Pacific Magazine > 2007 Pacific Almanac
New Caledonia
The Basics
Population: 221, 943 (July 2007 est. CIA)
Capital: Noumea
Land Area: 18,575 sq. km
Political Status and Form of Government: Territory of France since 1956
Languages: French (official), 33 Melanesian languages
Currency: CFP Franc (CFP: “Comptoirs Français du Pacifique”).
Number of Islands: Grande Terre (Mainland), Isle of Pines, Loyalty (Maré, Lifou, Tiga and Ouvéa), the Belep Archipelago and numerous islands and islets.
The Numbers
Gross Domestic Product: US$3.158 billion (2003 est.)
Gross Domestic Product per capita: US$23,700 (2006)
Gross Domestic Product Growth Rate: -2.1% (2000)
National Budget: Expenditure US$ 1.3 billion (2007)
Aid per capita: The equivalent of US$1 billion transfers from France per annum
Life Expectancy: Male: 74.5 years (2007 est.) Female:
Ethnicity: Melanesians 42.5%, Europeans 37.1%, Wallis and Futuna islanders 8.4%, Polynesians 3.8%, Indonesians 3.6%, Vietnamese and Japanese 1.6%, Others 3%
Nationality: New Caledonian
Age Distribution:0-14 years: 27.94%, 15-64 years: 65.3%, 65+: 6.8% (2007 est.)
Population Growth Rate: 1.24% (2006 est.)
People in Power
Head of Government: President Harold Martin
Head of State: President Nicholas Sarkozy (France)
Cabinet Members: Déwé Gorodey, Vice-President, Culture; Annie Beutes, Economy, Labor and Public Service; Sylvie Robineau, Health; Eric Babin, Agriculture and Fisheries; Jean-Claude Briault, Air Transport and Communications; Gerald Cortot, Land and Sea Transport, Infrastructure and Energy; Pierre Ngaiohni, Vocational Training and Domestic Air Travel; Pascal Vittori, Budget and Finance; Maurice Ponga, Youth and Sport; Charles Washetine, Education.
Representative Body: unicameral territorial Congress (54 seats; members are drawn from the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblées Provinciales)
Regional Organizations
ITUC, PIFS (obs), SPC, UPU, WFTU, WMO
Media & Internet Service Providers
One AM and five FM radio stations, six television stations (1998) Newspapers: Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes
Web: Two Internet service providers
Recent News
New Caledonia saw the changing of the guard in 2007 when President Marie-Noëlle Thémereau resigned after the French Presidential and general elections. After some confusion over political alliances and two rounds of voting, Harold Martin took over the presidency.
His government continues to face a series of great opportunities--particularly in respect to continued development of the nickel sector, and challenges, especially in industrial relations matters. New Caledonia has one-quarter of the world’s nickel resources, and the territory’s industry is undergoing expansion on several fronts. French metals group Eramet has ordered the construction of a 210-megawatt coal-fired power station at the Doniambo nickel foundry. Goro Nickel mining company is still confident it will start production at its new plant late this year. The US$3.2 billion project, which will add 60,000 tones of nickel to the world supply, has seen delays, cost explosions and resistance by local groups.
According to New Caledonia's labor department, 2006 saw 34,000 days of work lost due to strikes and blockades in the private sector only. In 2007 that trend continued.
Workers at New Caledonia’s only cement factory went on strike for six weeks, almost bringing the construction sector to a halt for that period.
A general strike affected the operations at the Nouméa domestic airport of Magenta, the wharf, the department of education and the garbage-collection service. Fifteen medical doctors manning the emergency unit of New Caledonia's main general walked off their jobs over security of contracts. Workers at the French Pacific territory's radio and television station, RFO sought to blockade the station over treatment meted out to a casual worker.
Industrial relations also caused friction with France. Visiting overseas territories minister, Christian Estrosi, indicated the new French government would be less tolerant of ongoing strikes in New Caledonia.
“The (French) State may have been operating in a certain manner under previous governments. But … the President of the French Republic has himself sent a clear signal about change, this also means that in New Caledonia, France seeks more than ever to take its responsibilities in order to better accompany New Caledonia towards development. And development is certainly not systematic blockades," Estrosi said.
Airlines, Shippers Serving Countrys
Air: Air Caledonie, Air New Zealand, Air Vanuatu, Qantas, Air France.
Shippers: Bank Line, CGM, Rickmers Reederi, Sofrana Unilines, P&O Cruises (Australia),local services.
Main Government Contact
Office of the President, Government of New Caledonia
98849 Noumea Cedix, New Caledonia
Ph: (687) 246-536
Fax: (687) 246-580
Web:
www.gouv.nc/
Sources and New Caledonia on the Web
New Caledonia Tourism:
www.newcaledoniatourism–south.com
Chamber Of Commerce
www.cci.nc
CIA Factbook
www.cia.gov/
New Caledonia Investment
www.adecal.nc
Oceania Flash
http://newspad-pacific.info/
Map courtesy UH Press, The Pacific Islands; an Encyclopedia
Click map for larger image
