Facts.
Location
Oceania; Islands in the South Pacific Ocean; East of Australia Geographic Coordinates Longitude: E 165.30 Latitude: S 21.30 Area Total: 18,575 sq km Land: 18,275 sq km Water: 300 sq km Coastline 2,254 km Climate Moderate, tropical oceanic, hot and humid; modified by southeast trade winds Terrain Coastal plains with interior mountains Natural Hazards Cyclones (November to March) Volcanism: Matthew and Hunter Islands active |
Environmental Issues
Erosion caused by mining exploration and forest fires Geography Consists of the main island of New Caledonia, archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls People Population: 246,000 (2009) Ethnic Makeup Melanesian 42.5% European 37.1% Wallisian 8.4% Polynesian 3.8% Indonesian 3.6% Vietnamese 1.6% Other 3% Language French (official) 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects |