ISLANDS

New Caledonia (Island)

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A Melanesian archipelago of France with a long main island, Grande Terre, surrounded by the world's second-largest barrier reef.

Geography

Grande Terre, the main island, runs about 400 km from northwest to southeast and is bordered by a barrier reef enclosing one of the largest lagoons on Earth. The Chaîne Centrale mountain range forms its spine, with Mont Panié the highest peak at 1,628 m.

Geology

New Caledonia is a fragment of the ancient continent of Zealandia and contains roughly 10 percent of the world’s nickel reserves. Open-pit mines on the red earth ridges of the south have shaped much of the modern economy.

Population

Roughly 41 percent of residents are indigenous Kanak, with significant populations of European, Wallisian, and Asian descent. Nouméa is the capital and largest city.

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New Caledonia (Island) starts with N and ends with D. Browse other islands along the same letter.

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