New Caledonia Geography - 2024

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

total: 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

highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m

Natural resources

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

Land use

agricultural land: 10.4% (2018 est.)

arable land: 0.4% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 9.8% (2018 est.)

forest: 45.9% (2018 est.)

other: 43.7% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

100 sq km (2012)

Population distribution

most of the populace lives in the southern part of the main island, in and around the capital of Noumea

Natural hazards

cyclones, most frequent from November to March

volcanism: Matthew and Hunter Islands are historically active

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