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New Caledonia Government

What is the capital of New Caledonia?

Country Name New Caledonia
Full Country Name Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
Local - Long Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances
Local - Short Nouvelle-Caledonie
Etymology- history of name British explorer Captain James COOK discovered and named New Caledonia in 1774; he used the appellation because the northeast of the island reminded him of Scotland (Caledonia is the Latin designation for Scotland)
Government Type parliamentary democracy (Territorial Congress); an overseas collectivity of France
Capital Name Noumea
Capital - geographic coordinate 22 16 S, 166 27 E
Capital Time Difference UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Independence none (overseas collectivity of France); note - in three independence referenda, on 4 November 2018, 4 October 2020, and 12 December 2021, the majority voted to reject independence in favor of maintaining the status quo; an 18-month transition period is now in place (ending 30 June 2023), during which a referendum on the new status of New Caledonia within France will take place
National Holiday Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - the local holiday is New Caledonia Day, 24 September (1853)
Constitution history: 4 October 1958 (French Constitution with changes as reflected in the Noumea Accord of 5 May 1998)

amendments: French constitution amendment procedures apply
Dependency Status special collectivity (or a sui generis collectivity) of France since 1998; note - independence referenda took place on 4 November 2018, 4 October 2020, and 12 December 2021 with a majority voting in each case to reject independence in favor of maintaining the status quo; an 18-month transition period is now in place (ending 30 June 2023), during which a referendum on the new status of New Caledonia within France will take place

New Caledonia Capital City Map

Source: Google Maps

New Caledonia Government and Politics

Who is the president of New Caledonia?

Executive Branch: chief of state: President Emmanuel MACRON (since 14 May 2017); represented by High Commissioner Louise LEFRANC (since 6 February 2023)

head of government: President of the Government Louis MAPOU (since 22 July 2021); Vice President Isabelle CHAMPMOREAU (since 22 July 2021)

cabinet: Cabinet elected from and by the Territorial Congress

elections/appointments: French president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of New Caledonia elected by Territorial Congress for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 8 July 2021 (next to be held in 2026)

election results:

2021: Louis MAPOU (PALIKA) elected president by Territorial Congress with 6 of 11 votes

2019: Thierry SANTA (The Republicans) elected president by Territorial Congress with 6 of 11 votes
Citizenship Criteria: see France
Legal System: civil law system based on French civil law
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Legislative Branch: description: unicameral Territorial Congress or Congrès du Territoire (54 seats; members indirectly selected proportionally by the partisan makeup of the 3 Provincial Assemblies or Assemblés Provinciales; members of the 3 Provincial Assemblies directly elected by party-list proportional representation vote; members serve 5-year terms); 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 indirectly elects 2 members to the French Senate by an electoral colleges for a 6-year term with one seat renewed every 3 years and directly elects 2 members to the French National Assembly by absolute majority vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term

elections:

Territorial Congress - last held on 12 May 2019 (next to be held in May 2024)

French Senate - election last held on 24 September 2023 (next to be held on 30 September 2026)

French National Assembly - election last held on 12 and 19 June 2022 (next to be held by June 2027)

election results:

Territorial Congress - percent of vote by party - N/A; seats by party - Future With Confidence 18, UNI 9, UC 9, CE 7, FLNKS 6, Oceanic Awakening 3, PT 1, LKS 1 (Anti-Independence 28, Pro-Independence 26);

French Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2

French National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CE 2
Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Court of Appeal in Noumea or Cour d'Appel; organized into civil, commercial, social, and pre-trial investigation chambers; court bench normally includes the court president and 2 counselors); Administrative Court (number of judges NA); note - final appeals beyond the Court of Appeal are referred to the Court of Cassation or Cour de Cassation (in Paris); final appeals beyond the Administrative Court are referred to the Administrative Court of Appeal (in Paris)

judge selection and term of office: judge appointment and tenure based on France's judicial system

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
Regions or States: 3 provinces; Province Iles (Islands Province), Province Nord (North Province), and Province Sud (South Province)
Political Parties and Leaders: Caledonia Together or CE [Philippe GOMES]

Caledonian Union or UC [Daniel GOA]

Future With Confidence or AEC [Virginie RUFFENACH]

Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS (alliance includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM) [Victor TUTUGORO]

Labor Party or PT [Louis Kotra UREGEI]

National Union for Independence or UNI [Louis MAPOU]

Oceanian Awakening [Milakulo TUKUMULI]

Party of Kanak Liberation or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE]

Socialist Kanak Liberation or LKS [Basile CITRE]

The Republicans (formerly The Rally or UMP) [Sonia BACKES]
International Organization Participation: ITUC (NGOs), PIF, SPC, UPU, WFTU (NGOs), WMO
Diplomatic Representation in the US: none (overseas territory of France)
Diplomatic Representation from US: embassy: none (overseas territory of France)
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