Note: located 1,750 km east of Australia in the South Pacific
Ocean

- People
Population: 153,215 (July 1990), growth rate 1.1% (1990)

Birth rate: 24 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: - 7 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 39 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 64 years male, 71 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--New Caledonian(s); adjective--New Caledonian

Ethnic divisions: Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%,
Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3.0%

Religion: over 60% Roman Catholic, 30% Protestant, 10% other

Language: French; Melanesian-Polynesian dialects

Labor force: 50,469; foreign workers for plantations and mines from
Wallis and Futuna, Vanuatu, and French Polynesia (1980 est.)

Organized labor: NA

- Government
Long-form name: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies

Type: overseas territory of France

Capital: Noumea

Administrative divisions: none (overseas territory of France)

Independence: none (overseas territory of France); note--a
referendum on independence will be held in 1998, with a review of the
issue in 1992

Constitution: 28 September 1958 (French Constitution)

Legal system: the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy
to the islands; formerly under French law

National holiday: Taking of the Bastille, 14 July (1789)

Executive branch: high commissioner, Consultative Committee (cabinet)

Legislative branch: unicameral Territorial Assembly

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal

Leaders:
Chief of State--President Francois MITTERRAND (since 21 May 1981);

Head of Government High Commissioner and President of the Council
of Government Bernard GRASSET (since 15 July 1988)

Political parties: white-dominated Rassemblement pour la Caledonie
dans la Republique (RPCR), conservative; Melanesian proindependence Kanak
Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS); Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist
Liberation (LKS); National Front (FN), extreme right; Caledonian
Separatist Front, extreme left

Suffrage: universal adult at age NA

Elections:
Territorial Congress--last held NA June 1989 (next to be held NA
1993);
results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(54 total) RPCR 27, FLNKS 19, FN 3, others 5;

French Senate--last held 24 September 1989 (next to be