228 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
228 lines
18 KiB
Plaintext
NEW CALEDONIA
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(overseas territory of France)
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 19,060 km2; land area: 18,760 km2
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Comparative area: slightly smaller than New Jersey
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 2,254 km
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Maritime claims:
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
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Terrain: coastal plains with interior mountains
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Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver,
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gold, lead, copper
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Land use: arable land NEGL%; permanent crops NEGL%; meadows and
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pastures 14%; forest and woodland 51%; other 35%
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Environment: typhoons most frequent from November to March
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Note: located 1,750 km east of Australia in the South Pacific
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Ocean
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PEOPLE
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Population: 171,559 (July 1991), growth rate 1.9% (1991)
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Birth rate: 23 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 5 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: 1 migrant/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 17 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 76 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 2.8 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--New Caledonian(s); adjective--New Caledonian
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Ethnic divisions: Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%,
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Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3.0%
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Religion: Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
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Language: French; 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
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Literacy: 91% (male 91%, female 90%) age 15 and over can
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read and write (1976)
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Labor force: 50,469; foreign workers for plantations and mines from
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Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.)
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Organized labor: NA
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
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Type: overseas territory of France since 1956
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Capital: Noumea
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Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France);
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there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the
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US Government, but there are 3 provinces named Iles Loyaute, Nord,
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and Sud
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Independence: none (overseas territory of France); note--a
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referendum on independence will be held in 1998, with a review of the
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issue in 1992
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Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
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Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy
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to the islands; formerly under French law
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National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
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Executive branch: high commissioner, Consultative Committee
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(cabinet)
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Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly
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Judicial branch: Court of Appeal
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May
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1981);
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Head of Government High Commissioner and President of the Council
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of Government Bernard GRASSET (since 15 July 1988)
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Political parties:
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white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique
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(RPCR), conservative, Jacques LAFLEUR--affiliated to France's
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Rassemblement pour la Republique (RPR);
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Melanesian proindependence Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front
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(FLNKS), Paul NEAOUTYINE;
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Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS), Nidoish
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NAISSELINE;
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National Front (FN), extreme right, Guy GEORGE;
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Caledonie Demain (CD), right-wing, Bernard MARANT;
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Union Oceanienne (UO), conservative, Michel HEMA;
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Front Uni de Liberation Kanak (FULK), proindependence, Yann
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CELENE
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Suffrage: universal adult at age 18
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Elections:
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Territorial Assembly--last held 11 June 1989 (next to be held NA
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1993);
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results--percent of vote by party--RPCR 44.5%, FLNKS 28.5%, FN 7%, CD
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5%, UO 4%, other 11%;
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seats--(54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, other 5; note--election
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boycotted by FULK;
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French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be
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held September 1992);
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results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(1 total) RPCR 1;
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French National Assembly--last held 5 and 12 June 1988
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(next to be held June 1993);
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results--percent of vote by party--RPR 83.5%, FN 13.5%, other 3%;
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seats--(2 total) RPCR 2
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Communists: number unknown; Palita extreme left party; some
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politically active Communists deported during 1950s; small number of
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North Vietnamese
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Member of: FZ, SPC, WFTU, WMO
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Diplomatic representation: as an overseas territory of France,
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New Caledonian interests are represented in the US by France
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Flag: the flag of France is used
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ECONOMY
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Overview: New Caledonia has more than 25% of the world's known
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nickel resources. In recent years the economy has suffered because of
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depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of export
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earnings. Only a negligible amount of the land is suitable for
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cultivation, and food accounts for about 25% of imports.
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GNP: $973 million, per capita $5,790; real growth rate 2.4%
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(1990 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 4.1% (1989)
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Unemployment rate: 16.0% (1989)
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Budget: revenues $224.0 million; expenditures $211.0 million,
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including capital expenditures of NA (1985)
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Exports: $344 million (f.o.b., 1989);
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commodities--nickel metal 87%, nickel ore;
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partners--France 52.3%, Japan 15.8%, US 6.4%
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Imports: $389 million (c.i.f., 1989);
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commodities--foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical
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equipment;
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partners--France 44.0%, US 10%, Australia 9%
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External debt: $NA
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Industrial production: growth rate NA%
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Electricity: 400,000 kW capacity; 2,200 million kWh produced,
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12,790 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: nickel mining
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Agriculture: large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, corn,
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wheat, vegetables; 60% self-sufficient in beef
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Illicit drugs: illicit cannabis cultivation is becoming a principal
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source of income for some families
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Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
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commitments (1970-88), $3.9 billion
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Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (plural--francs);
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1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
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Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (CFPF)
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per US$1--93.28 (January 1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30
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(1988), 109.27 (1987), 125.92 (1986), 163.35 (1985); note--linked at the
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rate of 18.18 to the French franc
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Fiscal year: calendar year
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Highways: 6,340 km total; only about 10% paved (1987)
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Ports: Noumea, Nepoui, Poro, Thio
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Civil air: 1 major transport aircraft
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Airports: 29 total, 27 usable; 6 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 3,659 m; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with
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runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: 32,578 telephones (1987); stations--5 AM, 3 FM,
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7 TV; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Branches: Gendarmerie, Police Force
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Manpower availability: males 15-49, 46,388; NA fit for military
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service
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Note: defense is the responsibility of France
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