The South Province () is one of three
administrative subdivisions
Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...
in
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 ...
. It corresponds to the southern and southwestern portion of the
New Caledonian mainland.
Overview
It is by far the most economically developed and most urbanized part of the
archipelago
An archipelago ( ), sometimes called an island group or island chain, is a chain, cluster, or collection of islands, or sometimes a sea containing a small number of scattered islands.
Examples of archipelagos include: the Indonesian Archi ...
and indeed in the entire
Melanesia
Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from Indonesia's New Guinea in the west to Fiji in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea.
The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, Va ...
n region. The South Province is also the only part of New Caledonia - and Melanesia - where ethnic
Melanesians
Melanesians are the predominant and indigenous inhabitants of Melanesia, in a wide area from Indonesia's New Guinea to as far East as the islands of Vanuatu and Fiji. Most speak either one of the many languages of the Austronesian language fa ...
do not constitute an absolute majority of the population.
The provincial assembly and executive are in
Nouméa
Nouméa () 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, a ...
. The administrative services of the French state, however, are located in
La Foa
La Foa is a commune in the South Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean.
Although the provincial seat of the South Province is in Nouméa, La Foa was made the chief town of the administrative subdivisio ...
, with a Deputy Commissioner of the Republic (''commissaire délégué de la République''), akin to a
subprefect of
metropolitan France
Metropolitan France (french: France métropolitaine or ''la Métropole''), also known as European France (french: Territoire européen de la France) is the area of France which is geographically in Europe. This collective name for the European ...
, in residence there. La Foa was chosen by the French central State in the late 1980s to counterbalance the overwhelming weight of Nouméa in New Caledonia
The central State administrative services in La Foa are not to be confused with the central State administrative services in Nouméa. The former manage local matters at the provincial level, whereas the latter, with the High Commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia at their head, manage territorial matters for the whole of New Caledonia.
Provincial Assembly
Of the 40 seats in the provincial assembly, the
Rally-UMP holds 15, the
Caledonia Together
Caledonia Together (french: Calédonie ensemble) is a political party in New Caledonia. The party was established on 14 October 2008 as a split from Future Together led by Philippe Gomès. The party is centrist and opposed to independence.
Fu ...
has 12, the
Future Together
Future Together (french: l'Avenir Ensemble, ) was a center-right political party in New Caledonia supporting the maintenance of political and administrative ties with France.
The name ''l'Avenir Ensemble'' reflects the party's desire to unite N ...
has 5, the
Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front
The Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (french: Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste, FLNKS) is a pro-independence alliance of political parties in New Caledonia. It was founded in 1984 at a congress of various politica ...
has 4, the
Movement for Diversity
The Movement for Diversity (french: Mouvement de la diversité, LMD) is a right-wing political party in New Caledonia, strongly supportive of the French status of the region; it is close to the French Union for a Popular Movement.
History
Jac ...
has 2, the Union for a Caledonian Destiny has 1 and there is 1
miscellaneous right
Miscellaneous right (', ''DVD'') in France refers to right-wing candidates who are not members of any large party. This can include members of small right-wing parties, dissidents expelled from their party for running against their party's candi ...
(ex-
Rally for Caledonia
The Rally for Caledonia (french: link=no, Rassemblement pour la Calédonie, RPC) was a Gaullist political party in New Caledonia, strongly supportive of the French status of the region; it is close to the French Union for a Popular Movement.
H ...
).
Notable people
*
Ilaïsaane Lauouvéa
Ilaïsaane Lauouvéa (born 1970) is a New Caledonian politician, who from 2009 to 2014 was an elected member of the Congress of New Caledonia representing the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front.
Education
Lauouvéa was born in 197 ...
- former assembly member
See also
*
Politics of New Caledonia
New Caledonia is a French sui generis collectivity with a system of government based on parliamentarism and representative democracy. The President of the Government is the head of government, and there is a multi-party system, with Executive ...
References
Provinces of New Caledonia
Geography of New Caledonia
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