New Caledonia Governance Information

Type of Government:

Dependent territory of France.

Capital city:

Noumea

Administrative Divisions:

3 provinces: Province des Iles, Province Nord, and Province Sud

Population:

224,824 (July 2008 est.)

Independence:

none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new referendum is scheduled for 2014

Year of current Constitution:

4 October 1958 (French Constitution)

Previous constitutions:

None

Judicial branch:

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court

Political parties and leaders:

Alliance pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX]; Caledonian Union or UC; Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes or FCCI [Francois BURCK]; Front National or FN [Guy GEORGE]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE]; Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (anti independence) or RPCR-UMP [Jacques LAFLEUR]; The Future Together or AE [Harold MARTIN]; Union Nationale pour l'Independance or UNI [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; note - may no longer exist, but Paul NEAOUTYINE has since become a president of Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA; Union Progressiste Melanesienne or UPM [Victor TUTUGORO]

Chief Of State:

Nicolas SARKOZY (since 16 May 2007)

President of the Government:

Marie-Noëlle THEMEREAU

High Commissioner:

Yves DASSONVILLE (since 9 November 2007)

President of the Government:

Harold MARTIN (since 7 August 2007)

Vice-President of the Government:

Déwé GORODEY

Ministers:

Parliament:

Unicameral Territorial Congress or Congres du territoire (54 seats; members belong to the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)

Electoral System:

Proportional Representation - List PR

Most recent election:

9 May 2004

Previous elections:

Not Available

Political Parties:

Alliance pour la Caledonie (APLC)

Caledonian Union (UC)

Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes (FCCI)

Front National (FN)

Front Uni de Liberation Kanak (FULK)

Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation (FLNKS) - includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM

Parti de Liberation Kanak (PALIKA)

Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (RPCR-UMP)

The Future Together (AE)

Union Nationale pour l'Independance (UNI)

Union Progressiste Melanesienne (UPM)

Judicial System:

Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court

Military:

There is no regular indigenous military forces; French Armed Forces (includes Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); defense is the responsibility of France.

International Memberships:

International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC)

Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) (observer)

Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) - 1983

Universal Postal Union (UPU) - 1 January 1876 (through France)

World Federation of Trade Unions (WFTU)

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

Sources:

(1) New Caledonia - World Fact Book
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/nc.html