NEW CALEDONIA
(French administrative-territorial education)

Capital: Noumea
Currency: CFP franc (XPF)
Population: 222 900 people
Area: 18 576 sq.km.

New Caledonia, lake of Nouvelle Caledonie, officially Territory of New Caledonia and Dependence, internally self-coping dependence of France (assessment of 2005 on 216 000 people), the area of the land plot of 7 241 quarter. Miles (18 760 sq.km), the southern part of the Pacific Ocean, from 700 miles (1,130 km) E Australia. It includes the island of New Caledonia, the island Payns, islands of Loyalty, group Huon, Chesterfield and Belep and the island of Uolpol. To the east from Uolpol the desert islands of Mettyyu and Hanter demanded by New Caledonia and Vanuatu belong. The capital - Noumea on the island of New Caledonia. Island of New Caledonia, the biggest island of the territory (6 223 sq.m. / 16 118 sq.km), mountain and moderate in climate.

The population makes about 45% of Melanesians (Kanaka) and 35% European (generally French) with Polynesians on the remote islands; the European population is concentrated in New Caledonia. In French, in official language and on several Melanesian and Polynesian dialects. About 60% of the population are made by Catholics, and 30% - Protestants.

The island of New Caledonia is rich with mineral resources, including nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead and copper. In some places it lesitsya densely, but almost all pine of a cowry which once was important export was cut down. Extraction of nickel and melting are primary branches of the industry, and tourism and fishery are also important. There is a subsistence economy, and cattle and a bird are grown up, but many food have to be still imported. New Caledonia gets considerable financial support from France.

New Caledonia is regulated by the French constitution of 1958. The president of France presented by the High Commissioner of the Republic is head of state. The government is headed by the president of New Caledonia. The president and an office are elected by legislature in proportion to five-year terms; there are no restrictions on terms. Members of the 54-seater territorial congress come from number of members of provincial assemblies who are elected by national vote for five-year terms. There is also a Senate of common law which it is necessary to handle on the questions concerning the personality Kanaka; his sixteen members are elected from eight regional customs councils, on two from each council and serve six-year terms. The territory elects two deputies in National assembly and one member of the senate of France. Administratively the territory is divided into three provinces (northern, southern and loyal islands), each of which has own assembly.