New Caledonia

New Caledonia (Nouvelle-Calédonie), a French overseas territory in the South Pacific, consists of the main island of New Caledonia (or La Grande Terre), the Loyalty Islands (Lifou, Mare, and Uvea), the Isle of Pines, and other minor islands. Its current religious landscape is the result of French colonization and Western Christian proselytizing. Of the approximately 240,000 residents, a majority of New Caledonians consider themselves Christian, with 60% identifying as Roman Catholic and 30% identifying as Protestant, mostly with evangelical and Pentecostal churches. While the indigenous Melanesian peoples, or Kanaks, make up about half of the Catholic population, they are the majority of the Protestant population, outnumbering those of European descent. Of the remaining 10% of the population, a significant portion identifies as nonreligious.

The non-Christian population is small but growing, especially adherents of Islam, Buddhism, and the Baha'i Faith. Indonesian and a few [Page 890]African immigrants established a Muslim presence on the islands, building the first Islamic center in the capital city of Nouméa; recently, this archipelago, like much of Oceania, has seen a growth in Islamic converts. Some South Vietnamese residents migrated to New Caledonia following the war with North Vietnam, bringing Buddhism with them. The Baha'i Faith, appearing on the islands in the 1950s, also continues to grow in New Caledonia and throughout the Pacific Islands.

While most Kanaks have identified themselves as Christian since European missionization, some maintain traditional beliefs and practices, especially as part of cultural celebrations, including ancestral religious traditions and a deep connection to the land. Ceremonies such as weddings and funerals also involve Kanak traditions, including ritual dancing.

Explored by both England and France during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, New Caledonia became a French colony in 1853 and a penal settlement in 1854. As more French missionaries and settlers immigrated to the islands, the Kanaks revolted, and many were killed. The Code de l'indigénat, laws restricting the rights of the natives, was put in place in the late 19th century, as it was across the French colonial empire. Since 1986, New Caledonia has been on the United Nations Decolonization Committee's list of Non-Self-Governing Territories. Conflict over independence erupted during the 1980s, resulting in the 1998 Nouméa Accord, which planned to gradually transfer governing authority and grant the islands more autonomy. The agreement also stipulates that France must conduct a referendum sometime in the next decade to decide whether New Caledonia is able to assume sole governance. The Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (Le Front de libération nationale kanak et socialiste, FLNKS) continues to push for independence and promote a distinct Kanak identity, including ethnic, cultural, and religious traditions.