Geography of New Caledonia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 Map of New Caledonia |
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Pacific Ocean |
| Coordinates | 21°21′03″S 165°25′56″E / 21.350781°S 165.432129°E |
| Area | 16,372 square kilometres (6,321 sq mi) (53rd) |
| Length | 350 kilometres (220 mi) |
| Width | 70 kilometres (43 mi) |
| Highest point | Mont Panié (1,628 metres (5,340 ft)) |
| Country | |
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France
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| Overseas departments and territories of France |  New Caledonia |
| Largest city | Nouméa (pop. 91,386) |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 208,709 (as of 2004) |
| Density | 12.75 /km2 (33.0 /sq mi) |
| Ethnic groups | Melanesian 44.6%, European 34.5%, Wallisian 9.1%, Tahitian 2.7%, Indonesian 2.6%, Vietnamese 1.4%, Ni-Vanuatu 1.2%, other (Filipino) 3.9% |
New Caledonia is a group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, to the east of Australia, in Oceania. New Caledonia has a total area of 19,060 km², of which 485 km² is water. The islands have a coastline of 2,254 km and New Caledonia's maritime claims are an exclusive fishing zone of 200 nm, with a territorial sea of 12 nm.
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[edit] Climate
The climate of New Caledonia is tropical, modified by southeasterly trade winds. It is hot and humid. Natural hazards are posed in New Caledonia by cyclones, which occur most frequently between November and March.
[edit] Terrain
The terrain consists of coastal plains, with mountains in the interior. The lowest point is the Pacific Ocean, with an elevation of 0 m, and the highest is Mont Panie, with an elevation of 1,628 m (5,341 ft). As of 1993, 12% of New Caledonian land is used for permanent pasture, with 39% occupied by forests and woodland. As of 1991, 160 km² of the land is irrigated. A current environmental issue is erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires.
[edit] Natural resources
Natural resources of the islands include: nickel, chromium, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead and copper.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the CIA World Factbook.
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