New Caledonia

New Caledonia is a group of islands east of Australia in the South Pacific, the largest of which is Grand Terre. It has been a French possession since 1853, although an increasing amount of governing responsibility has been transferred from France to New Caledonia since the 1998 Noumea Accord. Population in 2009 was estimated at 227,436, with 26.8 percent of the population under 14 years of age and 7.3 percent 65 years of age or older.

The population growth rate is 1.14 percent, with 17.4 births per 1,000 population and 5.6 deaths per 1,000, and a total fertility rate (the number of children born to each woman) of 2.2. Life expectancy at birth is 72 years for males and 78.1 years for females. The sex ratio overall is 1.01 males per female, ranging from 1.05 males per female at birth to 0.86 males per female in the over-65 age group.

In 2003, the divorce rate was 1.12 percent. The employment rate in 2004 was 17.1 percent and only about half the population is in the labor force, but affiliation with France (which provides 15 percent of the annual budget) helps maintain a high standard of living.

The population of New Caledonia is a mix of Melanesian (44.1 percent) and European (34.1 percent), with the remainder primarily from other Pacific and Asian countries. The national language is French (less than 1 percent of the population cannot understand French), but otherwise, New Caledonian culture is a mix of traditional elements with European and Asian imports, with Europeans and Asians dominating economic life. The population is primarily Christian, with 60 percent identifying as Roman Catholic and 30 percent as Protestant. Literacy is high, with 96.8 percent of men and 95.5 percent of women able to read and write.

New Caledonia has important mineral deposits, including about 25 percent of the world's nickel resources. Tourism is also an important source of income, as is aid from France. However, little of the land is arable, and much of the food supply must be imported. The per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in 2003 was $15,000, with a 17.1 percent unemployment rate.