ransport equipment, machinery and electrical
equipment, fuels, minerals, wine, sugar, rice

Imports - partners: France 49%, Australia 14%, Singapore 6%, New
Zealand 5%, US 5% (1999)

Debt - external: $79 million (1998 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: $880 million annual subsidy from France

Currency: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF)

Currency code: XPF

Exchange rates: Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US
dollar - 127.11 (January 2001), 129.44 (2000), 111.93 (1999), 107.25
(1998), 106.11 (1997), 93.00 (1996); note - linked at the rate of
119.25 XPF to the euro

Fiscal year: calendar year

New Caledonia Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 47,000 (1997)

Telephones - mobile cellular: 13,040 (1998)

Telephone system: general assessment: NA

domestic: NA

international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Radio broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (1998)

Radios: 107,000 (1997)

Television broadcast stations: 6 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1997)

Televisions: 52,000 (1997)

Internet country code: .nc

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 1 (2000)

Internet users: 5,000 (2000)

New Caledonia Transportation

Railways: 0 km

Highways: total: 4,825 km

paved: 2,287 km

unpaved: 2,538 km (1999)

Waterways: none

Ports and harbors: Mueo, Noumea, Thio

Merchant marine: total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,261
GRT/1,600 DWT

ships by type: cargo 1 (2000 est.)

Airports: 29 (2000 est.)

Airports - with paved runways: total: 6

over 3,047 m: 1

914 to 1,523 m: 4

under 914 m: 1 (2000 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 23

914 to 1,523 m: 12

under 914 m: 11 (2000 est.)

Heliports: 6 (2000 est.)

New Caledonia Military

Military branches: French Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force,
Gendarmerie); Police Force

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $192.3 million (1996)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 5.3% (1996)

Military - note: defense is the responsibility of France

New Caledonia Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New
Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu

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@New Zealand

New Zealand Introduction

Background: The British colony of New Zealand became an independent
dominion in 1907 and supported the UK m