all flowering plants, or the fact their nation boasts the largest number and diversity of conifer species in the world, per unit of geographic area (a remarkable fact, given that conifers are usually relatively rare in tropical regions). Binomial name Verreaux & DesMurs, 1860 The Kagu or Cagou (Rhynochetos jubatus) is a long-legged blue-greyish bird, the only member of the family Rhynochetidae. ... Cultural flag of the Kanak community, showing a flèche faîtière (a spear-like wooden totem monument placed atop Kanak traditional dwellings). ... See also the band, Fruit Bats. ... Binomial name Amborella trichopoda Baill. ... Typical terrain in the south of the islands at Grand Terre Official emblem (