| New Caledonia | |
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 | |
| Information | |
| Capital city | Noumea |
|---|---|
| Area | 19 060 km² |
| Population | 245 580 hab. (2009) |
| Density | 12,88 inhab./km² |
| Other languages | French (official language), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian languages |
| Change | Pacific franc or CFP (XPF) |
| Telephone prefix | 687 |
| Internet suffix | .nc |
| Spindle | UTC 11 |
| Location | |
 21 ° 15 ′ 0 ″ S 166 ° 10 ′ 48 ″ E | |
| Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
The New Caledonia is an overseas collectivity of the France, located in Melanesia in L'Pacific Ocean, northeast ofAustralia and southwest of Vanuatu.
Understand
Go to the tourist office before leaving in tribe because you are not likely to find there. They can look like anything and everything and are not always marked, use a map. The Museums of Noumea are not the only places to visit, you can also go to a tribe to study their way of life.
In general, the beaches are pretty and pleasant. We can go to islets by taxiboat, it's very nice
Geography
New Caledonia is administratively divided into three provinces:
- The South province, covering the south of Grande Terre, the most populous.
- The North Province, covering the north of Grande Terre and the Belep Islands, the largest.
- The Loyalty Islands province, the smallest and least populated, made up of the islands of Lifou (administrative capital), Maré, Ouvéa and Tiga.
Weather
This archipelago has a temperate oceanic subtropical climate. New Caledonia is in the intertropical zone so it is never too hot or too cold.
There are four seasons in New Caledonia depending on rainfall and two depending on temperature.
two dry seasons; a large (September to November) and a small (April-May) two rainy seasons; a large (December-March) and a small (June-August).
The hot season lasts a little over 4 months, from December to mid-April, with temperatures ranging from 25 to 30 ° C. There is a risk of cyclones during this season. The hot "cool" season lasts from mid-May to September. Temperatures rise to 20 ° C at 23 ° C the day.
History
There is 5,000 years, inhabitants of the coast of the South china, millet and rice farmers, began to cross the strait to settle in Taiwan. Around 2000 BC. AD, migrations take place from Taiwan to the Philippines. New migrations soon begin from the Philippines to Sulawesi and Timor and from there, the other islands of the archipelago Indonesian. Around 1500 BC. AD, another movement leads from the Philippines into New Guinea and beyond, the Pacific Islands. The Austronesians are undoubtedly the first navigators in the history of mankind.
As the fragments of Lapita pottery found attest, the first inhabitants of New Caledonia would have set foot in the territory about 3000 years. The period from 1300 to 200 BC is called Lapita. It was in Koné on the west coast of Grande Terre that the first vestiges of the Lapita civilization were discovered. According to archaeologist Christophe Sand: "if the Lapitas are indeed the ancestors of the Kanaks, their culture was not at all the same, which is not easy to admit either".
During the following period, Naia Oundjo, what is now called the Kanak culture, began to differentiate itself from other Melanesian cultures, which also came from this Austronesian migration. They master the art of polished stone, and base their civilization on the culture of the land (mainly yams and taros) and a social organization based on a clan structure. During warlike rituals, clans also practice anthropophagy.
The , Ensign James Colnett sees an unknown land on the horizon. It is on board the vessel commanded by the English navigator and explorer James Cook. Cook named this land New Caledonia in honor of theScotland. Indeed, it is said that the appearance of the coasts would have reminded him of this region of Britain, which Cook's father is from. Caledonia is the ancient Latin name for the province corresponding to British Scotland.
It is probable that in 1788, the French expedition led by La Pérouse recognized the west coast aboard L'Astrolabe and La Boussole, just before sinking in a shipwreck on the Vanikoro reef in Solomon Islands. In 1793, the French rear admiral Antoine Bruny d'Entrecasteaux, who left in 1791 at the request of Louis XVI to find La Pérouse, crossed the coast of New Caledonia, recognized the West Coast of Grande Terre and would have stopped in particular to the Loyalty Islands. Nevertheless, the discovery of the latter is attributed to the French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville in 1827 who was the first to locate them precisely on a map.
From 1841, missionaries began to come and settle. On the Catholic side, the Marist brothers, led by Monsignor Douarre who was appointed apostolic vicar of New Caledonia, first settled in Balade in 1843, but here again the missionaries were expelled in 1847 before being able to return, and to sustainable way, from 1851.
The two missionary organizations, to ensure their base on the archipelago, appealed to the two European powers likely to help them: the Protestants in the United Kingdom and the Marists in France. New Caledonia is finally proclaimed a French colony at Balade le by French Rear Admiral Febvrier-Despointes. In fact, it is Edmond de Bovis who will lead the operation because the admiral, very ill, hardly leaves his square.
The , the French soldiers founded in the southwest of Grande Terre Port-de-France to serve as the capital of the colony, a simple garrison which quickly became a small town and took the name of Noumea the .
After the Municipality of Paris, New Caledonia is used as a place of deportation for many former Communards condemned by the war councils set up by the government of Adolphe Thiers.
At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, several attempts at colonization were semi-failures.
In 1931, Kanaks were exhibited, in an enclosure of huts, in the Bois de Vincennes, on the occasion of the colonial exhibition in Paris.
During the Second World War, the rallying of New Caledonia to Free France intervenes in 1940. New Caledonia becomes from the a large rear base american in the war against Japan, moreover the American fleet made up of the USS Enterprise which was heading towards Guadalcanal had stayed in Nouméa.
After the war, France abandons the term colony, abolishes the code of the indigénat. At the same time, the Territory is experiencing rapid and significant economic growth thanks to the exploitation of “green gold”: it is the “nickel boom”, with New Caledonia then becoming the third largest producer in the world.
The 1980s saw the tensions between opponents and supporters of independence reach their climax, the clashes soon degenerated into an almost generalized insurrection during the so-called “events” period (1984-1988). The violence culminated in 1988 with the taking of hostages in Ouvéa.
This episode pushes the two camps and their leaders to negotiate. The negotiations lead to the signing of the Matignon agreements on providing for the establishment of a ten-year transitional statute leading to a self-determination referendum for Caledonians to vote for or against independence. This agreement is completed by the Nouméa agreement of which provides for strong autonomy and postpones the final referendum on the question of the institutional future (independence or retention within the French Republic) between 2014 and 2018. In the event of a negative vote, a second, then possibly a third referendum may be organized. Following still negative votes, a new agreement will be negotiated.
Population
Regions
.png/550px-New_Caledonia_regions_map_(fr).png) Map of New Caledonia |
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Cities
- 1 Noumea – Capital of New Caledonia and the Southern Province.
- 2 La Foa (Foha) – town known for its annual film festival and tourist activities
- 3 Bourail (Bu Rhai) – town known for its good man by the sea, also called the Roche Percée.
- 4 Hienghene (Hyehen) – village known especially for its hen "the hen of Hienghène".
- 5 Koné (Koohnê) – Capital of the northern province.
- 6 Koumac – place of fair, meeting of all Caledonians, especially those of the north of the island.
- 7 Tontouta (5) – Place belonging to the municipality of Piata where the international airport is located.
- 8 Ouégoa (Wégoa) – village with the largest river in New Caledonia "the Diahot".
Other destinations
- See as well: World Heritage in New Caledonia
To go
By plane
The only international airport on the island is that of La Tontouta, around 45 km of Noumea. It is served locally (Aircalin) and internationally from / to the Pacific Islands including
- theAustralia : Brisbane (2 h 30), Sydney (3h), Melbourne (4h),
- the New Zealand : Auckland (4h),
- Japan : Tokyo (9h),
- France, Paris (at least 25h),
- French Polynesia : Papeete (6h),
- the Fiji Islands (2h)
- the Vanuatu (1h)
- Wallis and Futuna (3h) ...
Tax-free on departure: purchases (alcohol, perfumes, etc.) in an airport duty-free shop must be sealed so as not to be confiscated during a possible connection.
Additional baggage (in addition to the baggage authorized on the flight (s)) on departure: flat-rate tax of 200 euros per piece of baggage.
The other airports, such as Nouméa-Magenta, only provide internal connections:
- North Province: Hienghene, Bourail, Koumac, Touho, Bélep ...
- Province of the Loyalty Islands: Lifou, Maré, Ouvéa, Tiga ...
- Southern Province: Isle of Pines ...
On a boat
There are no longer regular international lines, but the marina of Noumea is open to all Pacific Ocean sailors.
International cruises call at various ports in New Caledonia.
In each port, services are provided, as far as possible, to islands or islets.
Circulate
By plane
Aircalin (Air Calédonie International)
By public transport
Intercity transport
The coaches of the RAI network which leave the Moselle terminus for the various communes of Brousse.
Suburban transport (from Plum to La Tontouta)
Carsud coaches
Urban transport
Karuïa bus.
Future transport network of Greater Nouméa: Néobus,
Objective for line 1: commissioning in 2019. Néobus construction site
By car
Belonging to the France, New Caledonia is subject to New Caledonian Highway Code and the national highway code in its version applicable in New Caledonia, both in terms of legislation and in terms of road signs, which is perfectly similar to it. The speed limit on the roads is 110 km / h. License plates are also similar in character to those in the metropolis, apart from a system of their own.
Driving licenses issued by metropolitan France and those of the European community are recognized, but you must obtain the international driving license if you come from a third country. The fleet is mainly represented by the biggest European and Asian brands.
The roads are mostly passable by car and most of them are in fair condition. National roads have the prefix RT (territorial route ...).
The main rental agencies are located at NoumeaNative Caledonians are known to be fond of 4X4s.
Speak
The official language of New Caledonia is French. It is spoken throughout the island.
There are in parallel 28 vernacular languages, spoken by the Kanak people on the island, to which are added 11 dialects. The number of speakers varies greatly, from 35 for Arha to 11,338 for Drehu.
Some of these languages, including Drehu and Nengone, are taught in secondary or higher education.
New Caledonian French, or speaking Caledonian or Caldoche, has a characteristic accent and specific expressions.
Buy
Change
The Pacific franc, also known as the CFP franc, is the currency used in French communities in the Pacific Ocean: New Caledonia, French Polynesia and Wallis and futuna. The CFP francs are written in abbreviated form as f or Fcfp, and its ISO code is XPF.
The pieces are from 1 XPF, 2 XPF, 5 XPF, 10 XPF, 20 XPF, 50 XPF, 100 XPFThere are tickets of 500 XPF, 1 000 XPF, 5 000 XPF, 10 000 XPF
The CFF franc exchange rate was 100 XPF = 5,50 FRF which gives a fixed parity with the euro of
- 1 000 XPF = 8,38 €
- 1 XPF = 0,00838 €
- 1 € ≈ 119,3317 XPF
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Eat
Many restaurants and other cafeterias with exotic flavors welcome you with open arms.
Noumea There are also many restaurants offering foreign specialties, especially Japanese and Vietnamese.
During your excursions in the North province, a large number of lodgings will offer you local food made from fish (Tahitian salad made from 'Parrot' or Whiting most of the time), lobster, clam, yam, papaya, famous Coconut, Green Onion (Caledonian garlic)
On the road, many stands offer fresh fruit, bananas, mango, pineapple, lychee depending on the season, coconut ... (if the seller is not there, the prices are indicated on the stand: take your fruit and leave the money in the cash register)
Deer (abundant on the island) is also a common dish.
Housing
Hotel rates remain high, as does the general cost of living.
Possibility of accommodation in a cottage outside Noumea, cheaper.
Each year, the Provinces and the Nouméa Tourist Office publish an information booklet on accommodation and catering, in French and English:
- hotels,
- tourist residences, in independent hotels,
- furnished, for a maximum of 25 people, lodges, bungalows ...
- beds and breakfasts, for a maximum of 15 people,
- tribal welcoming,
- campsites, simple or improved,
- farm stays,
- restaurants,
- host tables,
- cafes, snack bars,
- transport (plane, bus, boat, taxi, rental, transfer, etc.)
To work
There are more difficulties than in metropolitan France to find work.
Holidays and public holidays
In New Caledonia, there are many festivals, particularly outside Nouméa:
- fair of Koumac in September, heifer festival in April,
- fair of Bourail in August,
- mwata festival at Pouebo,
- festival of Diahot in May, and of the horse in November, Ouégoa,
- deer, shrimp, chick and crayfish festival in Boulouparis,
- at Dumbea, giant omelet festival in April,
Christmas often rhymes with heatwave, yet on this occasion Christmas decorations are exhibited in Noumea, and some houses are abundantly illuminated. Colonial pines (Araucaria columnaris) are sometimes used as fir trees.
Communicate
Traditional telephone networks operate in New Caledonia with the same standards as in France (mainland). The GSM network is maintained by the OPT (the Post and Telecommunications Office) under the trade name "Mobilis", the network can be called "Mobilis", "Mobilis NC" or "MNC". A 3G / 4G service is also available but not recommended, for its current poor quality / price ratio.
- OPT
Internet is available with ADSL at fairly high prices compared to the mainland. Up-to-date prices are available on the websites of the various operators:
- MLS
- CANL
- Lagoon
- Nautilus
By comparing,
- Lagoon is last: unfriendly employees, few stores, frequent bugs, but videos on demand (at a high price),
- Can'l: very low flow,
- Mls: acceptable flow,
- Nautile is first: Magenta Rue uphill, next to Société Générale (large free parking)), friendly staff, reliable network, very competitive rates.
In television: Canalsat and Canal, whose service retransmits television from other countries at the time at which they should normally be displayed (time difference). The GO TV service (Internet television) has recently been made available to Caledonians.
- GOTV
Manage the day-to-day
Health
All the villages have a dispensary and a pharmacy. The major hospitals are located at Dumbea, Koumac and Noumea. In addition, in Noumea, there are several dentists, doctors, physiotherapists, gynecologists, etc. as well as, to the north, dentists in Koumac and Koné.
security
 | Emergency telephone number: Police :17 Ambulance:15 Firefighter :18 |
For many years, we have deplored a lot of slippages of all kinds.
Ethnic fights always take place, especially during alcoholic festivals. It is prudent not to flaunt your wealth, although New Caledonia is not economically poor per se. Do not leave anything in sight in cars, especially in Noumea.
Government travel advice
Canada (Government of Canada)
Respect
The reception in tribe is a tradition.
Certain customs must be respected, in particular the arrival gesture. It is customary to offer a gift to the inhabitant who welcomes you (fabrics, food, other). The custom is to ask to be accepted, thanks to this offering, and this acceptance goes through a speech of the person who is authorized to give this agreement, the mayor, a group of elders, or the person responsible (at this time) of the house or village.
We must indeed offer pieces of fabric of "mission dress" (dress common among Kanak women, which is a dress with short sleeves and down to the ankles) as a token of respect under penalty of being banned. But this only happens in tribes (not in a campsite entirely managed by a Kanak tribe for example).
The example of 500 F note range is the perfect counterexample.
Legal issues
List of experts recognized by the Nouméa Court of Appeal, version 2002, update 2015: the PDF (http://www.ca-noumea.justice.fr/images/stories/experts.pdf) indicates references of experts in all fields.
