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New Caledonia

Population: 252,000 (est.)

Language(s): French

Capital: Nouméa

Interesting Facts:

The CFP franc is the official currency of New Caledonia.
Christianity is the main religion with half of the population being Roman Catholic and further Protestant communities.
The climate is tropical, with hot and humid period from November to March with temperatures between 27°C and 30°C,and a cooler, dry period from June to August with temperatures between 20°C and 23°C.
New Caledonia has one of the largest economies in the South Pacific.
Nickel is a large part of the economy as New Caledonia is a major source of Nickel and contains roughly 10% of the world’s known nickel supply.
New Caledonia consists of the main island, known as Grande Terre, the Isle of Pines, the Loyalty Islands and a number of small islands.
New Caledonia is called Kanaky by the Kanak people.

New Caledonia (French: Nouvelle-Calédonie) is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, 1,210 kilometres (750 mi) east of Australia and 16,136 kilometres (10,026 mi) east of Metropolitan France. The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of Pines and a few remote islets. The Chesterfield Islands in the Coral Sea are also part of New Caledonia. Locals refer to Grande Terre as “Le Caillou”, the stone.

New Caledonia has a land area of 18,576 square kilometres (7,172 sq mi). The population (Jan. 2011 estimate) is 252,000. The capital of the territory is Nouméa.

Source: Wikipedia