 Country name:
conventional long form: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies conventional short form:New Caledonia local long form:Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances local short form:Nouvelle-Caledonie
Dependency status:
territorial collectivity (or a sui generis collectivity) of France since 1998
Government type:
parliamentary representative democracy
Capital:
name:Noumeageographic coordinates:22 16 S, 166 27 E time difference:UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Administrative divisions:
none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are three provinces named Province des Iles, Province Nord, and Province Sud
Independence:
none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but was rejected; a new referendum is scheduled between 2014 and 2018
National holiday:
Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1789); note - the local holiday is New Caledonia Day, 24 September (1853)
Constitution:
4 October 1958 (French Constitution with changes as reflected in Noumea Accord of 5 May 1998) (2013)
Legal system:
civil law system based on French law; note - the 1988 Matignon Accords (signed in the Matignon Hotel) set up a 10-year period of development during which the Kanak community received substantial autonomy but agreed not to raise the independece issue
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state:President Francois HOLLANDE (since 15 May 2012); represented by High Commissioner Jean-Jacques BROT (since 2 February 2013)head of government:President of the Government Harold MARTIN (since 3 March 2011); note - since 3 March 2011, three different governments of Harold MARTIN have collapsed over the choice of a flag that will be used while it is being decolonized; President Harold MARTIN is head of a caretaker government cabinet:Cabinet consists of 11 members elected from and by the Territorial Congress elections:French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the government elected by the Territorial Congress for a five-year term (no term limits); note - last election held on 10 June 2011 (next to be held in June 2016)
Legislative branch:
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)elections:last held on 11 May 2014 (next to be held on May 2019) election results:percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - L'Avenir Ensemble 13, UMP 7, FLINKS 9, Union for Caledonia in France 6, Build Our Rainbow Nation 6, other 7 note:the Customary Senate is the assembly of the various traditional councils of the Kanaks, the indigenous population, which rules on laws affecting the indigenous population; New Caledonia holds two seats in the French Senate; elections last held on 21 September 2008 (next to be held not later than September 2014); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2; New Caledonia also elects two seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held on 17 June 2012 (next to be held by June 2017); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2
| | Judicial branch:
highest court(s):Court of Appeal in Noumea or Cour d'Appel (the highest local judicial court; organized into civil, commercial, social, and pre-trial investigation chambers; number of judges NA); Conseil d'Etat (the highest local administrative court; number of judges NA)note - final appeals are heard before the Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation, in Paris judge selection and term of office:NA subordinate courts:Courts of First Instance include: civil, juvenile, commercial, labor, police, criminal, Assizes, and also a pre-trial investigation chamber; Joint Commerce Tribunal; administrative courts
Political parties and leaders:
Build Our Rainbow NationCaledonia Together [Philippe GOMES] Caledonian Union or UC [Daniel GOA] Front National or FN [Marine LE PEN] Future Together (l'Avenir Ensemble) [Harold MARTIN] Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM) Labor Party (Labor Party) [Louis Kotra UREGEI] National Union for Independence (Union Nationale pour l'Independance) or UNI Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE] Progressive Melanesian Union (Union Progressiste Mellanesienne) or UPM Socialist Group [Jean Pierre BEL] Socialist Kanak Liberation or LKS [Nidoish NAISSELINE] The Future Together or AE [Harold MARTIN] The Rally or UMP [Pierre GROGIER] Union for Caledonia in France Union of Pro-Independence Co-operation Committees [Francois BURCK]
Political pressure groups and leaders:
NA
International organization participation:
PIF (associate member), SPC, UPU, WFTU (NGOs)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
name:'Soyons unis, devenons freres' (Let Us Be United, Let Us Become Brothers)lyrics/music:Chorale Melodia (a local choir) note:adopted 2008; the anthem contains a mixture of lyrics in both French and Nengone (an indigenous language); as a self-governing territory of France, in addition to the local anthem, 'La Marseillaise' is official (see France) |