Trekking Greener Grasses: Cyclone Changes Direction and Strengthens

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Cyclone Changes Direction and Strengthens

My island friends are quite concerned as the cyclone is intensifying, but slowing in speed. This means it will not hit until early Saturday. There does not seem to be much chance it will not hit as it is heading straight for Noumea,
We will keep you posted. Time to tape the windows!

New Caledonia Background

Background

Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island was made a French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s ended in the 1998 Noumea Accord, which over a period of 15 to 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct as many as three referenda between 2013 and 2018, to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.

Economy

New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known nickel resources. Only a small amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition to nickel, substantial financial support from France - equal to more than 15% of GDP - and tourism are keys to the health of the economy. Substantial new investment in the nickel industry, combined with the recovery of global nickel prices, brightens the economic outlook for the next several years.

Climate

New Caledonia has a semi-tropical climate, modified by southeast trade winds. It is often hot and humid. The islands are subject to tropical cyclones, most frequent from November to March. During winter (April to August) the daytime temperature is around 22 degrees. The water may still be warm, but it often feels too cool to really want to go swimming.

Noumea is a popular port of call for people sailing around the Pacific. Though most dare not sail during cyclone season.

People

The people of New Caledonia are multi-cultural with 42.5% Melanesian, 37.1% European, 20.4% other in population. The official language is French but at least 33 Melanesian dialects are used. The prominent religion is Roman Catholic with 60% practicing it.

Where is New Caledonia?

New Caledonia is the third largest island in the Pacific Region after Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. The island is situated about 1,500 km from Australia and same from Figi, 1,700 km from New Zealand, 5,000 km from Tahiti, 7,000 km from Japan, and more than 20,000 km from our home in Canada.

The Mainland

The mainland is where most people live, and which is the richest area of New Caledonia, is divided lengthwise by a range of mountains, Various species of trees can be found in these mountains.This unusual relief, very much like a backbone, divides the Mainland into 2 very different areas:

The East Coast, humid and open to the trade winds is a fertile, exotic land with lush tropical vegetation, green valleys, beautiful waterfalls, rivers, … and authentic Melanesian huts along the roads.

The West Coast, a drier, temperate zone. There are fewer coconut trees but "niaouli" trees grow by the thousands and the endemic wildlife is rich. It is "cattle country," shaped by people who live at the pace of their cattle. There is an abundance of beautiful beaches too.

Unlike its volcanic neighbors, New Caledonia is a fragment of an ancient continent which drifted away some 250 million years ago. Its flora and fauna evolved in isolation, and are now quite unique: 3500 recorded species of plants, three quarters of which occur only here; 4300 species of land animals, 1000 species of fish, 6500 species of marine invertebrates.

Five hundred kilometers long, fifty kilometers wide, New Caledonia offers an endless variety of landscapes, from some of the best white sand beaches in the Pacific to spectacular mountain retreats.

Surrounded by a 1,600 km long coral reef, New Caledonia also boasts the largest lagoon in the world. The reef can be as close as a few kilometers from the coast in some places and as far as 65 km in others - with an average depth of 40 m.

The Territory of New Caledonia consists of the Mainland, the Isle of Pines to the south of the Mainland, the Loyalty Islands to the east of the Mainland (Maré, Lifou, Tiga and Ouvéa), the Belep Archipelago in the north west and numerous islands and islets: Huon & Surprise, Chesterfield, Walpole, Beautemps-Beaupré, Astrolabe, and the Bellona reef, … a total surface of 19,000 sq km (16,372 sq km for the Mainland alone, which is 400 km long).

Trekking Greener Grasses

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Cyclone Changes Direction and Strengthens

0 comments:

New Caledonia Background

About Me

Counting from Nov./07

Where is New Caledonia?