Païta () is a commune in the suburbs of Nouméa in the South Province of

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

, an overseas territory of

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

in the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. New Caledonia's international airport, La Tontouta International Airport, is located there.

Geography

Climate

Païta features a

tropical savanna climate Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...

( Köppen: Aw). The average annual temperature in Païta is . The average annual rainfall is with March as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in February, at around , and lowest in July, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Païta was on 4 March 1997; the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 8 August 1957.

Population

Sights

The Catholic church in the centre of Paita was built in 1875. The modern Cultural Centre in the High Street is used for various exhibitions and cultural performances. The Town Hall (''Mairie'') is close by. About one mile from the town centre to the north, is the former railway station of the Nouméa-Païta railway where a small locomotive which was used until 1940 can be seen. In the southeast of Paita petroglyphs possibly dating from the 13th or 14th century B.C. can be seen on a rock at a small river. Some of the petroglyphs look similar to the sun or to flowers. From the road the place can be reached by cement stairs behind a wooden pavilion.Pierre Grundmann: ''Nouvelle Calédonie'', p. 242. Paris 2012

References

External links

Official Website
Communes of New Caledonia {{NewCaledonia-geo-stub