New Caledonia (French: officially: Nouvelle-Calédonie; colloquially: (la) Calédonie; popular nicknames: (la) Kanaky, (le) Caillou), is a colonial collectivity of France located in the subregion of Melanesia in the southwest Pacific. It comprises a main island (Grande Terre), the Loyalty Islands, and several smaller islands. Approximately half the size of Taiwan, it has a land area of 18,575.5 square kilometres (7,172 sq mi). The population was estimated in January 2009 to be 249,000.
The name Caledonia derives from the Latin name of an area corresponding to modern Scotland, and used as a poetic name for Scotland under the influence of Neo-Classicism.
The rugged coastline of New Caledonia allegedly reminded Captain Cook (whose father was a Scot) of Scotland, and he thus named it New Caledonia. In French, Nouvelle-Calédonie is the official name, but the territory is often called only Calédonie in colloquial use, as in l'histoire de la Calédonie. The adjective néo-calédonien(ne) is seldom used; calédonien(ne) is the term most often used, even by official institutions, as in l'économie calédonienne ("the New Caledonian economy").
New Caledonia's greatest attraction is its beaches. All over New Caledonia one will find quiet lagoons and white sand perfection. You can venture to the world's biggest lagoon and explore the second largest coral reef in the world (after the nearby Great Barrier Reef of Australia). The reef can be as close as a few kilometers from the coast in some places and as far as 65 km in others. With an average depth of 40 m. New Caledonia's reef system contains varied fauna composed of multicoloured fish and corals of incredible shapes.
From the Isle of Pines, the Loyalty Islands, and the main island Grande Terre, there are plenty of white sandy beaches, turquoise warm waters with a backdrop of unique flora to explore.
The name Caledonia derives from the Latin name of an area corresponding to modern Scotland, and used as a poetic name for Scotland under the influence of Neo-Classicism.
The rugged coastline of New Caledonia allegedly reminded Captain Cook (whose father was a Scot) of Scotland, and he thus named it New Caledonia. In French, Nouvelle-Calédonie is the official name, but the territory is often called only Calédonie in colloquial use, as in l'histoire de la Calédonie. The adjective néo-calédonien(ne) is seldom used; calédonien(ne) is the term most often used, even by official institutions, as in l'économie calédonienne ("the New Caledonian economy").
New Caledonia's greatest attraction is its beaches. All over New Caledonia one will find quiet lagoons and white sand perfection. You can venture to the world's biggest lagoon and explore the second largest coral reef in the world (after the nearby Great Barrier Reef of Australia). The reef can be as close as a few kilometers from the coast in some places and as far as 65 km in others. With an average depth of 40 m. New Caledonia's reef system contains varied fauna composed of multicoloured fish and corals of incredible shapes.
From the Isle of Pines, the Loyalty Islands, and the main island Grande Terre, there are plenty of white sandy beaches, turquoise warm waters with a backdrop of unique flora to explore.
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