Simple directory > Regional > New Caledonia

Country : New Caledonia Official name: Nouvelle Calédonie (New Caledonia) Head of State: President of France (Jacques Chirac), represented by High Commissioner Daniel Constantin (from Jul 2002) Head of government: President of the Government Marie-Noëlle Thémereau (AE) (elected 29 Jun 2004) Ruling party: Four-party coalition government led by Avénir Ensemble (AE) (Future Together) with four cabinet seats, equalling Rassemblement pour la Calédonie dans la République (RPCR) (Rally for Caledonia in the Republic), and including Union Nationale pour l'Indépendance-Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (UNI-FLNKS) (National Union for Independence-Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front) and Union Calédonien (UC) (Caledonian Union). Area: 18,575 square km – Grande Terre island: 16,600 square km Population: 226,800 (2004) Capital: Nouméa (on Grande Terre) Official language: French Currency: Comptoirs Français du Pacifique franc (CFPf) = 100 centimes Exchange rate: CFPf92.21 per US$ (Nov 2004) (pegged CFPf119.25 per euro) GDP per capita: US$14,000 (2003) Labour force: 79,400 (2003) Unemployment: 19.00% (2003) Inflation: -0.60% (2003) Balance of trade: -US$600.00 million (2003) Foreign debt: US$79.00 million (2003) Visitor numbers: 101,983 (2003)

Historical profile

1766 Sighted by Europeans.

1774 Captain James Cook named the island after the Latin name for Scotland.

1853 New Caledonia became a French colony.

1863 Nickel deposits were discovered. The displacement of villages which stood on new mine sites and the encroachment of settlers' cattle on Kanak land provoked several rebellions, all of which were suppressed by the French authorities.

1864–97 The island became a penal colony.

1942 New Caledonia was transformed into a US military base during the Second World War.

1946 The colony became a French territory.

1988 Jean-Marie Tijbaou, leader of the Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS) (Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front), signed the Martignon Accord which allowed for the division of New Caledonia into three distinct regions.

1989 Tijbaou was assassinated.

1998 A national referendum showed that the population was overwhelmingly in favour of the Nouméa Accord, paving the way for increased autonomy and a referendum on independence in 15--20 years.

1999 After parliamentary elections, a three-party coalition government was formed, dominated by Rassemblement pour la Calédonie dans la République (RPCR) (Rally for Caledonia in the Republic).

2001 The president of local government, Jean Lèques, a leading member of the RPCR, resigned, having served less than two years of his term. Pierre Frogier (RPCR) was elected president.

2002 Negotiations started on the future adoption of the euro. There were ethnic clashes between native Kanaks and Wallisian immigrants, caused by land disputes. President Pierre Frogier's government was dissolved automatically after the resignation of a minister; Pierre Frogier was re-elected president.

2004 The parliamentary elections held on 9 May resulted in a four-party government, led by the Avénir Ensemble (AE) (Future Together). It in turn elected Marie-Noëlle Thémereau as president.

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