New Caledonia step by step

New Caledonia

Geographically located in the Pacific Ocean, New Caledonia belongs to the Melanesia Group, as opposed to the Polynesia and Micronesia Groups.

New Caledonia covers an area of 18,575 square kilometres, making it the 3rd largest country after Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.

Spoiler alert

  • New Caledonia is not a French department, it is a French sui generis collectivity. So it’s a French territory where the inhabitants have French nationality. If you are French or a European Union national, you don’t need a visa.
  • New Caledonia was first a penal colony, then a settlement colony.
  • New Caledonia is home to one of the world’s first peoples, the Kanak.
  • Diversity is a feature of the territory, as nickel mining has directly or indirectly led to the immigration of foreign workers, particularly from Indonesia, Vietnam and Japan. There is also a large Wallisian and Vanuatu diaspora. Finally, a large Arab community has been established in the Bourail region for several generations.
  • The official language in New Caledonia is French.
  • The single official currency is the Pacific franc (XPF), which is pegged to the euro on the basis of a conversion index.
  • Local employment does not mean being born in New Caledonia.
  • You must register with CAFAT to benefit from social and medical cover. It is possible to take out supplementary cover, depending on your professional activity. It is often your employer who signs you up for the supplementary cover that corresponds to your field of activity.
  • Caledonia has two seasons: hot and cold. Beware, even though the territory is located in the Tropics, temperatures can drop below 10°C depending on the location. Make sure you bring a few jumpers and jackets between June and September.
  • New Caledonians, whatever their origin, are not known for being particularly friendly. However, once their reserve is gone, New Caledonians are generally inclusive, friendly, jovial and eager to share with others.

New Caledonia is a major geostrategic asset for mainland France since it has one of the largest EEZs of France’s archipelagic island territories, an area of ​​1,240,000 square kilometers, or half of the Mediterranean Sea.

The New Caledonian archipelago includes many islands, but the main ones are:

Main Land

Grande-Terre is the largest island with an area of ​​approximately 16,400 square kilometers, or about twice the size of Corsica. It is also the most populated with nearly 253,054 inhabitants. The capital is Noumea.

Loyalty Islands

The Loyalty Islands located approximately 100 km east of Grande-Terre: with 4 islands: Tiga, Maré, Lifou and Ouvéa, a total area of ​​1,981 square kilometers and 18,353 inhabitants.

Isle of Pines

South of Grande-Terre or of the Main Land, the Isle of Pines with 152 square kilometres and approximately 2,037 inhabitants and the Bélep Islands located approximately 50 kilometres Northwest of the Main Land with 70 square kilometres and approximately 867 inhabitants.

New Caledonia is particularly isolated from the major European, American and Asian metropolises. However, it is ideally located in relation to Australia, New Zealand or its Pacific neighbours.

Population: 271,407 at the 2019 census, 75% of whom are in the Southern Province and 67% in the Grand Sud (made up of the municipalities of Païta, Dumbéa, Mont-Dore and Nouméa). The Northern Province has 50,000 inhabitants and the Islands Province has just over 18,000.

Ethnic groups: In New Caledonia, the first Kanak people represent a significant portion of the population. However, history has shaped a population that is now largely mixed.

Parity: The ratio between men and women in New Caledonia is close to balance with a ratio of 1 to 1 (180 fewer women than men).

Languages: French. There are also 29 so-called vernacular languages, which correspond to the languages ​​used by the first people. They are part of the Austronesian linguistic area and are therefore neighbours of those of Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia and Madagascar.

Nationality: French.

Citizenship: French or Caledonian (Caledonian citizenship is explained further in the “special status” section).

Density: 14.5 inhabitants per km2. However, there are significant differences in density between the Great South and the rest of the territory (see population data).

Administrative division: Territory, Southern Province, Northern Province and Islands Province, Communes. Tribes are assigned to town councils.

GDP/inhabitant (Gross domestic product per inhabitant): 3,764,000 XPF in 2022 (Ranked at the same level as New Zealand and Australia).

HDI (Human Development Index): 0.79/1 _ High human development (access to education, health, water, etc.)

High development: ≤ 0.8; Average development: ≤ 0.5 < 0.8; Low human development: < 0.5

Currency: Francs Pacific XPF, at fixed parity with the euro. 100 (~119.33) XPF = 1 Euro.