Nouméa

Nouméa (French pronunciation: [numea]) is the capital and largest city of the French special collectivity of New Caledonia and is also the largest francophone city in Oceania. It is situated on a peninsula in the south of New Caledonia's main island, Grande Terre, and is home to the majority of the island's European, Polynesian (Wallisians, Futunians, Tahitians), Indonesian, and Vietnamese populations, as well as many Melanesians, Ni-Vanuatu and Kanaks who work in one of the South Pacific's most industrialised cities. The city lies on a protected deepwater harbour that serves as the chief port for New Caledonia.

"Noumea" redirects here. For the genus of sea slugs, see Noumea (gastropod). For the language, see Ndrumbea language.

Nouméa
Commune
Top: View of Nouméa; Middle: Nouméa Cathedral, Nouméa beach; Bottom: Nouméa City Museum, Céleste fountain
Coat of arms of Nouméa
Coat of arms
Location of the commune (in red)within New Caledonia
Location of the commune (in red)
within New Caledonia
Location of Nouméa
Coordinates: 22°16′33″S 166°27′29″E
CountryFrance
Sui generis collectivityNew Caledonia
ProvinceSouth Province
(provincial seat)
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2026) Sonia Lagarde[1]
Area
1[2]
45.7 km2 (17.6 sq mi)
 • Urban
1,643 km2 (634 sq mi)
Population
 (2019 census)[3]
94,285
 • Density2,100/km2 (5,300/sq mi)
 • Urban
182,341
 • Urban density110/km2 (290/sq mi)
Ethnic distribution
 • 2019 censusEuropeans 39.15%
Kanaks 26.62%
Wallisians and Futunans 6.1%
Mixed 10.22%
Other 17.9%
Time zoneUTC+11:00
INSEE/Postal code
98818 /98800
Elevation0–167 m (0–548 ft)
(avg. 20 m or 66 ft)
1 New Caledonia Land Register (DITTT) data, which exclude lakes and ponds larger than 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) as well as the estuaries of rivers.
Nouméa city flag, 2011
Small scale map of the city

At the September 2019 census, there were 182,341 inhabitants in the metropolitan area of Greater Nouméa (French: agglomération du Grand Nouméa), 94,285 of whom lived in the city (commune) of Nouméa proper.[3] 67.2% of the population of New Caledonia live in Greater Nouméa, which covers the communes of Nouméa, Le Mont-Dore, Dumbéa and Païta.

History
Nouméa 1930.

The first European to establish a settlement in the vicinity was British trader James Paddon in 1851. Eager to assert control of the island, the French established a settlement nearby three years later in 1854, moving from Balade in the north of the island. This settlement was initially called Port-de-France and was renamed Nouméa in 1866. The area served first as a penal colony, later as a centre for the exportation of the nickel and gold that was mined nearby.

From 1904 to 1940, Nouméa was linked to Dumbéa and Païta by the Nouméa-Païta railway, the only railway line that ever existed in New Caledonia.

During World War II, the United States Navy built Naval Base Noumea and Nouméa served as the headquarters of the United States military in the South Pacific. The five-sided U.S. military headquarters complex was adopted after the war as the base for a new regional intergovernmental development organisation: the South Pacific Commission, later known as the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and later still as the Pacific Community.

The city maintains much of New Caledonia's unique mix of French and old Melanesian culture. Even today the United States wartime military influence lingers, both with the warmth that many New Caledonian people feel towards the United States after experiencing the relative friendliness of American soldiers and also with the names of several of the quarters in Nouméa. Districts such as "Receiving" and "Robinson", or even "Motor Pool", strike the anglophone ear strangely, until the historical context becomes clear.

Geography

The city is situated on an irregular, hilly peninsula near the southeast end of New Caledonia, which is in the south-west Pacific Ocean.

Neighbourhoods of Nouméa include:[4]

  • Rivière-Salée
  • 6e km, 7e km, Normandie, and Tina
  • Ducos peninsula:
    • Ducos, Ducos industriel, Kaméré, Koumourou, Logicoop, Numbo, Tindu
  • 4e Km, Aérodrome, Haut Magenta, Magenta, Ouémo, and Portes de fer
  • Faubourg Blanchot and Vallée des Colons
  • Doniambo, Montagne coupée, Montravel, and Vallée du tir
  • Artillerie Nord, Centre Ville, Nouville, Quartier Latin, Vallée du Génie
  • Anse Vata (Drubea: Ouata), Artillerie Sud, Baie des Citrons, Motor Pool, N'géa, Orphelinat, Receiving, Trianon, and Val Plaisance

Climate

Nouméa features a tropical savanna climate (Köppen: Aw) with hot summers and warm winters. Temperatures are warmer in the months of January, February and March with average highs hovering around 30 degrees Celsius and cooler during the months of July and August where average high temperatures are around 23 degrees Celsius. The capital's dry season months are September and October. The rest of the year is noticeably wetter. Nouméa on average receives roughly 1,100 mm (43 in) of precipitation annually.

Climate data for Nouméa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1950−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 36.8
(98.2)		 36.4
(97.5)		 36.4
(97.5)		 36.1
(97.0)		 32.7
(90.9)		 30.7
(87.3)		 34.0
(93.2)		 31.7
(89.1)		 33.0
(91.4)		 32.3
(90.1)		 34.9
(94.8)		 35.7
(96.3)		 36.8
(98.2)
Average high °C (°F) 29.5
(85.1)		 29.9
(85.8)		 29.0
(84.2)		 27.4
(81.3)		 25.6
(78.1)		 24.2
(75.6)		 23.4
(74.1)		 23.4
(74.1)		 24.7
(76.5)		 26.2
(79.2)		 27.6
(81.7)		 29.1
(84.4)		 26.7
(80.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) 26.5
(79.7)		 26.9
(80.4)		 26.2
(79.2)		 24.7
(76.5)		 22.9
(73.2)		 21.6
(70.9)		 20.6
(69.1)		 20.5
(68.9)		 21.5
(70.7)		 22.9
(73.2)		 24.3
(75.7)		 25.8
(78.4)		 23.7
(74.7)
Average low °C (°F) 23.4
(74.1)		 24.0
(75.2)		 23.5
(74.3)		 22.0
(71.6)		 20.2
(68.4)		 18.9
(66.0)		 17.7
(63.9)		 17.5
(63.5)		 18.3
(64.9)		 19.6
(67.3)		 21.0
(69.8)		 22.5
(72.5)		 20.7
(69.3)
Record low °C (°F) 18.6
(65.5)		 19.0
(66.2)		 18.8
(65.8)		 16.7
(62.1)		 15.7
(60.3)		 13.6
(56.5)		 13.5
(56.3)		 13.2
(55.8)		 13.3
(55.9)		 14.2
(57.6)		 15.2
(59.4)		 17.8
(64.0)		 13.2
(55.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 107.2
(4.22)		 128.3
(5.05)		 161.9
(6.37)		 118.3
(4.66)		 89.9
(3.54)		 77.5
(3.05)		 69.8
(2.75)		 67.5
(2.66)		 39.3
(1.55)		 36.3
(1.43)		 44.2
(1.74)		 64.0
(2.52)		 1,004.2
(39.54)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 10.1 10.8 11.9 11.7 11.3 9.3 9.4 8.4 5.8 4.8 6.0 6.7 106.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours 238.5 205.6 196.1 193.1 173.2 154.6 182.4 203.5 230.8 258.6 250.6 261.8 2,548.7
Source 1: Météo-France,[5] Meteociel (sunshine 1981-2010)[6]
Source 2: Service de la météorologie de la Nouvelle-Calédonie[7]
Climate data for Nouméa (Magenta, 1991–2020 averages, extremes 1964−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 36.8
(98.2)		 35.4
(95.7)		 35.7
(96.3)		 34.1
(93.4)		 32.4
(90.3)		 30.8
(87.4)		 32.0
(89.6)		 31.7
(89.1)		 32.6
(90.7)		 31.9
(89.4)		 35.7
(96.3)		 35.5
(95.9)		 36.8
(98.2)
Average high °C (°F) 29.1
(84.4)		 29.6
(85.3)		 28.8
(83.8)		 27.4
(81.3)		 25.7
(78.3)		 24.3
(75.7)		 23.4
(74.1)		 23.3
(73.9)		 24.5
(76.1)		 25.8
(78.4)		 27.1
(80.8)		 28.5
(83.3)		 26.5
(79.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) 26.4
(79.5)		 26.9
(80.4)		 26.2
(79.2)		 24.7
(76.5)		 22.7
(72.9)		 21.3
(70.3)		 20.2
(68.4)		 20.1
(68.2)		 21.1
(70.0)		 22.6
(72.7)		 24.0
(75.2)		 25.6
(78.1)		 23.5
(74.3)
Average low °C (°F) 23.7
(74.7)		 24.2
(75.6)		 23.7
(74.7)		 22.1
(71.8)		 19.8
(67.6)		 18.4
(65.1)		 17.0
(62.6)		 16.8
(62.2)		 17.8
(64.0)		 19.5
(67.1)		 21.0
(69.8)		 22.7
(72.9)		 20.6
(69.1)
Record low °C (°F) 17.5
(63.5)		 17.9
(64.2)		 14.5
(58.1)		 14.6
(58.3)		 12.0
(53.6)		 10.8
(51.4)		 8.9
(48.0)		 9.9
(49.8)		 9.9
(49.8)		 10.8
(51.4)		 13.2
(55.8)		 16.0
(60.8)		 8.9
(48.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 107.9
(4.25)		 134.0
(5.28)		 167.7
(6.60)		 124.2
(4.89)		 86.0
(3.39)		 82.1
(3.23)		 71.8
(2.83)		 70.3
(2.77)		 38.4
(1.51)		 39.1
(1.54)		 44.4
(1.75)		 68.4
(2.69)		 1,034.3
(40.72)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 9.7 10.8 12.2 12.0 11.0 9.5 9.2 8.5 5.5 5.1 6.1 6.9 106.4
Source: Météo France[8]
Climate data for Nouméa (Amédée, 1991–2020 averages, extremes 1989−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 36.7
(98.1)		 36.4
(97.5)		 35.4
(95.7)		 32.7
(90.9)		 31.2
(88.2)		 30.2
(86.4)		 31.0
(87.8)		 29.2
(84.6)		 30.4
(86.7)		 30.7
(87.3)		 33.1
(91.6)		 34.3
(93.7)		 36.7
(98.1)
Average high °C (°F) 29.2
(84.6)		 29.8
(85.6)		 29.0
(84.2)		 27.6
(81.7)		 26.0
(78.8)		 24.6
(76.3)		 23.8
(74.8)		 23.9
(75.0)		 25.0
(77.0)		 26.1
(79.0)		 27.4
(81.3)		 28.7
(83.7)		 26.8
(80.2)
Daily mean °C (°F) 26.7
(80.1)		 27.3
(81.1)		 26.7
(80.1)		 25.4
(77.7)		 23.9
(75.0)		 22.5
(72.5)		 21.6
(70.9)		 21.4
(70.5)		 22.3
(72.1)		 23.5
(74.3)		 24.7
(76.5)		 26.0
(78.8)		 24.3
(75.7)
Average low °C (°F) 24.2
(75.6)		 24.8
(76.6)		 24.4
(75.9)		 23.2
(73.8)		 21.7
(71.1)		 20.4
(68.7)		 19.3
(66.7)		 19.0
(66.2)		 19.7
(67.5)		 20.8
(69.4)		 22.0
(71.6)		 23.4
(74.1)		 21.9
(71.4)
Record low °C (°F) 20.3
(68.5)		 20.2
(68.4)		 20.3
(68.5)		 18.4
(65.1)		 16.8
(62.2)		 16.0
(60.8)		 15.2
(59.4)		 14.3
(57.7)		 14.8
(58.6)		 16.5
(61.7)		 16.9
(62.4)		 19.4
(66.9)		 14.3
(57.7)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 92.8
(3.65)		 81.4
(3.20)		 107.2
(4.22)		 83.0
(3.27)		 74.6
(2.94)		 65.8
(2.59)		 61.1
(2.41)		 56.3
(2.22)		 36.2
(1.43)		 27.0
(1.06)		 30.5
(1.20)		 49.3
(1.94)		 765.2
(30.13)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 7.7 9.2 9.9 9.3 9.8 8.8 8.0 7.0 4.5 4.7 4.6 5.4 88.8
Source: Météo-France[9]

Demographics
A woman at a market in Nouméa, 2006

The Greater Nouméa urban area (French: agglomération du Grand Nouméa) had a total population of 182,341 inhabitants at the September 2019 census, 94,285 of whom lived in the commune of Nouméa proper.[3]

The Greater Nouméa urban area is made up of four communes:

Historical population
Historical population Nouméa (commune)
YearPop.±% p.a.
1956 22,235—    
1963 34,990+7.34%
1969 41,853+3.10%
1976 56,078+4.20%
1983 60,112+1.00%
1989 65,110+1.35%
1996 76,293+2.28%
2009 97,579+1.87%
2014 99,926+0.47%
2019 94,285−1.15%
Source: ISEE[10]
Historical population Greater Nouméa (urban area)
YearPop.±% p.a.
1956 25,204—    
1963 39,996+7.48%
1969 50,488+4.06%
1976 74,335+5.58%
1983 85,098+1.96%
1989 97,581+2.32%
1996 118,823+2.84%
2009 163,723+2.44%
2014 179,509+1.83%
2019 182,341+0.31%
Source: SPLAF[11] and ISEE[10]

Average population growth of the Greater Nouméa urban area:

  • 1956-1963: +2,310 people per year (+7.5% per year)
  • 1963-1969: +1,791 people per year (+4.1% per year)
  • 1969-1976: +3,349 people per year (+5.6% per year)
  • 1976-1983: +1,543 people per year (+2.0% per year)
  • 1983-1989: +2,091 people per year (+2.3% per year)
  • 1989-1996: +3,020 people per year (+2.8% per year)
  • 1996-2009: +3,382 people per year (+2.4% per year)
  • 2009-2014: +3,106 people per year (+1.8% per year)
  • 2014-2019: +562 people per year (+0.3% per year)

Migrations

The places of birth of the 179,509 residents in the Greater Nouméa urban area at the 2014 census were the following:[12]

  • 66.7% were born in New Caledonia
  • 21.2% in Metropolitan France and its overseas departments (other than Wallis-and-Futuna and French Polynesia)
  • 6.3% in foreign countries (notably Indonesia, Vanuatu, Vietnam, and Algeria)
  • 5.8% in Wallis and Futuna (essentially) and French Polynesia (to a lesser extent)

Ethnic communities

The self-reported ethnic communities of the 182,341 residents in the Greater Nouméa urban area at the 2019 census were as follows:[12]

Languages

At the 2009 census, 98.7% of the population in the Greater Nouméa urban area whose age was 15 years old and older reported that they could speak French. 97.1% reported that they could also read and write it. Only 1.3% of the population whose age was 15 years old and older had no knowledge of French.[13]

At the same census, 20.8% of the population in the Greater Nouméa urban area whose age was 15 years old and older reported that they could speak at least one of the Kanak languages. 4.3% reported that they could understand a Kanak language but not speak it. 74.9% of the population whose age was 15 years old and older had no knowledge of any Kanak language.[14]

Economy

Although it is not currently a major tourist destination, as of 2007 Nouméa is one of the most rapidly growing cities in the Pacific and has experienced a major housing construction boom in the preceding decade. The installation of amenities has kept pace and the municipality boasts a public works programme. The mayor of Noumea is Sonia Lagarde; in 2020 her re-election was opposed by the former leader of the Confederation of Small and Medium Enterprises (CPME), Cherifa Linossier, whose unsuccessful campaign was based on local economic revitalisation.[15][16][17]

Transport

Aircalin, the international airline of New Caledonia,[18] and Air Calédonie (Aircal), the domestic airline, have their headquarters in the city.[19] Aircal's headquarters are on the grounds of Nouméa Magenta Airport,[20] which serves local routes. Nouméa's international airport is La Tontouta International Airport, 50 kilometres (31 mi) from the city.

The Nouméa-Païta railway, which was the only railway line that ever existed in New Caledonia, was closed in 1940.

Education
University of New Caledonia, Nouville campus, 2011
Bernheim Library exterior, 2011
Bernheim Library interior, 2011

The University of New Caledonia (UNC) goes back to 1987 when the Université Française du Pacifique (French University of the Pacific) was created, with two centres, one in French Polynesia and the other in New Caledonia. In 1997 the decision was made to split the two parts into separate universities and so in 1999 the Université de la Nouvelle Calédonie and the Université de la Polynésie Française were formed.

UNC welcomes around 3,000 local and international students and 100 professors and researchers each year.[21]

The Bibliothèque Bernheim (Bernheim Library) is located in Nouméa.[22]

The city is home to several museums, including the Maritime Museum of New Caledonia.[23]

Twin towns – sister cities
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Oceania

Nouméa is twinned with:[24]

  • New Caledonia was the favorite liberty port in the Pacific of the crew of the PT-73 in the American television series McHale's Navy.[25]
  • Sydney-based author Nathan J. Roche set his 2014 novel The Nouméa Neurosis, a satirical prose account of cycling, in and around Nouméa.[26]
  • On Season 5, Episode 2 of Love Boat the crew stopped in Nouméa. Donna Dixon and Gary Frank guest-starred along with Jose Ferrer and Harry Morgan.

Notable people

References
  1. "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 13 September 2022.
  2. "Tableaux de l'économie calédonienne, Chapitre 1 : TERRITOIRE-ENVIRONNEMENT" (PDF). ISEE. 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  3. Population, ménages et logement par commune, en 2019, Institut de la statistique et des études économiques Nouvelle-Calédonie
  4. "Les quartiers". Mairie de Nouméa Hôtel de ville (in French). Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 14 March 2023.
  5. "Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records" (PDF) (in French). Météo-France. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  6. "Noumea (988) / Normales / Moyennes 1981-2010" (in French). Météo-France. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  7. "climate of Noumea 1981-2010" (PDF) (in French). Météo-France. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  8. "climate of Magenta 1991-2020" (PDF) (in French). Météo-France. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  9. "Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records" (PDF) (in French). Météo-France. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
  10. ISEE. "Structure de la population et évolutions: La population aux différents recensements". Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  11. SPLAF (Site sur la Population et les Limites Administratives de la France). "Agglomérations et villes de la Nouvelle-Calédonie". Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  12. "Recensement de la population de 2014 – Population, ménages et logements par communes de Nouvelle Calédonie". ISEE. Archived from the original on 25 October 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  13. "P19 Population de 15 ans et plus, selon le sexe et la connaissance du français, par commune et province de résidence". ISEE. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  14. "P21 Population de 15 ans et plus, selon le sexe et la connaissance d'une langue kanak, par commune et province de résidence". ISEE. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  15. "Chérifa Linossier candidate à la mairie de Nouméa pour les municipales – No". 30 October 2021. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  16. "Chérifa Linossier se lance dans la course aux municipales à Nouméa | LNC.nc | Les Nouvelles Calédoniennes, le Journal de Nouvelle Calédonie". 30 October 2021. Archived from the original on 30 October 2021. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  17. "Second round of New Caledonian municipal elections finally held". RNZ. 29 June 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
  18. "Contact Us Archived 1 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine." Aircalin. Retrieved on 2 October 2009.
  19. "AIR CALÉDONIE CONTACTS." Air Calédonie. Retrieved on 2 October 2009.
  20. "Renouvellement de Carte Résident Archived 30 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine." Air Calédonie. Retrieved on 8 October 2009.
  21. ""Histoire". Archived from the original on 19 January 2012. Retrieved 5 January 2012. Université de la Nouvelle-Calédonie. Retrieved on 5 January 2012.
  22. "coordonnées & horaires Archived 16 March 2011 at the Wayback Machine." Bibliothèque Bernheim. Retrieved on 12 February 2011.
  23. Wéry, Claudine (8 April 2005). "'What news of Lapérouse?'". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  24. "Villes jumelles". noumea.nc (in French). Nouméa. 5 February 2013. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
  25. "IMDbPro". Pro.imdb.com. Retrieved 6 November 2017.
  26. "READ - Nathan J Roche, 'The Nouméa Neurosis' - Two Thousand". Archived from the original on 6 April 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
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