| Full name: |
Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies |
| Capital City: |
Noumea |
| Language: |
French, Melanesian-Polynesian dialects |
| Currency: |
Cour de Franc Pacifique |
| Religion: |
Roman Catholic, Muslim, Protestant, some native beliefs. |
| Newspaper: |
Le Kanak, Les Nouvelles Caledoniennes, Libre Expression |
| Places to Visit: |
Hienghene, Noumea, Grotte de la Reine Hortense, Linderalique Rocks, Parc Provincial de la Riviere Bleue and many more interesting places are there in this country. |
| Transport: |
Airways: frequent flifhts from Qantas, Air New Zealand, Air Vanuatu. Aircalin and Air Caledonie International are available in between various caopital cities of the country. |
| Shopping: |
You will find various French items like perfume, footwear, jewelry, silk scarves, colorful handbags and so on. Besides these, some local handicrafts such as coral, woodcarving, shell works, ceramics etc can be found in cheap prices in this country. |
| |
INTRODUCTION TO NEW CALEDONIA
The name of the country New Caledonia was originally derived from a Latin word that was in fact a name of a place in Scotland.
Kanaky is another name for this country. New Caledonian is also known by this name in languages like English, French and some native dialects.
LOCATION OF NEW CALEDONIA
Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies is located in the southwestern region of the Pacific Ocean. The surrounding countries are Australia in the western region and New Zealand in the southeastern side. The Vanuatu island nation surrounds the country on the northeastern side.
PHYSICAL MAP OF NEW CALEDONIA
Grande Terre is the island that covers a major portion of New Caledonia. The face of the island is full of mountainous regions, highlands and lowlands. The mountain ranges cover a considerable area of the country. The highest altitude of the country is the Mont Panie peak that rises almost 1,628 meters above the sea level.
FLAG OF NEW CALEDONIA
The Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies does not have any individual flag of its own. Rather it uses the flag of France. The flag has three vertical bands of same size. The band in the hoist side is colored in blue, the band in the fly side is red and the middle band is white. It is a very simple flag and also symbolic of the individuality of the country.
CLIMATE OF NEW CALEDONIA
The climate of New Caledonia is more or less tropical. The weather remains very pleasant during the months between May and December. This is a very favorite season to the tourists. The weather during December to April remains relatively warmer. These months are characterized with heavy downpour and occasional
typhoons. So be careful about that.
FLORA AND FAUNA OF NEW CALEDONIA
Flora: Vegetation of New Caledonia is very rich and diverse with various unique species of plants. The three primary vegetations of the country are the lowland rain forests, the mountainous forests and the wet maquis forests. Some remote species of trees are also found in the forests of the country.
Fauna: Unlike the flora of the country, the animal world is not so rich. However you will find several unique species of lizards in the forests. Many types of birds are also found in this country. Some of these are rare species of pigeons, kagu etc. Kagu is also the national bird of the country. Besides that you will also find large skinks here.
PEOPLE OF NEW CALEDONIA
The total population of the New Caledonia and Dependencies is almost 219,246. New Caledonia is home to various ethnic groups such as Melanesian, Wallisian, European, Polynesian, Vietnamese and Indonesian etc. Though French is the official language of this country, Melanesian-Polynesian dialects are also spoken in various region of the country.
ART, CULTURE AND MUSIC OF NEW CALEDONIA
Art: Art is also considered as a major section of the New Caledonian culture. In various regions of the country colorful handbags, silk scarves, Coral works, woodcarving, ceramics, shell works and many more creative works are practiced.
Culture: The tradition of New Caledonia is called Melanesian tradition. Since various races, tribes and religions have gathered in this country, the culture is diverse and rich. Various customs and rituals have been accepted in the New Caledonian culture. Influence of France is evident in the tradition of this country.
Music: Folk music is very popular in New Caledonia. Some of the music bands of Caledonia are "Edou", "OK! Ryos", "Gurejele" and so on. Some music festivals are also held in this country. These are The Pacific Tempo, Equinoxe etc. The Kaneka music is also very popular in New Caledonia.
ECONOMY OF NEW CALEDONIA
New Caledonia gas a rich mineral resource. Nickel is found in great amount in this country. The agricultural products of the country are beef, deer, varieties of vegetables etc. The most important industry of the country is the nickel mining and smelting industry. Some of the primary export commodities of New Caledonia are ferronickels, nickel ore, fish and so on. The countries that are involved in the export trade of New Caledonia are Japan, France, South Korea, Taiwan, Spain, South Africa and Belgium.
