Orbital photo of Nouméa, New Caledonia, taken from the International Space Station. Image courtesy of NASA.

Nouméa, or Noumea, is the capital city of New Caledonia. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grand Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Indonesian, Tahitian and Vietnamese population, as well as many native Kanaks that work in one of the South Pacific's most industrialised cities. This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Map of New Caledonia New Caledonia (French: Nouvelle-Calédonie; popular names: Kanaky, Le caillou) is a French territory of 18,575 km² (7,172 sq. ... This article is about the continent. ... The Republic of Indonesia is located in the Malay Archipelago, the worlds largest archipelago, between Indochina and Australia, between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. ... Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean, at 17° 40 South, 149° 30 West. ... Vietnamese can mean: Vietnamese people - the majority ethnic group residing in Vietnam, also known as Kinh or Gin. ... South Pacific is a musical play by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, which opened on Broadway on April 7, 1949. ... For genres of music known as industrial, see industrial music. ...

The area in which the city is found was not an important one for Kanaks prior to European settlement; the first European to set up a settlement nearby was a British trader, James Paddon, in 1851. The French, anxious to assert control of the island, established a settlement there three years later in 1854, moving from the north of the island (the settlement of Balade). The area served first as a penal colony, later as a centre for the exploitation of the nickel and gold that was mined nearby. It served at the headquarters of the United States military in the Pacific during World War II. Events January 23 - The flip of a coin determines whether a new city in Oregon is named after Boston, Massachusetts, or Portland, Maine, with Portland winning. ... 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. ... Events January 13 - The accordion is patented by Anthony Faas. ... This article is about the element nickel. ... General Name, Symbol, Number Gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11 (IB), 6, d Density, Hardness 19300 kg/m3, 2. ...

The US 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. The Secretariat of the Pacific Community, as it was later known, has become a "mini-United Nations of the South Pacific" in the words of the former President of Vanuatu, Ati George Sokomanu, with the additional distinction of allowing island territories equal status and voting rights with independent countries in its governing council. 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. ... The Republic of Vanuatu is a country located in the South Pacific Ocean. ...

Even today the US wartime military influence lingers, both in the warmth that many Kanak people feel towards the USA after experiencing the relative friendliness of American soldiers, and also in the names of several of the quartiers in Noumea. Districts such as "Receiving" and "Robinson", or even "Motor Pool", strike the anglophone ear strangely, until the historical context becomes clear. An anglophone is someone who speaks English natively or by adoption. ...

Noumea, the city, is the most "westernised" in the Pacific Islands region, with the exception of Hagåtña, Guam, and is a complete contrast to the rest of New Caledonia's wide open spaces, bare jagged hills, and largely indigenous population. Although Noumea probably has the "best" climate in the South Pacific, with more sunshine days than any other Pacific Island capital, and some excellent beaches not far from the city centre, it is not currently a major tourist destination. The cost of living is high, and there is no cheap air-travel from the Pacific Rim. Noumea's international airport is at Tontouta, 50 kilometres from the city, although there is an airport within the city, Magenta, which services local routes. However, for those who love boardsailing, Noumea is well worth the additional expense. Along with its high number of sunshine-days comes a brisk breeze, at least by comparison with other Pacific Islands. Hagåtña (formerly Agana) is the capital of Guam. ... Map of the Pacific Rim and List of the Pacific Rim Nations The Pacific Rim is a political and economic term used to designate the countries on the edges of the Pacific Ocean, as well as the various island nations within the region. ... Windsurfing in Essex, England Windsurfing (also called boardsailing) is a sport involving travel over water on a small 2-4. ...

Noumea is currently one of the most rapidly-growing cities in the Pacific, and has experienced a major housing construction boom within the past decade. Despite this rapid growth, the installation of amenities has kept pace, and the municipality boasts an impressive public works programme. Much of this construction is apparently fuelled by investment from France. It is the hope of the government that this investment, over the lifetime of the multi-decadal track towards increasing autonomy planned under the Matignon and now the Noumea Accords, will eventually become fully sustainable. (Amongst the Francophone development intelligentsia there is some criticism of the way in which the British withdrew so rapidly from their colonies in Asia, Africa and the Pacific, without first ensuring that the new countries thus created could "stand on their own two feet" economically and politically). The Matignon Accords of 1936 were an agreement between the French government, employers and labour guaranteeing trade union membership and negotiating rights, a 40-hour working week and paid workers holidays. ... A Francophone is a person who speaks French natively or by adoption (i. ...

External links

• "France's Best Kept Secret" (http://members.ozemail.com.au/~rodeime/newcal/) by Roderick Eime
• Tourism New Caledonia (South) (http://www.newcaledoniatourism-south.com/)
• Zeal.com's Noumea (http://www.zeal.com/category/preview.jhtml?cid=10187244)
• Noumea's official municipal website (http://www.ville-noumea.nc/vivre/default.asp) (in French)
• Nouméa: Commune Française du Bout du Monde (http://www.ac-noumea.nc/laperouse/site-hg/site/) - an exceptionally well-realised school project on the geography and history of Noumea (in French)