 |
| Government type | Overseas territory of France, internally self-governing dependency of France |
| Head of State |
Head of State: President HE Mr Nicolas Sarkozy represented by High Commissioner Yves Dassonville Head of Government: Mr Philippe Gomès |
| Independence | none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new referendum is scheduled for 2014 |
| Constitution | 4 October 1958 (French Constitution). The Noumea Accord (1998) and consequent Organic Law (May 1999) provided the constitutional framework under which New Caledonia is governed today and defined its institutions. |
| Legal system | based on French civil law; the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal |
| Administrative divisions | none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named Province des Iles, Province Nord, and Province Sud |