New Caledonia (
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. 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
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.
The current president of the government elected by the territorial Congress is
Marie-Noëlle Thémereau, from the loyalist (for example 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's 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 nation. Some members of "Future Together" are even in favour of independence, though not necessarily on the same basis as the Melanesian independence parties.
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.
Subdivisions
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 isn't 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.
Administratively, the archipelago is divided into three
provinces:
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.
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 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.
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 doesn't encompass non-Kanaks living within these zones. The
aires coutumières more or less correspond to the indigenous language areas of pre-French tribal alliances.
Geography
New Caledonia is located around 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.
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.
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, of those being land.
New Caledonian soils contain a considerable wealth of industrially-critical elements and minerals, including about one-quarter of the world's
nickel resources. Mining is therefore a significant industry that greatly benefits the national economy. However, the country is also home to numerous, critically-important ancient ecosystems. Thus, widely-practiced and indiscriminate
open-pit mining across much of New Caledonia, has been (and continues to be) responsible for severe deterioration of the nation's irreplaceable natural heritage.
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.
Climate
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.
Ecology
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, and from one another 55 million years ago. 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.
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 cooing call. Its song and image are frequently seen as nationally-recognized icons. Another frequently 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 geographic area (a remarkable fact, given that conifers are usually relatively rare in tropical regions).
The islands contain two precipitation zones: Higher-rainfall areas (located on the Loyalty Islands, Isle of Pines (Île des Pins), and on the eastern side of Grande Terre) which support
New Caledonia rain forests, and a more arid region, home to the now exceedingly-endangered New Caledonia dry forests, located in the rain shadow on the western side of Grande Terre. Europeans settled on the dry west coast of Grande Terre, leaving the east (as well as the Loyalty Islands and the Isle of Pines) to the Kanaks, and resulting in an ethno-cultural division which coincides with the natural one. Extensive farming by Europeans in the dry forest areas, has caused these forest ecosystems to virtually disappear.
It is a vast oversimplification, however, to merely describe New Caledonia's extremely important, complex and diverse ecology in terms of precipitation zones. Species and ecological diversity is further complicated by soil type (degree and type of mineralization), altitude, and geographic location (for instance, Loyalty Islands and Isle of Pines have flora that's distinct from Grande Terre).
In addition to the remarkable terrestrial environment of New Caledonia, the country is also home to important aquatic ecosystems. Its freshwater ecology also evolved in long isolation, and the New Caledonia rivers and streams are home to many endemic species. Moreover, the
New Caledonia Barrier Reef, which surrounds Grande Terre and the Isle of Pines (Île des Pins), is the second-largest
coral reef in the world after Australia's
Great Barrier Reef, reaching a length of 1,500 kilometres (930 mi). Like its terrestrial counterpart, the Caledonian reef system has great species diversity, is home to endangered
dugongs
(Dugong dugong), and is an important nesting site for the
Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas). The
Nautilus is a living-fossil species, once common during the age of the dinosaurs, and survives today in the waters surrounding New Caledonia.
Ecology and politics
Aside from the challenges posed by charting a course for the territory's racial and political life, the current government faces an additional, extraordinary challenge in balancing the needs of the territory's mining-based economy, with the protection of its globally-recognized, ecological-important wild areas (see Ecology, below, as well as
Biodiversity of New Caledonia and
Endemic Birds of New Caledonia). The territory is essentially one of the most evolutionarily isolated areas in the world, and its natural environment is comparable in many ways to a real-life
Jurassic Park, especially with regards to its native plant life and its barrier reef, the second largest in the world. Although, no animal dinosaurs obviously exist today, New Caledonia's flora (and, in a few cases, fauna) is extraordinarily primitive, substantially unchanged from the days of the dinosaurs, and can be found virtually nowhere else on earth outside of its small land mass. Safeguarding and preserving such a critical biological resource is an important national responsibility --- one which, to date, has taken a distant back seat to the rapid and destructive exploitation of the nation's many and substantial mineral resources (nickel, and other metals). It is those very mineral resources which permit New Caledonia to have a fairly prosperous economy today, and which have made the elite and influential classes in New Caledonia quite wealthy.
As recently as the late 1990s and the early part of the new millennium, the RPCR under
Jacques Lafleur (whose family was among those benefiting from exploitation of the territory's mineral wealth) ruthlessly (and often violently) suppressed efforts by incipient, grass-roots environmental organizers like Bruno Van Peteghem. Although such efforts merely sought to implement and observe reasonable environmental norms (transparency in legal proceedings, implementation of required environmental studies prior to destructive human activities, and unbreakable protection of the most critical of biological preserves), Bruno Van Peteghem experienced threats, the firebombing of his home, and eventually, employment-based pressure that led to his exile from New Caledonia. His allies faced similar experiences.
The plight of New Caledonia's environmental patrimony gradually became known to the world at large, partly because Van Peteghem was made a recipient of the prestigious
Goldman Environmental Prize for his efforts and sacrifice on behalf of Caledonian ecological protection. In the face of mounting international public awareness, the government slowly implemented some modifications to its near-nonexistent ecological-protection policies. For example, funds were spent on the restoration and upgrading of facilities of a few, high-profile ecologically-important sites, like the famed Madeleine Waterfalls Preserve (Chutes de la Madeleine). Although this prevented the kinds of abuses by the general public that had previously threatened the site (for example wood-cutting, fire, garbage, graffiti, etc.), it ultimately does little to give iron-clad protection from mining or industrial exploitation, should such exploitation be proposed for preserves like the Madeleine Waterfalls Preserve. This very fate befell the ecologically-significant area which was completely razed to implement the nearby INCO nickel mine.
Today, despite continued slow progress in a few areas (for example judicial revocation of the INCO mining license in June of 2006 due to numerous abuses), the government still moves slowly, if at all, to address grave threats to New Caledonia's ecological diversity from fire, industrial and residential development, and unrestricted agricultural activity, as well as mining. Every year, more of New Caledonia's natural environment is destroyed or degraded all over its small landmass, due to governmental inaction and willful lack of funding for protective resources. Compounding the problem, is the fact that local environmental-protection agencies, charged with intelligent oversight of natural resources, have implemented a few well-intentioned, but ultimately counterproductive measures whose ultimate effect is to undercut the preservation of natural genetic diversity of the territory's flora and fauna.
Demographics
Though still the largest group, the indigenous
Melanesian
Kanak community now represents 44.6% of the whole population (as of 1996 census), their proportion of the population having declined due to immigration and other factors. The rest of the population is made up of ethnic groups that arrived in New Caledonia in the last 150 years:
Europeans (34.5%) (predominantly
French, with
German,
British and
Italian minorities),
Polynesians (
Wallisians,
Tahitians) (11.8%),
Indonesians (2.6%),
Vietnamese (1.4%),
Ni-Vanuatu (1.2%), and various other groups (3.9%), such as
Malabaris and
Tamils,
Indians (Hindu and Muslim),
Sri Lankans,
Bengalis,
Berbers,
Japanese,
Chinese,
Fijians (Native Fijians and Fiji Indians),
Arabs,
West Indian (mostly from other French territories) and a small number of ethnic
Africans. At the same census, 37.1% of people whose age was 14 or older reported that they could speak (but not necessarily read or write) one of the 28 indigenous
Austronesian languages of New Caledonia (see
New Caledonian languages and
Loyalty Island languages), whereas 58.7% reported that they'd no knowledge of any of these 28 indigenous languages.
Culture
Rugby league has been played in New Caledonia since 2003 when its
rugby union governing body and clubs switched to the other code. The
New Caledonia national rugby league team represents New Caledonia in an international rugby league.
The New Caledonian Football (soccer) team participate in the Oceania regions Nations Cup.
Miscellaneous topics
Communications in New Caledonia
Economy of New Caledonia
Music of New Caledonia
Sister city of Nouméa: Gold Coast, Australia
Territorial disputes: International: Matthew and Hunter Islands, claimed by Vanuatu.
Transportation in New Caledonia
Mining in New Caledonia (External Link)
External results
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