New Caledonia

American  

[kal-i-doh-nee-uh, -dohn-yuh] / ˌkæl ɪˈdoʊ ni ə, -ˈdoʊn jə /

noun

1. an island in the S Pacific, about 800 miles (1,290 km) E of Australia. 6,224 sq. mi. (16,120 sq. km).

2. an overseas territory of France comprising this island and other smaller islands: formerly a penal colony. 131,665; 7,200 sq. mi. (18,650 sq. km). Nouméa.

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New Caledonia British  

noun

1. French name: Nouvelle-Calédonie.  an island in the SW Pacific, east of Australia: forms, with its dependencies, a French Overseas Country; discovered by Captain Cook in 1774; rich mineral resources. Capital: Nouméa. Pop: 264 022 (2013 est). Area: 19 103 sq km (7374 miles)

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

New Caledonia

Researchers analyzed nearly 20 years of data from humpback whales that breed in the waters around New Caledonia in the South Pacific.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 5, 2026

The volcanic islands of Matthew and Hunter lie several hundred kilometres east of the French overseas territory of New Caledonia but are also claimed by the island nation of Vanuatu, which won independence in 1980.

From Barron's ● Dec. 18, 2025

Also taking part in the inter-confederations play-off are New Caledonia.

From BBC ● Dec. 5, 2025

And Bolivia - who finished seventh in South America - are not certain to play a team from Oceania, which would be New Caledonia.

From BBC ● Nov. 17, 2025

In other regions—including much of Central America, Mexico, Peru, New Caledonia, the former Soviet Union, and parts of Indonesia—civil unrest or guerrilla warfare pits still-numerous indigenous populations against governments dominated by descendants of invading conquerors.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond