New Caledonia, French archipelago in South Pacific Ocean.
New Caledonia is a French overseas territory in the southwest Pacific, made up of several islands located roughly 1,500 kilometers (930 miles) east of the Australian coast. The main island Grande Terre stretches about 500 kilometers (310 miles) in length and is accompanied by the Loyalty Islands to the east and the Isle of Pines to the south.
Melanesian seafarers reached the islands around 3,000 years ago and established communities that continue to this day. France took possession of the territory in the 19th century and initially used it as a penal colony before it became the overseas territory it is now.
Melanesian culture appears in traditional round huts, wood carvings and communal ceremonies that travelers can witness during visits to Kanak villages. Daily life across the islands combines Polynesian traditions with French influence, visible in markets, restaurants and local celebrations.
The warmer season runs from November to March with temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), while the cooler phase from April to October feels milder. Most visitors arrive through the international airport near the capital Noum a, from where ferries and domestic flights connect the other islands.
The island group holds the second largest coral reef system on the planet, stretching roughly 1,600 kilometers (994 miles) and enclosing a lagoon of approximately 24,000 square kilometers (9,266 square miles). This reef protects the coastlines and provides habitats for countless marine species visible to divers and snorkelers.
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