New Caledonia is a French territory in the South Pacific known for its pristine rainforests, lush mountains, and beautiful palm-lined beaches. Keep tapping for some fascinating facts about this secluded, sun-kissed sailing escape!
New Caledonia is an archipelago in the South Pacific, off the Australian coast.
It is surrounded by Fiji and Tonga to the east, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north, New Zealand to the South, and Australia to the west.
In 1774, the islands were first discovered by the British naval captain and explorer named James Cook. He named the archipelago New Caledonia as it reminded him of Scotland.
Area-wise, New Caledonia is larger than Hawaii and about the same size as New Jersey.
It comprises several island groups including Grande Terre, the main island; the Belep archipelago; Loyalty Islands; Isle of Pines; Chesterfield Islands; and Bellona Reefs.
New Caledonia is blessed with some of the world’s best idyllic beaches, hidden coves, mist-covered mountain peaks, soaring cliffs, abundant bushlands, lush forests, and year-round sunny tropical climate.
The indigenous Kanak people and Melanesians make up about 42% of New Caledonia’s population. Remaining 58% include Europeans, Tahitians, Indonesians, and Vietnamese, among others.
The Kanak people are known to make exquisite wooden carved artifacts. If you’re traveling to New Caledonia, be sure to bring a souvenir back home!
Although the main language of the archipelago is French, other languages like Vietnamese and Polynesian are also widely spoken in New Caledonia.
About 22 bird species are endemic to New Caledonia. The most famous one is the New Caledonian Crow, which is known to make and use stick tools in the wild to extract insects and larvae.
Mont Panié is the mountain on Grande Terre island, which stands 1,628 meters tall. Located in the Chaîne Centrale mountain range, it is the highest mountain peak in New Caledonia.
New Caledonia has over 25% of the world’s nickel reserves. Nickel is also the archipelago’s primary export.
The New Caledonian barrier reef is the longest continuous barrier reef in the world. It is also the third largest after the Australian Great Barrier Reef of and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef.
Scuba diving in New Caledonia is world class. The New Caledonian barrier reef, along with over 30 protected marine reserves, makes it one of the world’s most sought-after locations for scuba divers and snorkelers.