New Caledonian territory includes the main island, in south-east the Isle of Pines, on the east the Loyalty islands (Maré, Lifou, Tiga and Ouvéa), in the North-West the archipelago of Bélep, and of many other small islands for the majority uninhabited.

With a 1600km long reef, New Caledonia has the largest lagoon of the world (approximately 24 000 km²).
The economic zone, estimated at 2.000.000 km² is nearly 1000 times the surface as of the its grounds.
New Caledonia is a true paradise for game fishing.
If there are few freshwater fishes - Largemouth bass in Yate lake, Jungle perch in the rivers - saltwater fishing can be tremendous:
- big bonefish
- various kind of trevallies including Giant trevally (look to the gallery)
- Dogtooth tuna, Groupers, snappers, barracoudas, Kawakawa, Spanish mackerels, and a lot of other ones.
- Offshore fishing is productive too with marlins, tunas, sailfish, wahoo, dolphin, etc..

- Total Surface: 19 000 km²
of which Large-Ground: 16 000 km² for 400 km length
- Inhabitants: 202.000 (estimate 2002)
- Density of the population: approximately 10 inhabitants/km² is 10 times less than in Metropolitan France.

New Caledonia is one of the very first world nickel producers, with about the quarter of the world reserves . Nickel takes part for a great percentage in the economic richness of the island.
The aquaculture comes to the 2nd rank from exports, thanks to its great innovation capacity.
Agriculture, the breeding and fishing are also dynamic branches of industry.
With 150 000 visitors in 1999, tourism is one of the large actors of the economic development.