| Surface : 18,575
sq km (7172 sq miles) - New-Caledonia is and archipelago located in
the western south Pacific, and is a part of Melanesia. The main island,
called "Grande Terre" is 400 kms long and has a width of 50
kms. To the east of the main island are located the Loyalty Islands (Ouvéa,
Lifou, Tiga and Maré), and to the south is the Island of Pines,
called by the japanese "the closest
island to Paradise" |
| Population : 209,222 inhabitants |
| Electricity: 220
volts AC, 50Hz. European-style, two-pin plugs are in use |
| PASSPORTS:
Passport valid for at least three months beyond
length of stay required by all. VISAS:
Required by all except the following for a period of up to one month
for non-EU nationals and up to three months for EU nationals:
nationals of Andorra, Argentina, Bermuda, Bolivia, Brunei, Chile,
Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador,
Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Korea (Rep),
Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, New Zealand,
Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Poland, San Marino, Singapore,
Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Switzerland, Uruguay, Vatican City and
Venezuela; nationals of the following, provided their passport states
‘holder has right of abode in the UK’: Cayman Islands, Montserrat,
St Helena, British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands. |
| Climate: Warm,
subtropical climate. The cool season is from June to September and the
hottest period from October to May. The main rains are between January
and March. The seasons are less defined on the east coast than the
west. Climate is tempered by trade winds. |
| Capital : Nouméa.
Population: 76,293 |
| System : overseas territory of France since 1956
- Following administrative reforms introduced
after the Matignon Accord, New Caledonia is governed by three Regional
Assemblies: Southern Region (32 members), Northern Region (15 members),
and Loyalty Islands (seven members). Together these form a Territorial
Congress, headed by the High Commissioner. The High Commissioner is
advised by an eight-member ‘Consultative Committee’ selected from
leading figures on the island. |
| Languages : French
is the official language, but Polynesian and Melanesian are also
spoken |
| Religions : Vast
Christian majority, with 59 per cent Roman Catholic. |
| Money :
French Pacific Franc (CFPFr). Notes are
in denominations of CFPFr10,000, 5000, 1000 and 500. Coins are in
denominations of CFPFr100, 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1. New Caledonia is
part of the French Monetary Area. |
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+ 687 |
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+ 11 + 10 in summer |
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