NEW CALEDONIA (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 –IR)

Context: The Socialist Kanak National Liberation Front (FLNKS) in New Caledonia's south Pacific French territory urges President Emmanuel Macron to drop proposed electoral reform modifications.

New Caledonia

• About: It is a French overseas collectivity with significant autonomy under the terms of the 1998 Nouméa Accord.
• Geographical Location: Located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about 900 miles (1,500 km) east of Australia.
• Origin: Unlike many Pacific islands, New Caledonia is an ancient fragment of the Gondwana supercontinent.
• Composition: It comprises the main island of Grande Terre, the four Loyalty Islands, the Belep archipelago, the Isle of Pines, and some remote islands.
• Capital: Noumea
• European Union Status: New Caledonia is one of the European Union’s Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) but is not part of the EU, the Euro, or Schengen zones.
• Citizenship and Voting Rights: New Caledonians are French and European citizens with the right to live anywhere in France. They can participate in territorial and French national elections.