New Caledonia is a special collectivity of France located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. The archipelago consists of the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Chesterfield Islands, the Belep archipelago, and several other small islands.

The indigenous population of New Caledonia are the Kanaks, who make up around 39% of the total population. The remainder of the population is made up of people of European, Polynesian, Indonesian, and Vietnamese descent. French is the official language, but many Kanaks also speak their native language, which is known as Kanak or Drehu.

The economy of New Caledonia is heavily reliant on mining, particularly of nickel. Other important sectors include fishing, agriculture, and tourism. The territory has a high standard of living, with a strong social welfare system and a well-developed healthcare and education system.

New Caledonia has been a French territory since the mid-19th century, and has a unique political status as a special collectivity. The political landscape is complex, with tensions between those who want greater autonomy or independence for the territory, and those who want to maintain close ties with France. In a 2018 referendum, 56% of voters chose to remain part of France, but there are ongoing discussions about the possibility of future referendums on independence.

Telephone Code
687

Local Emergency Phone
Ambulance: 15; Fire: 18; Police: 17

Vaccinations
An International Certificate of Vaccination for yellow fever is required for travelers arriving from countries with a risk of yellow fever transmission and for travelers having transited through the airport of a country with risk of yellow fever transmission. See WHO recommendations.

Climate
Tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Currency (Code)
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF)

Electricity/Voltage/Plug Type(s)
220 V / 50 Hz / plug types(s): C, F

Major Languages
French, 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Major Religions
Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%

Potable Water
Yes, but some opt for bottled water

International Driving Permit
Suggested

Road Driving Side
Right

Tourist Destinations
Noumea (includes Tjibaou Cultural Center, Aquarium des Lagons Nouvelle Caledonie, Harbor); Amedee Lighthouse; Port-Boise; Isle of Pines; Lifou Island

Major Sports
Soccer, rugby, cricket, cycling

Cultural Practices
It is considered impolite to cut into a conversation uninvited (wait to be asked), to speak too loudly in public, to arrive late to a pre-arranged meeting, or to fail to show respect to everyone, especially elders.

Tipping Guidelines
Tipping is generally not expected. However, small tips given to tour guides are accepted. Rounding up the total bill is a good practice.

Souvenirs
Seashell, black coral, and precious metal jewelry; sandstone-carved items, essential oils, sarongs, woven baskets, preserves, ceremonial wood-carved items

Traditional Cuisine
Bougna — coconut milk combined with various root vegetables such as taro, manioc, and yams and often chicken, pork, or seafood; the mixture is wrapped in banana leaves and placed over hot coals in an earthen oven

Geography
Area
total: 18,575 sq km
land: 18,275 sq km
water: 300 sq km

Climate
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Natural resources
nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper

People and Society
Population
300,682 (2023 est.)

Ethnic groups
Kanak 39.1%, European 27.1%, Wallisian, Futunian 8.2%, Tahitian 2.1%, Indonesian 1.4%, Ni-Vanuatu 1%, Vietnamese 0.9%, other 17.7%, unspecified 2.5% (2014 est.)

Languages
French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Religions
Christian 85.2%, Muslim 2.8%, other 1.6%, unaffiliated 10.4% (2020 est.)

Population growth rate
1.17% (2023 est.)

Government
Government type
parliamentary democracy (Territorial Congress); an overseas collectivity of France

Capital
name: Noumea

Economy
Economic overview
upper-middle-income French Pacific territorial economy; large tourism presence that was hit hard by COVID-19; nickel and other metals mining operations; continuing French subsidies; large exporter of nickel to China

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$11.11 billion (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita
$31,100 (2015 est.)

Agricultural products
coconuts, vegetables, maize, fruit, beef, pork, potatoes, bananas, eggs, yams

Industries
nickel mining and smelting

Exports
$2.207 billion (2014 est.)

Exports - partners
China 59%, South Korea 14%, Japan 11% (2019)

Exports - commodities
iron alloys, nickel, cobalt, carbonates, essential oils (2019)

Imports
$2.715 billion (2015 est.)

Imports - partners
France 43%, Australia 12%, Singapore 12%, China 6% (2019)

Imports - commodities
refined petroleum, aircraft, coal, cars, packaged medicines (2019)