al plains with interior mountains

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point:
Mont Panie 1,628 m

Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver,
gold, lead, copper

Land use: arable land: 1% permanent crops: 0% other: 99% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 160 sq km (1991)

Natural hazards: cyclones, most frequent from November to March

Environment - current issues: erosion caused by mining exploitation
and forest fires

Geography - note: consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one
of the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute,
and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls

People New Caledonia

Population: 207,858 (July 2002 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 30% (male 31,862; female 30,577) 15-64 years:
64.1% (male 67,043; female 66,102) 65 years and over: 5.9% (male 5,777;
female 6,497) (2002 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.43% (2002 est.)

Birth rate: 19.91 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Death rate: 5.62 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.)

Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04
male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over:
0.89 male(s)/female total population: 1.02 male(s)/female (2002 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 8.23 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.)

Life expectancy at birth: 76.36 years (2002 est.) male: Total fertility
rate: 2.44 children born/woman (2002 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: NA%

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths: NA

Nationality: noun: New Caledonian(s) adjective: New Caledonian

Ethnic groups: 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 (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total
population: 91% male: 92% female: 90% (1976 est.)

Government New Caledonia

Country name: conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and
Dependencies
New Caledonia local short form: et Dependances

Dependency status: overseas territory of France since 1956

Government type: NA

Capital: Noumea

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France); there are
no first-order administrative divisio