New Caledonia Capital

Map showing the location of New Caledonia

New Caledonia’s capital and largest city is Nouméa which is located on a hilly peninsula on the southern portion of the region’s main island, Grande Terre. The city was initially settled in 1851 by James Paddon, a trader from Britain. Soon afterwards the French set up a settlement of their own, calling it Port-de-France, before being renaming it Nouméa in 1866. Throughout its history the city has served many functions including acting as a penal colony, U.S. military headquarters during World War II, and finally in its present capacity as the island’s administrative capital.

According to figures from 2015 Nouméa is home to 100,237 residents. With a total area of 17.6 square miles the city’s metropolitan population density stands at 5,700 people per square mile. Nouméa’s 634 square mile urban area contains approximately 179,509 people with a density of 280 citizens per square mile. Greater Nouméa’s urban area is divided up into four communes; Nouméa, Dumbéa, Le Mont-Dore, and the suburb of Païta.

Nouméa is the site of numerous tourist attractions including the Aquarium des Lagons Nouvelle Caledonie, a large aquarium which features fresh water fish, fluorescent corals, exotic sea creatures like the chambered nautilus, and an assortment of entertaining and educational exhibits and activities for the whole family. Other popular attractions include the Tjibaou Cultural Center which is a museum that features unique native artifacts, exhibits, and archives.

Nouméa’s climate can be classified as being tropical with characteristically warm winter temperatures and hot summers. The city experiences its annual dry season during the months of September through to October. For the remainder of the year Nouméa averages about 43 inches of rainfall on an annual basis. Temperatures during the first six months of the year typically fall between 70F and 79F while the remainder of the year sees conditions ranging between 68F and 77F.

This page was last modified on May 1st, 2018

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Published on 2019-11-06


Capital	Noumea
Languages	French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Ethnic Groups	Kanak 40.3%, European 29.2%, Wallisian, Futunian 8.7%, Tahitian 2%, Indonesian 1.6%, Vietnamese 1%, Ni-Vanuatu 0.9%, other 16.2% (2009 est.)
Religion	Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10%
Government	Parliamentary democracy (Territorial Congress); an overseas collectivity of France
Independance	None (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but was rejected; a new referendum must be held before 2019
Area	18,575.00 km²
Water Area	300.00 km²
Land Area	18,275.00 km²
Population	275,355.00
Location	Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
GDP(PPP)	$10,770,000,000.00 (USD)
GDP (Per Capita)	$31,100.00 (USD)
Export Partners	Its major export partners are China, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
Export Commodities	Its main exports are feronickels, nickel ore, and fish.
Import Partners	Its major import partners are France, Australia, and South Korea.
Import Commodities	Its major imports include machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, and foodstuffs.
Climate	Tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain	Coastal plains with interior mountains

New Caledonia Capital

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