Geography
New Caledonia, situated in the south-western Pacific Ocean about 2 000 km north-east of Sydney, Australia, is an overseas territory of France. The territory consists of the main island, Grand Terre; the Loyalty Islands; the Belep Islands; the Isle of Pines; and a few uninhabited islands. The area totals 19 058 km2 with the main island comprising 16 749 km2.
The island of New Caledonia, or Grand Terre, has a central mountain range extending nearly the length of the island. Mt. Panié, the highest point on the island, reaches 1 628 m. There are a number of other mountains with elevations exceeding 1 000 m. The mountains are drained by numerous river valleys.
The Loyalty Islands are flat limestone plateaus with elevations of 90 to 130 m.
While tropical, the islands lie between 20 and 22 south latitude, and are thus subject to more temperature variation than lands closer to the equator. Rainfall at lower elevations is about 2 000 mm per year on the windward side of the islands, and 1 000 mm on the lee side. Rainfall on the windward sides of the mountains, though, can exceed 4 000 mm. The mean annual temperature at Noumea varies from about 20° C in August, the coolest month, to about 26° C in February. Temperatures decrease with elevation in the mountains, and frost is not unknown on the higher peaks.