New Caledonia Geography Profile 2009

Location

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia

Geographic coordinates

21 30 S, 165 30 E

Map references

Oceania

Area

total: 18,575 sq km
land: 18,275 sq km
water: 300 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than New Jersey

Land boundaries

0 km

Coastline

2,254 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm

Climate

tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid

Terrain

coastal plains with interior mountains

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m

Natural resources

nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper

Land use

arable land: 0.32%
permanent crops: 0.22%
other: 99.46% (2005)

Irrigated land

100 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards

cyclones, most frequent from November to March

Environment - current issues

erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires

Geography - note

consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls