; Rassemblement pour une Caledonie dans la France or
RCF

International organization participation: ESCAP (associate), FZ,
ICFTU, SPC, WFTU, WMO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none (overseas territory of
France)

Diplomatic representation from the US: none (overseas territory of
France)

Flag description: three horizontal bands, blue (top), red, and green,
with a yellow disk enclosing a black symbol centered to the hoist
side; the flag of France is used for official occasions

@New Caledonia:Economy

Economy-overview: New Caledonia has more than 20% of the world's known
nickel resources. In recent years, the economy has suffered because of
depressed international demand for nickel, the principal source of
export earnings. Only a negligible amount of the land is suitable for
cultivation, and food accounts for about 25% of imports. In addition
to nickel, financial support from France and tourism are key to the
health of the economy. The outlook for 1998 is clouded by the
spillover of financial problems in East Asia and by lower expected
prices for nickel.

GDP: purchasing power parity-$1.5 billion (1995 est.)

GDP-real growth rate: NA%

GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$8,000 (1995 est.)

GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 5%
industry: 35%
services: 60% (1992 est.)

Inflation rate-consumer price index: 1.7% (1996 est.)

Labor force:
total: 70,044 (1988)
by occupation: agriculture 32%, industry 20%, services 40%, mining 8%
(1992)

Unemployment rate: 15% (1994)

Budget:
revenues: $755.6 million
expenditures: $755.6 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1995 est.)

Industries: nickel mining and smelting

Industrial production growth rate: NA%

Electricity-capacity: 253,000 kW (1995)

Electricity-production: 1.145 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity-consumption per capita: 6,204 kWh (1995)

Agriculture-products: vegetables; beef, other livestock products

Exports:
total value: $500 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: ferronickels, nickel ore
partners: Japan 31%, France 29%, US 12%, Australia 7%, Taiwan 6% (1996
est.)

Imports:
total value: $930 million (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: foods, transport equipment, machinery and electrical
equipment, fuels, minerals
partners: France 45%, Australia 18%, Singapore 7%, New Zealand 6%,
Japan 4% (1996 est.)

Debt-external: $NA

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $NA
note: important support from France

Currency: 1 CFP fran