The Melanesian islands of New Caledonia (Nouvelle Calédonie) belong to France. The main island, Grande Terre, is forested and mountainous. Its jagged landscape has created remote pockets where species have evolved in isolation; many native plants and birds are found nowhere else on Earth. To the French (and locals), Grand Terre is known as Le Caillou ("the pebble"). The Loyalty Islands, Chesterfield Islands, Belep archipelago, Isle of Pines and a few remote islets also make up the New Caledonia archipelago. New Caledonia has a strong economy. It produces yams, plantains and coconuts as well as textiles and plastics. There are also large reserves of nickel, a valuable metal.

History

New Caledonia was home to people of the Lapita culture between around 1600 BC to 500 AD. In 1774 British explorer James Cook was the first European to sight the island. He named it "New Caledonia", because it reminded him of Scotland (Caledonia is Scotland's Latin name). In 1853 New Caledonia became a French penal colony, later a centre of nickel mining. The local people, the Kanaks, rebelled against French rule, but many died in the conflict as well as from European diseases. Unrest continued after New Caledonia became a French overseas territory in 1946.
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The Nouméa Accord of 1998 helped end the conflict by restricting voting in local elections to the Kanaks (who, as a result of recent imigration from Polynesia, had become a minority population) and migrants living in New Caledonia before 1998. The Accord allowed for three referendums to determine the future of the country. In referendums held in 2018, 2020 and 2021, independence from France was rejected. Campaigners for independence and most Kanaks boycotted the 2021 referendum, declaring it invalid. 

​​​​​​​In 2024, the French government, insisting the Nouméa Accord process was now complete, moved to allow people who have lived in New Caledonia for more than 10 years to vote in local elections. The reform would allow more people of European and Polynesian descent to vote. Fearing this would mean the Kanaks having less of a say in the running of the country, protests and violent rioting broke out.

Facts about New Caledonia

Population 271,407

Area 18,576 sq km (7172 sq miles)

Highest point Mount Panié 1628 m (5341 ft)

Capital Nouméa pop. 182,341 (Greater Nouméa)

Other major towns Lifou (pop. 8627), Maré (5417), Koné (5199)

Languages French (official), Drehu, Nengone, Paici and other Melanesian languages

Religions Christian 85%, Islam 3%, other and none 12%

Ethnicity Kanak 41%, White 24%, mixed 11%, other Pacific Islander 11%, other 13%

Currency CFP franc (XPF)

Chief export nickel ore