Area: 18 576 sq km
Population: 271 407 inhab. (census 2019)
Density: 14.61 inhab./sq km
Coordinates: lat. 17° - 23° S; long. 157° - 174° E
Capital: Nouméa (chief town) 94 285 inhab. (2019); Nouméa 182 341 inhab. (2019), urban agglomeration
Currency: CFP franc (Change franc Pacifique)
Member of SPC
New Caledonia

GMT +11
DST not applied
Annual average temperature (°C) Nouméa 23
Average temperature in January/July (°C) Nouméa 26/20
Daily sunshine hours in June/December (average) Nouméa 6/9
Annual average precipitation (mm) Nouméa 1055
Days of rainfall (annual average) Nouméa 106

It has its own special statute, and is governed by a High Commissioner; the New Caledonian Congress is made up of 54 members (the members of the three provincial assemblies being elected directly for a five-year term). It is represented in Paris by two deputies and two senators. After a long decolonization process, in a referendum on 4 November 2018, voters decided against independence from France with 56.4% of the votes.
Geography.
The island group in the southwest Pacific Ocean lies just north of the Tropic of Capricorn, about 1500 km from the coast of Australia. It has a tropical climate.
Administrative division
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Nouméa | 94 285 | inhab. | 2019 |
Dumbéa | 31 812 | inhab. | 2014 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Nouméa | 182 341 | inhab. | 2019 |
Population
Population by age and gender (% - 2020) | ||||||||
| ||||||||
MALE | AGE | FEMALE |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Birth rate | 14$ | ‰ | 2019 |
Death rate | 5.8 | ‰ | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Melanesian | 41.2 | % | 2019 |
European | 24.1 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Catholic | 50.8 | % | 2010 |
Protestant | 32.4 | % | 2010 |
DESCRIPTION |
---|
French (official) |
Melanesian dialects |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
0-14 years | 21.7 | % | 2020 |
15-29 years | 23.8 | % | 2020 |
Economy
Economy.
Important economic activities are nickel mining and tourism.
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Agricultural prod. index (2004-06=100) | 105.33 | index | 2016 |
Agricultural prod. index (2014-16=100) | 99.71 | index | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Active population | 141 001 | units | 2020 |
Active population, Females | 45.7 | % | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Unemployment rate | 16.5 | % | 2020 |
Unemployment rate, Females | 50.3 | % | 2019 |
Agriculture
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
arable land | 0.531 | % | 2018 |
forests | 45.854 | % | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cereals, total | 8.951 | 1000 t | 2019 |
maize | 8.842 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cassava | 0.832 | 1000 t | 2019 |
potatoes | 2.485 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
eggplants | 0.146 | 1000 t | 2019 |
watermelons | 0.82 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coconuts | 15.2 | 1000 t | 2019 |
copra | 0.1 | 1000 t | 2006 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coffee | 0.002 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
fruits, total | 12.116 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
citrus fruits | 2.406 | 1000 t | 2019 |
lemons | 0.924 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
bananas | 2.16 | 1000 t | 2019 |
mangoes | 1.132 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
maize | 1.028 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
sorghum | 0.191 | 1000 ha | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cassava | 0.28 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
potatoes | 0.284 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
watermelons | 0.068 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coconuts | 2.421 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
coffee | 0.017 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
citrus fruits | 0.393 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
lemons | 0.274 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
bananas | 0.516 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
mangoes | 0.137 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
Forests-Livestock-Fishing
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
timber | 27 642 | m³ | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cattle | 84.074 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
cattle and buffaloes | 84.074 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
pigs | 40.802 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
sheep | 2.282 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
goats | 0.667 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
equines, total | 11.276 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
horses | 11.276 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
birds | 480 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
honey | 0.231 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
eggs | 2.14 | 1000 t | 2019 |
hides and skins | 0.388 | 1000 t | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
crustaceans and molluscs | 1 550 | t | 2019 |
freshwater fishes | 1$ | t | 2018 |
Minerals
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cobalt | 2.1 | 1000 t | 2018 |
nickel | 216.2 | 1000 t | 2018 |
Energy
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
- thermal | 2 585 | M kWh | 2018 |
- hydro | 317.24 | M kWh | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
- thermal | 875 | 1000 kW | 2018 |
- other renew. | 97.38 | 1000 kW | 2019 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
total net generation | 2 947.24 | M kWh | 2018 |
total installed capacity | 1 024.13 | 1000 kW | 2018 |
Industry
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
ferroalloys | 260.2 | 1000 t | 2018 |
nickel | 32.5 | 1000 t | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
beer of barley | 16$ | 1000 t | 2018 |
coconut oil | 0.079 | 1000 t | 2018 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
cement | 86.3 | 1000 t | 2018 |
Trade
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
manufactures | 59.041 | % of goods exports | 2015 |
ores and metals | 37.754 | % of goods exports | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
France | 271.1 | M US$ | 2010 |
Japan | 238.7 | M US$ | 2010 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
France | 736.9 | M US$ | 2010 |
China | 582.7 | M US$ | 2010 |
Tourism
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Expenditures | 252 | M US$ | 2016 |
Number of arrivals | 130 000 | units | 2019 |
Social and welfare
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Illiteracy rate, adult | 3.1 | % | 2015 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Physicians | 2.3 | per 1000 pop. | 2017 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Tuberculosis (prevalence) | 10$ | per 100 000 pop. | 2008 |
DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
---|---|---|---|
Access to electricity | 100 | % | 2019 |
Access to improved drinking-water source | 99.329 | % | 2017 |