Distant land, land of contrasts, authentic land … New Caledonia is an atypical destination, with many faces.
Bathed by the clear waters at the heart of the Pacific Ocean, lulled year round by gentle trade winds, le Caillou (i.e. the Pebble)1 has, a lot to offer in addition to its heavenly beaches and the bright sun.
Third largest island in the Pacific after Papua New Guinea and New Zealand, New Caledonia is only 1,500 km east off the coast of Australia. Seeing this “terra incognita” in 1774, the British navigator James Cook found a similarity between the mountainous terrain of the Grande Terre and his native Scotland, whose former name was “Caledonia.”
From coast to coast, New Caledonia, which stretches some 500 kilometres passing through the archipelago of Loyalty Islands, is home to surprising and remarkably diverse landscapes. Acting like a, a mountain range separates the Grande Terre (the main island) into two coasts, both with distinct characteristics.
Sanctuary of the earth’s biodiversity, New Caledonia is THE destination for nature lovers. It boasts of 3,500 varieties of plants of which three-quarters are endemic, 4,300 species of terrestrial animals, 1,000 species of fish and 6,500 marine invertebrates.
Listed as World Heritage site by UNESCO, the coral reef, which unites the archipelago and surrounds an astonishing lagoon, hides a preserved ecosystem.
In the southwest, Noumea, the economic heart of the country concentrating population and economic activity, is a European city in Melanesia. Pavement cafes, luxury boutiques and beaches shaded by palm trees give the city a French Riviera feel, while its relaxed atmosphere and wide blue skies add a touch of the Pacific.
New Caledonia is a land of mixed- races and contrasts, the result of a rich and sometimes dramatic history that gives it uniqueness and individuality.
According to archaeological work, the first settlements dating back some 3,000 years, belong to the Melanesian people, descendants of Austronesians, and the first people practicing sailing in known history. A second major wave of migration took place 900 years ago, of Polynesian origin this time.
The first settlements were established in 1841. They are the work of missionaries, Anglican Protestants, on one side and Catholic Marist on the other side. On the orders of Napoleon III, and carried out by Counter-Admiral Febvrier Despointes, New Caledonia became a French colony on September 24, 1853.
The first convoy of convicts arrived in 1864 with “transported” “common law” criminals or offenders on board.
Around the same time, the mining saga began. Jules Garnier probably never imagined the scope of his discovery when he found the famous garnierite, the nickel ore, which still gives the country its economic power.
In 1894, the Decree of the Governor Feillet terminated the criminal settlement. This was followed by the first wave of free colonization from the metropolis, but also by vast Indonesian immigration, assuring a labour force for the mines that bloomed in the area. This period was also one of the first Kanak rebellions.
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