New Caledonia
Updated: Sep 20, 2022
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Country Name
New Caledonia, or Nouvelle-Calédonie (French).
Location
New Caledonia is an overseas territory of France and a part of Melanesia in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.
It is situated to the south of the Equator and to the north of the Tropic of Capricorn; and is geographically positioned both in the Southern and Eastern hemispheres of the Earth. The archipelago is located to the east of Australia; to the north of New Zealand and to the west of Fiji and Vanuatu.
The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Chesterfield Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of Pines, and a few remote islets. The Chesterfield Islands are in the Coral Sea.
Capital
Nouméa.
Flag
The flag of New Caledonia was adopted on 13 July 2010. The flag of New Caledonia is composed of three horizontal stripes of Blue, Red & Green colors charged with a yellow disc outlined in black and defaced with a black flèche faîtière which represents the spirit of Kanak culture.
The blue represents both the sky and the ocean surrounding New Caledonia, the red represents the blood shed by the Kanaks in their struggle for independence, socialism, and unity, and the green represents the land itself and by extension, the ancestors buried within it.
Up to 2010, the only flag used to represent New Caledonia was the flag of France, the French tricolor featuring three vertical stripes in blue, white, and red.
However, in July 2010, the Congress of New Caledonia voted in favor of a wish to fly the Kanak flag of the independentist movement FLNKS alongside the French tricolor.
This makes New Caledonia one of only a handful of countries with 2 national flags.
Language
French is the official language in common use in New Caledonia, and most locals involved in the tourism industry speak English.
The Kanak languages are also widely spoken throughout the country.
The 28 Kanak languages spoken in New Caledonia are part of the Oceanic group of the Austronesian family.
The three most widely spoken indigenous languages are Drehu, Nengone, and Paicî. Others include Iaai.
Religion
The predominant religion is Christianity, the majority of New Caledonians are Catholics but both the Protestant and Pentecostal churches are well established locally.
Other minority religions on the island are Islam & Buddhism.
Although like most indigenous peoples, the cultural traditions of the Kanak people were inspired by animistic beliefs.
Currency
CFP franc (XPF).
