Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/173.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 7.6 KB | 324 lines

@node Header (New Caledonia)
@section Header (New Caledonia)

@display

Affiliation:
  (overseas territory of France)



@end display

@node Geography (New Caledonia)
@section Geography (New Caledonia)

@display

Location:
  in the South Pacific Ocean, 1,750 km east of Australia
Map references:
  Oceania
Area:
 total area:
  19,060 km2
 land area:
  18,760 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  2,254 km
Maritime claims:
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain:
  coastal plains with interior mountains
Natural resources:
  nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
Land use:
 arable land:
  0%
 permanent crops:
  0%
 meadows and pastures:
  14%
 forest and woodland:
  51%
 other:
  35%
Irrigated land:
  NA km2
Environment:
  typhoons most frequent from November to March



@end display

@node People (New Caledonia)
@section People (New Caledonia)

@display

Population:
  178,056 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.83% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  22.7 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  5.01 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  0.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  15.9 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  73.22 years
 male:
  69.92 years
 female:
  76.7 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  2.67 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  New Caledonian(s)
 adjective:
  New Caledonian
Ethnic divisions:
  Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%,
  Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3%
Religions:
  Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
Languages:
  French, 28 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Literacy:
  age 15 and over can read and write (1976)
 total population:
  91%
 male:
  91%
 female:
  90%
Labor force:
  50,469 foreign workers for plantations and mines from Wallis and Futuna,
  Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.)
 by occupation:
  NA



@end display

@node Government (New Caledonia)
@section Government (New Caledonia)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
 conventional short form:
  New Caledonia
 local long form:
  Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances
 local short form:
  Nouvelle-Caledonie
Digraph:
  NC
Type:
  overseas territory of France since 1956
Capital:
  Noumea
Administrative divisions:
  none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative
  divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named
  Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud
Independence:
  none (overseas territory of France; a referendum on independence will be
  held in 1998)
Constitution:
  28 September 1958 (French Constitution)
Legal system:
  the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands;
  formerly under French law
National holiday:
  National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)
Political parties and leaders:
  white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie dans la Republique (RPCR),
  conservative, Jacques LAFLEUR - affiliated to France's Rassemblement pour la
  Republique (RPR); Melanesian proindependence Kanaka Socialist National
  Liberation Front (FLNKS), Paul NEAOUTYINE; Melanesian moderate Kanak
  Socialist Liberation (LKS), Nidoish NAISSELINE; National Front (FN), extreme
  right, Guy GEORGE; Caledonie Demain (CD), right-wing, Bernard MARANT; Union
  Oceanienne (UO), conservative, Michel HEMA; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak
  (FULK), proindependence, UREGEI; Union Caledonian (UC), Francois BURCK
Suffrage:
  18 years of age; universal
Elections:
 French Senate:
  last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held September 2001); results -
  percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1 total) RPCR 1
 French National Assembly:
  last held 5 and 12 June 1988 (next to be held 21 and 28 March 1993); results
  - RPR 83.5%, FN 13.5%, other 3%; seats - (2 total) RPCR 2
 Territorial Assembly:
  last held 11 June 1989 (next to be held 1993); results - RPCR 44.5%, FLNKS
  28.5%, FN 7%, CD 5%, UO 4%, other 11%; seats - (54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19,
  FN 3, other 5; note - election boycotted by FULK
Executive branch:
  French president, high commissioner, Consultative Committee (cabinet)
Legislative branch:
  unicameral Territorial Assembly
Judicial branch:
  Court of Appeal



@end display

@node Government (New Caledonia 2. usage)
@section Government (New Caledonia 2. usage)

@display

Leaders:
 Chief of State:
  President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981)
 Head of Government:
  High Commissioner and President of the Council of Government Alain
  CHRISTNACHT (since 15 January 1991)
Member of:
  ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:   as an overseas territory of France, New Caledonian interests are
represented
  in the US by France
US diplomatic representation:
  none (overseas territory of France)
Flag:
  the flag of France is used



@end display

@node Economy (New Caledonia)
@section Economy (New Caledonia)

@display

Overview:
  New Caledonia has more than 25% of the world's known nickel resources. In
  recent years the economy has suffered because of depressed international
  demand for nickel, the principal source of export earnings. Only a
  negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts
  for about 25% of imports.
National product:
  GNP - exchange rate conversion - $1 billion (1991 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  2.4% (1988)
National product per capita:
  $6,000 (1991 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  4.1% (1989)
Unemployment rate:
  16% (1989)
Budget:
  revenues $224.0 million; expenditures $211.0 million, including capital
  expenditures of $NA (1985)
Exports:
  $671 million (f.o.b., 1989)
 commodities:
  nickel metal 87%, nickel ore
 partners:
  France 52.3%, Japan 15.8%, US 6.4%
Imports:
  $764 million (c.i.f., 1989)
 commodities:
  foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment
 partners:
  France 44.0%, US 10%, Australia 9%
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate NA%
Electricity:
  400,000 kW capacity; 2,200 million kWh produced, 12,790 kWh per capita
  (1990)
Industries:
  nickel mining and smelting
Agriculture:
  large areas devoted to cattle grazing; coffee, corn, wheat, vegetables; 60%
  self-sufficient in beef
Illicit drugs:
  illicit cannabis cultivation is becoming a principal source of income for
  some families
Economic aid:
  Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
  $4,185 million
Currency:
  1 CFP franc (CFPF) = 100 centimes
Exchange rates:
  Comptoirs Francais duPacifique francs (CFPF) per US$1 - 99.65 (January
  1993), 96.24 (1992), 102.57 (1991), 99.00 (1990), 115.99 (1989), 108.30
  (1988); note - linked at the rate of 18.18 to the French franc
Fiscal year:
  calendar year



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@node Communications (New Caledonia)
@section Communications (New Caledonia)

@display

Highways:
  6,340 km total; only about 10% paved (1987)
Ports:
  Noumea, Nepoui, Poro, Thio
Airports:
 total:
  29
 usable:
  27
 with permanent-surface runways:
  2
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  1
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  2
Telecommunications:
  32,578 telephones (1987); broadcast stations - 5 AM, 3 FM, 7 TV; 1 Pacific
  Ocean INTELSAT earth station



@end display

@node Defense Forces (New Caledonia)
@section Defense Forces (New Caledonia)

@display

Branches:
  Gendarmerie, Police Force
Note:
  defense is the responsibility of France



@end display