New Caledonia

History

There is: 5000 years, of the inhabitants of the littoral of the China of the south, rice and millet farmers, start to cross the strait to settle in Taiwan. Towards: 2000 av. J. - C., of the migrations take place of Taiwan towards the Filipino . New migrations start soon of Philippines towards Célèbes and Timor and from there, the other islands of the archipelago Indonesia N. Towards 1 500 av. J. - C., another movement carries out Filipino in New Guinea and beyond that, the islands of the Pacifique. The Austronésiens are undoubtedly the first navigators of the history of humanity.

As fragments of pottery Lapita attest it found, the first inhabitants of New Caledonia would have posed the foot on the territory, approximately 3.000 years ago. One calls Lapita the period of 1.300 with 200 av. J. - C. During the following period, Naia Oundjo, the Canaques (men in Polynesian language) control the art of the polished stone, and base their civilization on the culture of the ground (mainly yams and taros). At the time of ritual warriors, tribes practice also the Cannibalisme.

The September 5th 1774, the English navigator James Cook sees the Large Earth. He baptizes it “ New Caledonia ” in the honor of the Scotland. Indeed, it is said that the aspect of the coasts would have pointed out to him this area of Great Britain, in which Cook is originating ( Caledonia is the old Latin name of the province corresponding to the British Scotland).

It is probable that in 1788, the French forwarding led by Perugia recognizes the west coast on board the Astrolabe and the Compass , right before sinking in a shipwreck on the reef of Vanikoro to the the Solomon Islands. In 1793, the French rear-admiral Antoine Bruny d' Entrecasteaux, left in 1791 at the request of Louis XVI to find Perugia, passes off New Caledonia, recognizes the West coast of the Large Earth and would have stopped in particular with the Îles Honesty. Nevertheless, one allots the discovery of these last to the French explorer Jules Dumont d' Urville in 1827 which was the first to precisely locate them on a chart.

Starting from 1841, missionary S start to come to settle. Catholic side, Marist brothers, carried out by Monseigneur Douarre who is named apostolic vicar of New Caledonia, first of all settle with Balade in 1843, but there still the missionaries are driven out in 1847 before being able to return, and in a durable way, starting from 1851.

The two organizations missionaries, to ensure their base on the archipelago, call some then with the two European powers likely to help them: Protestants with the the United Kingdom and the Marists with the France. New Caledonia is finally proclaimed French colony with Balade the September 24th 1853 by the French rear-admiral Febvrier Despointes.

The June 25th 1854, the French soldiers found in the south-west of the Grande Ground Port-of-France to be used as chief town with the colony, simple garrison which will quickly become a small town and will take the name of Noumea the June 2nd 1866.

After the Common of Paris, New Caledonia, is used as place of deportation for very many former communards condemned by the councils of war set up by the Gouvernement Thiers.

At the end of the XIXe century and at the beginning of the XXe several attempts at colonization are semi-failures

In 1931, a group of Kanaks is exposed in a cage, at the time of the colonial exposure of Paris.

During the Second world war, New Caledonia rejoins the Free France as of 1940 and becomes starting from the March 12th 1942 an important American base camp in the war against the Japan.

After the war, the France gives up the term of colony, abolishes the code of the indigénat. In parallel, the Territory knows a fast and considerable economic growth thanks to the exploitation of “green gold”: it is the “boom of the Nickel”, New Caledonia becoming the third world producer then.

Years 1980 see the tensions between opponents and in favor independence to reach it their paroxysm, the confrontations degenerate soon into insurrection quasi generalized during the period known as of the “Events” (1984 - 1988). Violence culminates in 1988 with the Prise of hostage of Ouvéa.

This episode pushes the two camps and their leaders to negotiate leading to the signature of the Accords of Matignon the June 26th 1988 envisaging the installation of 10 years a transitory statute having to balance itself on a referendum of self-determination so that Calédoniens decide for or against independence. This agreement is supplemented by the Accord of Noumea of the May 5th 1998 which then envisages the installation of a strong autonomy. The final referendum on the question of the institutional future (independence or maintenance within the French Republic) being pushed back between 2014 and 2018.

Geography

Toponymy

The term Calédonie drift of the name given by the Romain S to the mountainous solid mass of the north of the Scotland. James Cook itself of Scottish origin by his/her father, thus baptized the Archipel in reference to this area.

New Caledonia is also familiarly called by the descendants of French colonists and the Zoreille S “the Stone” , while the term “Kanaky” has an independence and identity connotation in reference at the end Kanak, term of origin Hawaii enne, widespread in the Pacifique by the European navigators.

The Toponymy and the Onomastic (name of the grounds, islands, tribes and people…) in New Caledonia are related questions with problems of a nature land, legal, historical and linguistic, discussed on a political plan since many years. The Accords of Noumea envisage as follows: " the names kanak of the places will be listed and restored. The sites crowned according to the Kanak tradition will be identified and juridically protected, according to the applicable rules as regards historic buildings. " (Article 1.3 subparagraph 1)

Languages

See also: French of New Caledonia, Languages kanak

The French is the official language, but there exist 28 local languages (which are Langues austronésiennes) four have the statute (inter alia for historical reasons) of “regional Langue”: two on the Large Ground (the Paicî, in the area of Poindimié, the Ajië, in the area of Houailou), and two in the Islands Honesty (the Nengone, in the Island of Maré, and the Drehu, in the island of Lifou, to which is added recently the xârâcùù area of Canala and Thio).

The other spoken languages by the communities living in the archipelago are the Bichelamar, the Wallisian , the Futunien, the Tahitien the Vietnamese and the Javanese.

Biodiversity

Demography

Population

The population of New Caledonia is estimated at 230 789 inhabitants at the time of the census of 2004. With an apparent migratory balance of only 7 000 people between 1996 and 2004. By 1996 to 2004, the population calédonienne increased by approximately 34 000 people, of which 27 000 under the natural balance (births minus death) and 7 000 under migratory balance.

The unequal pattern of the settlement

The density is there particularly weak, in particular much lower than in Tahiti or than in the overseas departments, with 12,5 hab. /km ², but into truth the New Caledonian population is very unequally divided. Thus, on these 230 789 inhabitants, only 22 080 (9,5%) live with the islands Loyauté (11,15 hab. /km ²) and 44 474 (19,3%) in the Northern province (however the most extended from the three provinces, and where the density is thus only of 4,6 hab. /km ²) against 164 235 (71,2%) in the Southern province (23,4 hab. /km ²) which gathers thus between two thirds and three quarters of the population calédonienne on only a little more than one third of the territory. And with the center even of this last province the pattern of the settlement is very unbalanced, with a strong concentration with Noumea and in its agglomeration. The chief town Noumea, with 91 386 inhabitants, thus gathers 40% of the inhabitants of the territory (1 360 hab. /km ²) on hardly 0,35% of its surface, and the Grand Noumea weighs 146 000 people, is 63% of the total population on less 1/10e of the surface of the archipelago.

And this imbalance was accentuated since the end of the year 1990: if the respective share of the three provinces in the population calédonienne had remained overall stable between 1983 and 1996, with 68% of the population in the South, 21% in North and 11% in the islands, the share of the South was much stronger (more than 71%) in 2004 and that of the Islands and weaker North. Since 1996, the Southern Province knew an average annual rate of increase in 2,4% compared with 0,9% in North and 0,7% in the Islands. The Grand Noumea thus passes from 60% of the population calédonienne in 1996 to 63% in 2004. Noumea maintains in particular a growth rather strong between 1996 and 2004, to 2,2%, is an about equal rate that what the chief town had known between 1989 and 1996, but in fact especially the communes of suburbs know a considerable growth then, to the image of the other agglomerations, initially for those of the outskirts of the city (Dumbéa and Mount-Gilds) then for Païta. Dumbéa saw its population thus annually increasing on average by 4,7% between 1989 with 1996 then of 3,6% of 1996 with 2004, the Mount-Gilds of 3,4% between 1989 with 1996 then only of 1,8% of 1996 with 2004 and especially Païta which passed from an average annual growth of 3,8% between 1989 and 1996 to 5,2% between 1996 and 2004. Thus, the Grand Noumea grew, but Noumea, as for the majority of the city-centers, saw its proportion in its center decreasing: it accounted for 75% of the population of its agglomeration in 1976, 67% in 1989 and more than 62,5% in 2004.

However, the natural growth is stronger in North and the Islands that in the South. The digging of this imbalance is thus explained primarily by a migration interior and in particular by the strong attractivity of the agglomeration nouméenne, fournisseuse of use and equipment and consumer goods. The internal migratory balance of the Southern Province is only thus with being positive (+3 764 between 1996 and 2004) when those of the provinces north and islands are particularly negative (- 1 785 in the Islands and -1 979 in North between 1996 and 2004). It is to limit the macrocephaly of Noumea, inter alia, that development projects of other urban poles were launched, in particular that of Koné - Voh - Pouembout around the development project of the factory of North, but the importance of the chief town of the ground is such as no commune will be able really démographiquement to compete with it before many years.

A young population

The population of New Caledonia continues to remain particularly young compared to the national average. Thus, the share of less than 20 years in the total population was of 39,5% in 1996 (20% of the New Caledonian population in the class of less than 10 years) against 7,5% then for the most 60 years and a 27 years and 10 months Middle Age. However, the population has known for these 20 last years a phenomenon of ageing: the share of less than 20 years thus passed from 47% in 1983 to 43,9% in 1989, 39,6% thus in 1996 and finally 37% in 2004, while the most 60 years increased by 6,2% in 1983 with 6,9% in 1989, 7,5% in 1996 and especially 9,4% in 2004. The Middle Age is 30 years thus today, that is to say slightly higher than in the other French territories of the Pacific (28 years in French Polynésie and 24 years with Wallis-and-Futuna) but definitely less than in metropolis where the Middle Age is 40 years and where 20% of the population are 60 years old or more and 25% less than 20 years. The population pyramid New Caledonian thus remains overall triangular, even if its base tends to narrow. There still one observes large disparities between the Provinces: in the Northern and especially with the Islands Honesty, the youth of the population is particularly visible: the Middle Age is thus 27,5 years in the islands and nearly 46% of the population has there less than 20 years, for 40,6% of the population in the same age bracket in North. However, one sees also appearing in these two provinces a light phenomenon of ageing with an increase in more than 60 years, but also by the fall of the age brackets between 15 and 30 years, especially in the Islands, because of the departure of young people towards Noumea to continue their schooling or to find work.

A dynamic but less and less strong growth

This youth joins enough a natural demographic strong growth, there still however with a tendency to stagnation, even with the fall: the natural rate of increase was thus of 1,77% in 1996 and 1,24% in 2004 and of the same in 2005, the forecast of the ISEE for 2006 establishing a rate of 1,3% (let us recall that growth rate natural for France was of 0,35% in 2003). Two reasons with this strong growth: a rather important birthrate which has tendency however has to decrease, and a rather weak mortality.

The birthrate is particularly strong compared to the Metropolitan France, even if it strongly has fall during these 5 last years. The rough rate of birthrate thus passed from 25 ‰ in 1989 to 23,2 ‰ in 1996 and to 17,3 ‰ in 2004 (for a rate of 13,1 ‰ for France in 2006). These aspects of the birthrate calédonienne are once again exacerbated in the provinces North and Islands with respective rates of 17 ‰ (against 24 ‰ in 1996) and of 19,8 ‰ in 2004 (against 26,7 ‰ in 1996). The consequent fall of the birthrate in these two provinces makes that their rates approach that of the Southern Province which, definitely weaker in 1996, decreased much more slightly during these 10 last years: birth rate thus passed there from 21 ‰ in 1996 to 17 ‰ in 2004. It is thus primarily about the birthrate within the populations mélanésiennes which drop more, due often to the lengthening of the duration of the studies and thus the displacement of youth towards Noumea even in Metropolis to continue its studies or to find work, and thus delays the age where these young people decide to found a family. This fall of the birthrate is found in that of the index of fruitfulness, which passed from 3,2 children by woman in 1989 to 2,2 in 2004, that is to say right with the top of the point of renewal of the generations and with a variation with that of the Metropolitan France (which is currently between 1,9 and 2 children per woman) which is particularly reduced.

N the other hand, mortality is weak: the crude death rate was thus of 5,05 ‰ in 1996 for 4,9 ‰ in 2004. This rate is even largely lower than that of the Metropolitan France, where death rate was established in 2006 with 8,7 ‰. This weak mortality is due to multiple factors: softness of the climate, the absence of major natural disasters (only the cyclones are a true danger, but they are seldom as virulent as the hurricanes of the Antilles and their effects, with some exceptions loans, are generally well managed by the population and the authorities) or of great tropical epidemics (the Dengue can be mortal, but the cases remain still rather rare and this disease is better and better controlled by the authorities, while New Caledonia is characterized by the absence from Paludisme), the quality of the care, of the hygiene of life, the standard of living rather high compared to other departments or overseas territories. However, the infantile Death rate is higher than in metropolis, while remaining in the averages which one finds in the OECD countries: it was thus of 6,3 ‰ in 2004, with 6,4 ‰ in 2005 and the forecasts establish it with 5,7 ‰ in 2006, against 3,8 ‰ in Metropolitan France in 2005. This weak mortality results in an increase in the life expectancy to the birth, which passed from 68 to 72 for the men and from 73 to 79 years for the women between 1989 and 2004, and is established, the two confused sexes, at 75,5 years in 2004.

Principal groups

New Caledonia is populated, in 1998, of various ethnicities:

the Mélanésie NS (the Kanak S or Canaques ), which account for 44,1% of the New Caledonian population.
the historical descendants of often métissés Europeans, account for 34,1% of the population: the Caldoche S, mainly of French origin , descendants of former convicts or colonists free of which many Alsatian-Lorraine having fled the Alsace or the Lorraine after their incorporation with the German Empire in 1870, but also the few descendants of the vague large last of “free settlement” of the colony in the years 1920, phase generally called the “colonization of the northerners” because the families came then primarily from the North of France. But one also finds many patronyms of British origin (Martin deciding “Martine” of which the local politician Harold Martin, Johnston,…) or Irish (Daly which decides “Délé”, O' Donnoghue, Nagle…), families going down from certain adventurers for the majority disappointed of the “gold rush” that Australia in the middle of the 19th century knew and which then tried their chance in this island close to New Caledonia as traders or stockbreeders, and under the impulse of James Paddon (an adventurer and tradesman British installed in the island Nou, current Nouville in the roads of Noumea before even as the city either created and New Caledonia or Frenchwoman). It is necessary to also note the presence of Italian descendants (Pantaloni, Paladini, Gervolino…), of Germans (Tuband, Metzger…), of Belgians (Metzdorf,…), inter alia.
Polynesian of the south (whose Wallisian and Futuniens), account for 9% of the population whereas the Vanuatu S account for 1,4%. They for the majority came as from the years 1960 and 1970 in order to face a strong population increase in their native islands and to find work in New Caledonia in full rise thanks to the boom of nickel.
the Tahiti ens account for 2,6% of the New Caledonian population.
European resulting from a more recent immigration dating from second half of the 20th century, and mainly of French origin .
various Asian groups historical, in particular Indonesia Vietnamese NS representing 2,5% and accounting for 1,4% of the population, go down from an old labor come to work primarily in the caferies (especially for Indonésiens). There are also some families of stocks of Japanese origin (Tsuitsui, Nakamura…). For that it is necessary to add a weak share, but considerable, of Chinese (0,4% of the population).
There also exists in New Caledonia of the descendants of the Moslem deportees Kabyles of the Révolte of Mokrani (Algérie), sometimes called the Kabyles of the Pacific and of Indian volunteers of origin réunionnaise come under the impulse from Gabriel Coat de Kerveguen, great landowner cannier réunionnais eager to make cultivate the cane with sugar in New Caledonia (area of Naïna) and which thus made come several families from the island from the Meeting and their primarily made up labor “Hefty fellows”.

Demography is an important political data in New Caledonia. Since the Agreements of Noumea, indeed the ethnic composition of the electoral college is a stake in the optics of the referendum. The freedom fighters suspect the State of encouraging the immigration of metropolis by tax incentives and Asia in order to put in minority the more favorable people autochtones, according to them, with autonomy or independence.

In addition, the economic attractivity of New Caledonia supports an important immigration of Polynesian populations (in particular of Wallis-and-Futuna, that the French State tries to slow down by an important development program specific to Wallis-and-Futuna, and with the French Polynésie). Today the Wallisians for example are more numerous there than with Wallis-and-Futuna, and of the ethnic conflicts occur with Mélanésiens.

Institutions and Policy

Institutions

The institutional history of New Caledonia is particularly complex, the island having known a multitude of different statutes. French colony of 1853 with 1946, it will be then Overseas territory of 1946 with 1999 and finally a Community Sui generis of Overseas specifically governed by title XIII of the French Constitution. Moreover, in the years 1980, the statutes of autonomy interns followed one another to try to face the increasing independence claim then with the Events: statute Lemoine of 1984, statute Fabius - Pisani of 1985, statutes Pons I and II respectively in 1986 then 1988, finally the statute of the Agreement of Matignon then that of Noumea.

Currently, the institutions of New Caledonia are defined by the law n° 99-209 of the March 19th 1999 organic relating to New Caledonia.

Subdivisions

the Congress

At the time of the same poll that for the provincial elections the representatives of the provinces are designated which will sit at the Congrès of New Caledonia, the Deliberating assembly local. the congress is the assembly deliberating on New Caledonia; it includes/understands fifty four members including seven members of the assembly of the province of the Loyauté islands, fifteen of the assembly of the Northern province and thirty-two of the assembly of the Southern province. (article 62 of the organic law)

He elects in his center his president, his office, a standing committee charged to sit apart from the ordinary sessions and the various commissions of work.

The Congress elects with proportional (each political group made up within the assembly being able to present a list) the members of the government.

In the fields of competence reserved for the Territory, the Congress legislates as a voter of the laws of country.

In fact also the Congress is entitled to deal with, with qualified majority of the three fifths, the transfers of competence of France towards the territory.

In the event of institutional instability, the French government can decide, by decree taken in the Council of Ministers, to dissolve the Congress after having consulted its president as well as the government of New Caledonia.

the government

the executive of New Caledonia is the government. He is elected by the congress and person in charge in front of him. (Article 108 of the organic law)

He is elected with the list system, each group to the Congrès by presenting one. At a meeting preliminary to this election, the Congress meets first once to decide number of stations which this government will include/understand, being able to go from 5 to 11 members. Practically all the governments counted some until now 11, the only exception being the second government Frogier which comprised 10 of them to him. Once constituted, the government elects in its center, with secret bulletin and absolute, a president and a vice-president charged to take over temporarily the duties of the first.

It is about a collegial government, the political main forces represented with the Congresses are thus present there and must thus get along for the management of New Caledonia. “The government is in charge collégialement and jointly businesses of its jurisdiction” (Article 128 of the organic law). Thus, in all the fields, the decisions can be taken only in the majority of its members. However, each member of the government has one or more sectors which it is charged “to animate and control” but, contrary to the member of the government of the French Polynésie, it has neither the statute nor the title of “minister”.

He has an executive power and lawful in the direction where he “prepares and carries out the deliberations of the Congress and his standing committee” (Article 126). He is responsible in front of the Congress: the president, once elected, makes a speech in front of the Parliament to present his general policy, and must each year present a report/ratio in front of the Congress. Lastly, the Congress can reverse the government by depositing then as a voter a Motion of censure (Articles 95 and 95 of the organic law) which must be signed by at least a fifth of the members of the Congress and which must be adopted then in the majority absolute (either at least 28 votes).

The other situations which can push with the resignation of the government before the end of its mandate (namely the end of mandature of the Congress) are:

collegial resignation decided in the majority absolute of its members
resignation or death of the president of the government
resignation of the members of the same formation and of all their following of list

When a member of the government resigns or dies (except for the president), it is immediately replaced by another member of the list deposited at the beginning at the time of the election of the government.

The August 7th 2007, Harold Martin is elected with the presidency of the sixth government of New Caledonia resulting from the Accords of Noumea. Following the resignation of this last, a new executive, the seventh government, is elected the August 21st 2007.

the usual senate

the usual senate is composed of sixteen members designated by each usual council, according to the uses recognized by the habit, at a rate of two representatives per usual surface of New Caledonia. (article 137).

usual councils

a usual council is instituted in each usual surface. The composition of this council is fixed according to the uses suitable for this one. (Article 149) These usual surfaces are eight

The Economic and Social Council

the Economic and Social Council of New Caledonia includes/understands thirty-nine members (Article 153) for a 5 years mandate, namely:

28 members designated by professional organizations, trade unions or other associations and welfare social or economic within the framework of the Provinces of which:

16 for the Southern Province (6 for professional organizations who are the employers' Federation MEDEF, the Federation of Small and medium-size companies FPME, the Association of the Hotels of New Caledonia, the artisanal Federation, the Trade union of Industries of the Mine and the Trade union of the stockbreeders; 5 for trade unions which are USTKE, USOENC, Working force, the CFE-CGC and the Federation of the Trade unions of the Civils servant, Agents and Workmen of the Public office; 5 for Associations which are the Association “Marguerite” which organizes historical reconstitutions, Collective urgently humane CDUH, the Association of Wallisian Youth and futunienne, the Foundation of the Pioneers which gathers of the “Caldoches” and the Calédonien Handi-Club).

8 for the Northern Province (3 professional organizations is represented: the GIE Tourism in Northern Province, the mining Company of Peaceful South SMSP and the agricultural Group of the producers of East coast GAPCE; 2 trade unions which are USTKE and the Trade union of the companies of North; 3 associations: the Council of the Women of North, association in the honor of Jacques Iekawé who was the 1st prefect mélanésien and Association for, Youth and the adult Child welfare in difficulty APEJ).

4 for those of the Islands Honesty (TaPeNe association of promotion of the Nengone culture, namely of Maré, the Committee of development of the district of Wetr with Lifou, the Trade union of the Fishermen of Ouvéa and the Femininist movement towards one smiling village mélanésien).

2 members designated by the usual Senate in its center (currently Clément Grochain, usual senator for the surface Paici-Camuki which is in Northern Province, and Georges Mandaoué which represents to him with the usual Senate the surface of Ajië-Aro which is with horse between the Provinces Northern and Southern).
9 qualified people representative of the economic life, social or cultural of the Territory indicated by the Government of New Caledonia after opinion of the three presidents of the Assemblies of Province: Christian Burignat (RPCR - bailiff to Noumea), Gaston Hmeun (former general secretary of the USOENC, local trade union near to the CFDT, and former member of these national of 1995 with 1999 under the representatives of Outre-mer, close freedom fighter), Dominique Katrawa (former director of the Company of Development and Investment of the Province of the Islands Honesty SODIL, manager of the Company Loyaltien Armament who manages especially Betico which ensures the sea links between Noumea and the Islands Honesty and manager of the small Airazur airline company), Robert Lamarque (current president of THESE of New Caledonia), Paul Maes (Future together, director of the Golf of Tina with Noumea and chair Company of the Hotel of Noumea), Léontine Ponga (vice-president of RPCR, 16th of the list RPCR in Northern Province at the time of the provincial elections of May 2004), Rosine Streeter (general secretary of the Free trade union Unit Action SLUA, close independence), Yves Tissandier (RPCR, former general secretary of several institutions calédoniennes like the Economic and Social Committee, ancestor of these room, of the usual Council, ancestor of the usual Senate, and all the local executives directed by Dick Ukeiwé in the years 1980), Octave Togna (FLNKS - CPU, managing director of the Development agency of the Culture Kanak (ADCK), one of the founders of the radio freedom fighter Radio operator Djiido and one of the potentials candidates of its party for the legislative ones of June 2007 in the 1 {{Re}} district).

He then elects in his center an office which includes/understands a president (since April 2005 it acts of Robert Lamarque, named then by the Government of qualified New Caledonia as anybody, former president of the administrative court of New Caledonia of 1987 with 2004), four vice-presidents, two questeurs and a secretary.

the Economic and Social Council is consulted on the projects and private bills of the country and deliberation of the congress in economic or social matter. For this purpose, it is seized for the projects by the president of the government, and for the proposals, by the president of the congress. ( Article 155)

National representation

New Caledonia is also represented in France by two Député S, which is currently Gaël Yanno (Gathering-UMP) and Pierre Frogier (Gathering-UMP) both members of the group UMP and a senator Simon Loueckhote (RPC, old RPCR), him also member of the group UMP with the Sénat.

New Caledonia also has two representatives with the national Economic and Social Council. It is first of all about Marie-Claude Tjibaou (FLNKS - CPU), widow of the former independence leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou and president of the board of directors of the Development agency of the culture kanak (ADCK), as a member of the group of the personalities qualified in the economic domain, social, scientific and cultural, named by decree of the Council of Ministers at the request of the Prime Minister (then Jean-Pierre Raffarin) in September 2004. However, Marie-Claude Tjibaou is economic and social adviser since September 1999, having thus been before member of the Group of the representatives of Outre-mer of 1999 with 2004 after being named by decree of the Council of Ministers on a proposal from the Secretary of State charged with Outre-mer with then (namely Jean-Jack Queyranne).

The second economic council and social representing New Caledonia is Bernard Paul (RPCR), member of the Group of Overseas since his nomination in the Council of Ministers on a proposal from the Minister for Outre-mer Brigitte Girardin in September 2004. He was president of the local Economic and Social Council of April 1998 at April 2005.

See also List of the deputies of New Caledonia and List of the senators de Nouvelle-Calédonie

Representatives of the State

The High-Commissioner of the Republic

The State is represented in New Caledonia by a High-Commissioner of the Republic, which has row of Préfet and “is named by Presidential decree of the Republic deliberated in the Council of Ministers” (Article 200 of the organic law). Since the Agreement of Noumea, the prerogatives of the High-Commissioner are definitely less than before: only chief of the executive of 1989 with 1999, it is since then satisfied making publish the laws of country with the obligatory contreseeing of the president of the government. The organic law defines its role, with article 200, as follows: “The High-Commissioner takes care of the regular exercise their competences by the institutions of New Caledonia and the Provinces and with the legality of their acts. ” It is especially in charge to organize and manage the services depending from the kingly capacities of the State: foreign relations and control of immigration and abroad present on the Territory, the currency and thus the Treasury (control of the receipts and the national expenditure in the territory) and the exchanges, defense (it can thus in particular declare the state of emergency after having consulted the government of New Caledonia), but especially justice, the public office of the State and the civil security and maintenance of law and order. It is the high commissionership in particular which decides to start the various levels of alarm in the event of cyclone and the High-Commissioner chairs the crisis cells in the event of natural disasters or of climatic events. He is finally president of the Council of the Mines. It currently acts, since the October 25th 2007, of Yves Dassonville.

The High-Commissioner envoit to represent it and relay the services of the high commissionership of the deputy police chiefs of the Republic (CDR), which has row of Sous-préfet S, in three administrative subdivisions which correspond to the three Provinces. They respectively have their offices with Foa in Southern Province (with an antenna with Noumea) primarily charged to treat relative files with the communes of Brousse , with Koné in Northern Province (with an antenna with Poindimié) and with Wé on Lifou for the Îles Honesty.

The Vice-rector

In the field of education, New Caledonia forms a Vice-vice-chancellorship with at its head a vice-rector named by decree by the president of the Republic. It acts since 2002 of Michel Barat. Because of its specificity, of its weak demographic weight and its distance, the vice-vice-chancellorship is not entitled to ensure itself the correction of the examinations and national competitions, except notable for the national Diplôme of the patent and the traditional university degrees. Thus, the baccalaureat and the contests of teaching, in particular, are corrected in Metropolitan France near a academy of fastening. However, the vice-vice-chancellorship directly manages the inscriptions with these diplomas and is given the responsability to give them.

Defense

New Caledonia has several important military bases, in particular on the naval and aeronautical level.

The Armed forces of New Caledonia (FANC) are in any compounds of approximately 2.000 men and women, all bodies confused but except Military service adapted (the Grouping of the adapted Military service of New Caledonia GSMA-NC employs approximately 300 soldiers inter-arm) and except gendarmerie (830 personnel, 33 territorial brigades plus that of Noumea, 2 helicopters squirrels, 500 vehicles and 21 boats). They are directed by a higher Commander (COMSUP) who has generally at least the Brigadier general rank of . It is currently about the general Gilles Robert. He is assisted by three associated, for each body.

The Army in New Caledonia has 1020 men and women divided in 4 companies and 3 bases (Plum with the Mount-Gilds, Noumea and Nandaï with Bourail).

The marine makes station or employs in New Caledonia 592 men and women, including 51 civilians. The fleet consists of two Patrouilleurs of the type P400 ( Glorious the P686 and the Mocker P688), of the Bâtiment of light transport Jacques Cartier - L9033 and of the Frégate of monitoring (FS) of Class Floréal Vendémiaire - F734.

The air force is represented rather little in New Caledonia, employing only 164 people being useful primarily on helicopter (2 Fennec and 5 Puma).

Diplomacy

New Caledonia is member of the two regional main organizations: the the Community of the Pacific (CPS, whose general secretary sits at Noumea) and the Forum of the Pacific Islands (associated member, with the French Polynésie). It is also member of the Conseil of the Plays of the Pacific (CJP). If the foreign relations remains competence of the French State, the Territory can carry out itself of the cooperation actions direct with the adjoining countries of the Pacific.

Several foreign countries are represented in New Caledonia via a consul who is attached to his embassy of supervision which it sits at Paris. There are thus twelve consulates with Noumea, including 3 known as “Generals” (those of Australia, of the Vanuatu and Indonesia), a Consulate of New Zealand and 8 Consulates known as “honorary” (those of Suisse, of Belgium, Netherlands, of Great Britain, Italy, of FR of Germany, Filipino Japan and ). They are generally countries which have more or less important communities established on the Territory.

Political currents

Economy

Culture

territorial Files of New Caledonia *Bibliothèque Berheim (Noumea)
Arts center Tjibaou.
Museum of New Caledonia.
Museum of the town of Noumea.
Museum of the bagne.
Museum of the sea.
Museum of the town of Bourail.
Arts center Goa my Bwarhat with Hienghène.
Academy of the languages kanak, created in 2006

Music

New Caledonia knows a certain musical, pilot diversity of its cultural diversity.

The Kaneka is a musical form born in the middle of the years 1980, at the time of the political events which shook the island. Kaneka finds its origin in the binary beat produced on a central tree trunk at the time of the " Pilou" , rate/rhythm traditionally used at the time of the tribal ceremonies kanak. The best representing of this style is the troop of dancers We This Ca, carried out by the singer Tim Sameke, who mixes traditional choreographies and musics adapting Kaneka to a more modern style, with in particular the introduction of sounds and rhythmic electronic, which made this group particularly popular. Kaneka even sometimes, and more and more, with the rhythmic ones and melodies close to the Reggae, which is also a very popular musical style in New Caledonia and in particular near the Kanak S. Of many international figures of the Reggae made concerts in New Caledonia: Jimmy Cliff, Israel Vibration or The Wailers.

The European population, is especially the Caldoches of Brousse , or Broussards , also developed a rather typical musical style mixing with the expressions caldoches and a musical quality primarily borrowed from the Country music.

To that are added the traditional musics of the other communities, and especially the whole of the imported musical styles of Tahiti: tamure but also the waltz tahitienne (quick waltz),…

Beside that develops more and more groups of Jazz, Soul music or Rock. Musical festivals multiplied since the 10-15 last years: the festival Live in August created in 1991 by the Large Brewery of New Caledonia (GBNC) initially for better making known the musicians of jazz of the territory under the name of Jazz in August before taking its current denomination in 1998, it gathers local and international groups (primarily of the Pacifique zone however, in particular Australian or New Zealand) of Jazz, Rock, Soul and Folk (in particular Irish) in the bars, bars, taverns and restaurants primarily with Noumea but more and more on the whole of the Territory. The festival Women funk , created in 1997 primarily to promote the female artists of the Peaceful zone (but not only), organizes on a site at the same time concerts of international artists (Soul, Jazz, Reggae, Bossa nova, Rock, Slam, Kaneka, Hip-hop…) accompanied by workshops children or initiation to the traditional craft industry, first of all on Noumea (generally 4 days on the site of the Arts center Tjibaou) then in bush at the end of September and at the beginning of October.

Noumea lays out of a Conservatoire of music , old territorial École of music (ETM) , which also organizes many concerts of orchestral, traditional music or not (in particular of Jazz), or songs (choral, lyric…).

If New Caledonia obtained with many theaters or concert, of which those of the Academy, of the coffee-music Mouv' of River-Salted and that more important of the Sissia room of the Arts center Tjibaou, to what rooms in bush are added (the arts center of Mount-Gilds, colized of Bourail,…). But they remain of reduced capacity, and no adequate space to accommodate more important concerts was clearly delimited up to now (these last years, the majority of them were organized on the peninsula of Nouville to Noumea, on the plain of Kuendu Beach). The construction of a big room in concert is nevertheless in project.

Literature

New Caledonia produced several writers of which most famous locally remains Jean Mariotti. Its principal works are especially:

Tales of Poindi , collection of tales inspired of legends kanaks, published in 1939 then re-examined and corrected in 1941 and translated into English, German and Slovak in particular.
Takata d' Aïmos , ED. Flammarion, Paris, 1930,249 p. (republished in Noumea in 1995 then again in 1999), fantastic novel also inspired to him of a traditional legend kanak.
Remorse , ED. Flammarion, Paris, 1931,283 p. (republished in Noumea in 1997), psychological novel on the convicts.
has edge of dubious the , ED. Stock, Delamain and Boutelleau, Paris, 283 p. (republished in PAPEETE in 1981 then in Noumea in 1996 and 2000), account of fiction being located in a country imaginary but inspired of its childhood in the small village calédonien of Farino.
the Last voyage of Thétis , ED. Stock, Paris, 1947,251 p., collection including/understanding 7 news: “The Last Voyage of the Thétis ”, “Landscape”, “Oporto of the Drafn ”, “You y' has currency of it? ”, “Simple history”, “the accidental epopee”, “Harm calédonienne”.
Also several works on the history, the geography or the economy of New Caledonia.

As regards the literature kanak, the most representative authors remain Déwé Gorodey, current member of the Local government in load of the Culture, or the writer, poet and dramature Pierre Gope. One of its parts, the Fields of the Earth , poetic fable inspired of the folklore calédonien and especially kanak, thus was represented with the Festival of Avignon in 2006 and was the subject then of a round in Europe.

If not, one of the most prolific calédoniens authors is Nicolas Kurtovitch, founder president since 1996 of the Association of the writers of New Caledonia, and whose collection of poetry the Pedestrian of the dharma received the price of the living room of the insular book of Ushant, poetry category. One owes him especially of the collections of poetry, but also a novel: Good night friends , ED. With the Wind from the Islands, PAPEETE, 2006,124 p., like several plays of which one in collaboration with Pierre Gope: the Gods are one-eyed , ED. Grains of sand, Noumea, 2002. Frederic Ohlen is another considered poet, author of four collections which combine depth of the message and acuity of the form.

the Bush in madness of Bernard Berger makes it possible to discover the singularities of the New Caledonian company through a humorous expression accessible to all. This series of cartoon, born in 1984, is each year among the largest success of edition of the island.

Photograph gallery

Random links: