Geography of New Caledonia

Location: Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia.

Geographic coordinates: 21 30 S, 165 30 E

Area: total: 18,575 sq km; land: 18,275 sq km; water: 300 sq km

Land boundaries: 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 extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m

Natural resources: nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper

Land use: arable land: 0.32%; permanent crops: 0.22%; other: 99.46% (2005)

Irrigated land: 100 sq km (2003)

Natural hazards: cyclones, most frequent from November to March
volcanism: Matthew and Hunter Islands are historically active

Environment - current issues: erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires

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.