If there is a truly heavenly spot on Earth, then it is probably located here, in New Caledonia. At least, so say those who happened to be here. And it is difficult to argue with this – magnificent beaches, snow-white yachts swaying on azure waves … Besides, there always reigns a serene calm, not interrupted by various events that periodically shake the world political arena.
These islands were first discovered for Europeans by famous navigator James Cook. The population of the whole country is just over a quarter of a million people, and about a hundred thousand live in the capital. French traditions are very strong here. This is felt in the architecture, in the local food, and in the ubiquitous croissants. No wonder, because New Caledonia is the overseas possession of France. The visa regime here is quite strict. For example, even holders of French passports (!) Have to accept the fact that their stay on the island is limited. The local currency is called the pacific french franc. In addition to New Caledonia, it is in use on the Wallis and Futuna Islands, as well as in French Polynesia. Salaries are much higher here than in other countries of the Pacific Ocean. Prices, however, too.
In English, most people here do not speak. If you want to feel comfortable while relaxing in New Caledonia, you need to learn French. Despite the compact size of the main island, it grows about three thousand different types of plants. About 15% of all of New Caledonia is covered by forests. The first people appeared here about 3.5 thousand years ago.
In the 19th century, New Caledonia was the place where criminals were exiled from France. About a quarter of the Novokladon population is Europeans, mostly French. The island was named after Caledonia, a region located in Scotland, which was the birthplace of Captain Cook. Almost 97% of the local population is literate, which is high for the countries of Oceania. Despite the fact that New Caledonia receives a lot of money from France and from tourists, the main contribution to the budget is nickel mining, the deposits of which are very rich here – a full quarter of all known reserves on Earth.
Despite the fact that the official language here is French, there are about fifteen different languages and dialects in New Caledonia. From the nearest major neighbor, Australia, New Caledonia is separated by a distance of 1200 kilometers. The area of New Caledonia is approximately equal to the area of Wales. Twenty-two species of birds live only here, and are not found anywhere else in the world. About 40% of the local population – Kanak, representatives of one of the peoples of Melanesia. However, their culture almost disappeared under the influence of France. Even purely Kanak villages here look more like European than Pacific settlements.
