Country Details
| Land Area |
18,575 sq km |
Population |
209222 |
| Capital City |
Noumea |
People |
Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3% |
| Language |
French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects |
Religion |
Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10% |
| Government Type |
NA |
Life Expectancy |
73.02 years |
| HIV/AIDS Rate |
NA% |
GNP per Capita |
$15,000 |
| Currency |
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF) |
Major Exports |
ferronickels, nickel ore, fish |
| National Holiday |
Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
Dialing Code |
687 |
| Electricity |
220V |
Malaria Risk |
|
| Water Quality |
|
Inoculations |
Paratyphiod, Typhiod, Yellow Fever |
| Crime |
|
Driving License |
|
| Photography |
|
Entry Regs |
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| Time Zone |
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Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island was made a French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s has dissipated.