La Nouvelle-Calédonie – the overseas face of France. Impact of the colonial era on the contemporary socio-economic situation of the archipelago

Abstract

Colonized by the French in the mid-nineteenth century, New Caledonia, due to its special legal status and geographical location, is unique among overseas territories of France. Being a  penal colony, like French Guiana, it was the scene of a  specific and therefore not very successful social experiment. Despite the acculturation processes of the indigenous community – the Kanaks, it is still the largest ethnic group in terms of culture in the archipelago. This paper presents an outline of New Caledonia’s turbulent history and the consequences of colonial processes for the current socio-economic structure, which seem to be particularly important in the light of referendum on its independence planned for the years 2014–2019. The study was divided into several smaller parts regarding, respectively, selected historical events, social situation and economic problems, and showing the current domestic situation of the territory and the specificity of its relations with metropolitan France.