NAVIGATION
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NAVIGATION
Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances
INTRODUCTION
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Background:
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Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island was made 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 seems to have dissipated. |
GEOGRAPHY
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Location:
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Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia |
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Geographic coordinates:
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21 30 S, 165 30 E |
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Map references:
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Oceania |
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Area:
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total: 19,060 sq km
water: 485 sq km land: 18,575 sq km |
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Area - comparative:
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slightly smaller than New Jersey |
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Land boundaries:
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0 km |
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Coastline:
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2,254 km |
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Maritime claims:
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exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM |
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Climate:
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tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid |
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Terrain:
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coastal plains with interior mountains |
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Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m |
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Natural resources:
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nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper |
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Land use:
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arable land: 0.38%
permanent crops: 0.33% other: 99.29% (1998 est.) |
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Irrigated land:
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160 sq km (1991) |
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Natural hazards:
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cyclones, most frequent from November to March |
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Environment - current issues:
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erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires |
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Geography - note:
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consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls |
PEOPLE
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Population:
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207,858 (July 2002 est.) |
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 30% (male 31,862; female 30,577)
15-64 years: 64.1% (male 67,043; female 66,102) 65 years and over: 5.9% (male 5,777; female 6,497) (2002 est.) |
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Population growth rate:
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1.43% (2002 est.) |
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Birth rate:
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19.91 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Death rate:
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5.62 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Net migration rate:
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0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
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Infant mortality rate:
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8.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
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Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 73.27 years
female: 76.36 years (2002 est.) male: 70.32 years |
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Total fertility rate:
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2.44 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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NA% |
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HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
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NA |
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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NA |
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Nationality:
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noun: New Caledonian(s)
adjective: New Caledonian |
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Ethnic groups:
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Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3% |
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Religions:
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Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10% |
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Languages:
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French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects |
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Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 91% male: 92% female: 90% (1976 est.) |