ch Senate: elections last held 27 September 1992 (next to be held
September 2001); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (1
total) RPCR 1
French National Assembly: elections last held 21 March 1993 (next to
be held 21 and 28 March 1998); results - percent of vote by party NA;
seats - (2 total) RPCR 2

Judicial branch: Court of Appeal

Political parties and leaders: white-dominated Rassemblement pour la
Caledonie dans la Republique (RPCR), conservative, Jacques LAFLEUR,
president - affiliated to France's Rassemblement pour la Republique
(RPR; also called South Province Party); Melanesian proindependence
Kanaka Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), Paul NEAOUTYINE;
Melanesian moderate Kanak Socialist Liberation (LKS), Nidoish
NAISSELINE; National Front (FN), extreme right, Guy GEORGE; Caledonie
Demain (CD), right-wing, Bernard MARANT; Union Oceanienne (UO),
conservative, Michel HEMA; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak (FULK),
proindependence, Clarence UREGEI; Union Caledonian (UC), Francois
BURCK, president; "1999" (new party calling for an autonomous state),
Philippe PENTECOST

Member of: ESCAP (associate), FZ, ICFTU, SPC, WFTU, WMO

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

US diplomatic representation: none (overseas territory of France)

Flag: the flag of France is used

@New Caledonia:Economy

Overview: New Caledonia has more than 25% 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.

National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $1 billion (1991
est.)

National product real growth rate: 2.4% (1988)

National product per capita: $6,000 (1991 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.4% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 16% (1989)

Budget:
revenues: $224 million
expenditures: $211 million, including capital expenditures of $NA
(1985 est.)

Exports: $671 million (f.o.b., 1989)
commodities: nickel metal 87%, nickel ore
partners: France 32%, Japan 23.5%, US 3.6%

Imports: $764 million (c.i.f., 1989)
commodities: foods, fuels, minerals, machines, electrical equipment
partners: France 44.0%, US 10%, Australia 9%

External debt: $NA

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

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