New Caledonia or Nouvelle-Calédonie, is a French overseas territory in the South Pacific. New Caledonia was annexed by France in 1853 and the city of Noumea, its present capital (and the largest capital in all of Oceania), was founded in 1854. In 1946, New Caledonia became an overseas territory. 

An archipelago comprising more than 140 different islands, some of the most famous include the spectacular Isle of Pines to the south and Loyalty Islands to the east: Ouvéa, Lifou, Tiga and Maré. The archipelago itself is divided into five regions: Nouméa (the capital), the West Coast (Côte Ouest), the East Coast (Côte Est), The Great South (Grand Sud) and The Islands (Les Îles). The main island is called Grande Terre and it is almost 400 km (250 miles) long and 50 km (30 miles) wide. New Caledonia shares maritime borders with: Australia, the Fiji Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. Australia is its closest neighbor.

New Caledonia has a very diverse population of nearly 270,000 people with a cultural mix of Europeans (mainly French), Wallisians and Futunians and other people originating from French Polynesia, Indonesia, Vanuatu and Vietnam. A full 40% of the population are the Kanak people, who have inhabited parts of Grande Terre, Isle of Pines and the Loyalty Islands for over 3,000 years.  While French is the official language, New Caledonia has 39 recognized native languages including Nengone, Paicî, Ajië and Drehu.

New Caledonia also has an immensely rich biodiversity. It is home to over 3,000 native species! There are a multitude of different plants and animals in its varied landscapes which span beaches bathed by the Pacific Ocean, coral reefs, lagoons, atolls, lush rainforests, dry forests and mountains. There are four natural parks to explore them all: Blue River Provincial Park (Yaté), Giant Ferns Park (Farino), Dumbea Provincial Park (Dumbéa), and Domaine De Deva (Bourail).  

Another significant fact about New Caledonia is that it is home to the world’s largest enclosed lagoon. The Entrecasteaux Reefs, the Great Northern Lagoon, the Northeast Coastal Region, the Ouvéa and Beautemps-Beaupré atolls, the Western Coastal Region and the Great Southern Lagoon are the six clusters forming the site. It was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, a first for France’s Overseas Territories. 

Bougna is the most traditional and iconic dish and a staple in Kanak cooking and an important part of tribal life. It is a stew composed of starches, taros, sweet potatoes, poingo  bananas, yams, and is accompanied by local meat and cooked in coconut milk. It is usually eaten during special occasions. 

The Kanak people boast a rich wood-carving and basket-weaving tradition. Members of the public can find wooden sculptures on display in museums and cultural centers across the country. The most famous and important cultural center, however, is the Tjibaou Cultural Centre in Nouméa. It was inaugurated in May 1988 and named after the Kanak political leader Jean-Marie Tjibaou Its mission is to celebrate the history and culture of the local indigenous people, and highlight the cultural diversity that exists within the wider Pacific region. It is a true masterpiece of art and architecture. 

You can explore more about this fascinating archipelago on their official website https://www.newcaledonia.travel/en (English) or https://www.nouvellecaledonie.travel/ (French).