4,750; female 5,228) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.72% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 21.75 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 4.88 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: 0.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female
all ages: 1.02 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 13.8 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.35 years
male: 71.06 years
female: 77.8 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.53 children born/woman (1996 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 est.)
total population: 91%
male: 92%
female: 90%

Government
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Name of country:
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

Data code: NC

Type of government: 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)

National holiday: National Day, Taking of the Bastille, 14 July
(1789)

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy
to the islands; formerly under French law

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President (of France) Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May
1995) represented by High Commissioner and President of the Council
of Government Dominque BUR (since NA), who was appointed by the
French Ministry of the Interior
head of government: President of the Territorial Assembly Pierre
FROGIER (since NA) was