NEW CALEDONIA

Context

• Voters in the French island territory of New Caledonia chose overwhelmingly to remain part of France, in a referendum boycotted by pro-independence forces and closely watched around the South Pacific.

About

• New Caledonia is a French territory comprising dozens of islands in the South Pacific.
• The archipelago, part of the Melanesia subregion, includes the main island of Grande Terre, the Loyalty Islands, the Chesterfield Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of Pines, and a few remote islets.
• The Chesterfield Islands are in the Coral Sea.
• New Caledonia is part of Zealandia, a fragment of the ancient Gondwana super-continent.
• The Diahot River is the longest river of New Caledonia.
• The mainland is divided in length by a central mountain range whose highest peaks are Mont Panié.
• The lagoon and the surrounding New Caledonia Barrier Reef was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 for its exceptional beauty and marine biodiversity.

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