Travel Alert Status
Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
Time Difference
UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Travel Climate
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Travel Currency
Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF); note - may adopt the euro in 2003
Languages
French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects
Ethnic Groups
Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3%
National Holiday
Fete de la Federation, 14 July (1790); note - the local holiday is New Caledonia Day, 24 September (1853)
Geographic Coordinates
21 30 S, 165 30 E
Location
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Airports
12