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New Caledonia Country Guide
Explore New Caledonia in Oceania
The terrain features coastal plains with interior mountains. The average density of population is approximately 11 per km². The notable climate conditions in New Caledonia can be described as tropical with modified by southeast trade winds and hot, humid. Potential natural disasters are cyclones, most frequent from November to March.
To reach someone in New Caledonia dial +687 prior to a number. There are 65,900 installed telephones. And there are 208,000 registered mobile phones. The cellular networks commonly support frequencies of 900 MHz. Websites registered in this country end with the top level domain ".nc". If you want to bring electric equipment on your trip (e.g. laptop power supply), note the local power outlet of 220V - 50Hz.
About the flag and history of New Caledonia
The flag of France is used.
Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island became 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 a referendum between 2014 and 2018 to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.
Geography Quick-Facts
| Summary | Continent: Oceania Neighbours: Capital: Noumea |
| Size | 19,060 square kilometers (km² or sqkm) or 7,359 square miles (mi² or sqmi) slightly smaller than New Jersey |
| Population | 216,494 |
| Currency | Name Franc, Currency Code:XPF |
| Country Top Level Domain (cTLD) | .nc |
| Telephone Country Prefix | +687 |
| Mobile Phone Connections | 208,000 |
| Landline Phone Connections | 65,900 |
Country Position in World Rankings
Information about single country attributes and how these compare against the rest of the world. The information below is compiled with data from 2013. As such, it may differ a bit to the Information above in the text (which is from 2010).
Geography
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 18,575 (sq km) | 156 |
People and Society
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 264,022 | 182 |
| Population growth rate | 1.45 (%) | 82 |
| Birth rate | 15.81 (births/1,000 population) | 126 |
| Death rate | 5.39 (deaths/1,000 population) | 175 |
| Net migration rate | 4.12 (migrant(s)/1,000 population) | 26 |
| Infant mortality rate | 5.54 (deaths/1,000 live births) | 178 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 77.13 (years) | 70 |
| Total fertility rate | 2.02 (children born/woman) | 126 |
Economy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| GDP (purchasing power parity) | 9,280,000,000 | 154 |
| GDP - real growth rate | 0.60 (%) | 170 |
| GDP - per capita (PPP) | 37,700 | 33 |
| Labor force | 106,400 | 183 |
| Unemployment rate | 17.10 (%) | 153 |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.70 (%) | 27 |
| Exports | 969,400,000 | 159 |
| Imports | 3,313,000,000 | 143 |
| Debt - external | 79,000,000 | 191 |
Energy
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Electricity - production | 1,675,000,000 (kWh) | 138 |
| Electricity - consumption | 1,558,000,000 (kWh) | 145 |
| Electricity - installed generating capacity | 421,000 (kW) | 141 |
| Electricity - from fossil fuels | 79.10 (% of total installed capacity) | 93 |
| Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 18.50 (% of total installed capacity) | 94 |
| Electricity - from other renewable sources | 2.40 (% of total installed capacity) | 54 |
| Refined petroleum products - consumption | 13,640 (bbl/day) | 149 |
| Refined petroleum products - exports | 730 (bbl/day) | 115 |
| Refined petroleum products - imports | 14,550 (bbl/day) | 121 |
| Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy | 3,027,000 (Mt) | 141 |
Communications
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Telephones - main lines in use | 76,200 | 152 |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 227,300 | 176 |
| Internet hosts | 34,231 | 104 |
| Internet users | 85,000 | 165 |
Transportation
| Value name | Value | World Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Airports | 25 | 128 |
| Roadways | 5,622 (km) | 151 |
| Merchant marine | 3 | 137 |
Data based on CIA facts book 2010 & 2013, wikipedia, national statistical offices and their census releases