New Caledonia is a land rich in history. In matters of population, New Caledonia rests at 268,767 people (last measured in 2014). New Caledonia is made up of the Chesterfield Islands, the Loyalty Islands, the Isle of Pines, and Grande Terre. The islands are known for their bounty of sandalwood, as well as their very unique variety of local flora and fauna. New Caledonia also contains 25% of the World's nickel resources. French is the majority spoken language and Christianity is the dominant religion. The motto of New Caledonia is "Land of speech, land of sharing". The earliest European contact with the islands was made by James Cook in 1774. He titled it "New Caledonia" after the east coast of the island reminded him of Scotland. In 1853 Febvrier Despointes, an admiral of France, officially took possession of New Caledonia and founded Port-de-France (Now Noumea). The island was used by France as a penal colony, with over 10,000 prisoners hosted there. Many of the prisoners were Communards arrested from the failed French Commune. In 1878, High Chief Atal led a bloody war that ended with 200 dead Frenchmen and 1000 dead natives. In 1940, the general council of New Caledonia declared the colonies support for Free France. The Pro-Vichy governor was deposed and exiled to French Indochina. By 1942, the islands became a prominent staging base for the American Navy and Army in the South Pacific, the island owing to the victory at the Battle for the Coral Sea. During 1946, New Caledonia's status was upgraded to "overseas dependency". By 1953, French citizenship was extended to all New Caledonian citizens. The Noumea Accord was signed in 1998, marking a slow transfer of power from the French to the local Caledonians. When the Noumea Accords expire in 2018, New Caledonia is set to hold an independence referendum, where they will decide if they want full control of government, or have the French retain their current role in leading. A special thank you goes out to Julius D. for the suggestions to my blog. Thank you for your support! https://www.metalbulletin.com/Article/1446693/Nickel-gleams-again-in-New-Caledonia.html
http://www.isee.nc/population/recensement/structure-de-la-population-et-evolutions https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2719/4378062703_b3f4969558_z.jpg?zz=1
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Tom HodekHi! My name is Thomas Hodek and I am the author of this site. This is an active project for an English course I am enrolled in. I am an American student and award-winning actor. My goal with this site is to spread awareness of the plight of the French colonies, which are not yet autonomous. A side note: This blog is very much a work in progress, so be patient with it! Archives
November 2016
Categories |