Dialing code +687
ISO 2 code NC
ISO 3 code NCL
Capital Noumea
Main Language French
Currency Franc (XPF)
GDP $3.2 billion 166th
Population 216,494 185th

Geography

Continent Oceania
Location Oceania islands in the South Pacific Ocean east of Australia
Land 19,060 km2 156th
Terrain Coastal plains with interior mountains
Climate Tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot humid
Natural Hazards Coastal plains with interior mountains
Note: Consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean) the archipelago of Iles Loyaute and numerous small sparsely populated islands and atolls

Neighbouring Countries

History

Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century the island was made a French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s ended in the 1998 Noumea Accord which over a period of 15 to 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct as many as three referenda between 2013 and 2018 to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.
Read more on Wikipedia

Demographics

Life Expectancy 74.98 years 76th
Median Age 28.7 years 92nd
Birth Rate 17.04 births/1,000 population 113th
Death Rate 5.68 births/1,000 population 158th
Sex Ratio 0.86 male(s)/female 56th
Literacy 96.2% 77th
Population

216494

Transportation

Roadways 5622 km 149th
Railways None km
Airports 25 127th
Waterways None km
Heliports 6 26th
Airports paved 1 113th

Economy

Currency Franc (XPF)
GDP $3.2 billion 166th
GDP per capita (PPP) $15000 68th