NEW CALEDONIA

New Caledonia - History

New Caledonia - History

Recent History

The Noumea Accords of early 1998 put off independence for the territory until 2013 at the earliest. In the meantime, the independence issue defines politics and ethnic relations. In June 2004, Marie-Noelle Themereau of the anti-independence Future Together was elected president, vowing to implement social, economic and fiscal reforms. She heads a collegial government made up of both pro and anti-independence parties.

New Caledonia and Dependencies, overseas territory of France, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, east of Australia. The territory comprises the island of New Caledonia and a number of lesser isles and isle groups. The dependencies encompass the Loyalty Islands, east of New Caledonia; the Isle of Pines, to the southeast; the Chesterfield Islands, to the west; and the Huon Islands, to the northwest.

The total locality is 19,103 sq km (7,376 sq mi). The community (2002 estimate) is 207,858, yielding an mean density of 11 individuals per sq km (28 per sq mi). About 43 per hundred of the community is created of Melanesians (Kanaks), and about 37 per hundred is European, mostly French, (Caldoches); the residual inhabitants encompass Vietnamese, Polynesians, and Indonesians. The capital, biggest town, and major dock of the territory is Noumea (1989 community, 65,110). Most of the inhabitants are Christian, predominantly Roman Catholic. In 1994 about 22,000 scholars were registered in prime school, and another 26,000 were registered in lesser school.

Modern Day History

As the French missions became more powerful, traditional customs began to disintegrate and the islanders' way of life came under threat. 'Blackbirding', the twee (and offensive) euphemism for slavery that continued into the 20th century, and previously unknown diseases squeezed the population even more. The French saw the Pacific as a good place to dump their great unwashed masses, and they deported their first convicts in May 1864. Many were political prisoners from the Paris Commune, but others were the derelicts and petty thieves from the streets of the metropolis, who became known as 'wretches in paradise'. By the time deportation was banned in 1897, 21,000 convicts had been sent. The discovery of nickel and the arrival of free settlers from France exacerbated the race problem, as Europeans encroached on ever more tribal lands. In 1878, a seven-month revolt against French rule resulted in 200 French and 1200 Kanak deaths. The repression that followed further weakened Kanak culture (The Columbia Encyclopedia, 2005).

Kanaks were recruited in large numbers during both world wars, and during WWII 40,000 American servicemen were based in New Caledonia. Those Kanaks employed on the US bases observed relatively good relations between blacks and whites and were paid real wages for the first time. After the war, the colony's status was changed to a French overseas territory (Lewis, & Kären, 1997).

Social and Cultural History

Post-war, Kanaks began making political and social demands, and Chief Naisseline of Maré prepared a 'native bill', arguing that because Kanaks had fought and died under the French flag in both wars they were entitled to the rights of French ...