The French overseas territory of New Caledonia is set to hold a referendum on independence next year.
The Pacific island nation nearly 10,300 miles from Paris is set to vote on seceding by the end of 2018, after 165 years of French rule.
The vote will be held despite fears that the vote could strengthen divisions between the indigenous ‘Kanaks’ and the ‘Caldoches’, the descendants of French settlers.
Freedom: New Caledonia, a French territory in the South Pacific, is set to vote on seceding by the end of 2018, after 165 years of French rule
New Caledonia, located east of Australia, got its name from British explorer James Cook, who said the northern side of the main island reminded him of Caledonia in Scotland when he visited in the late 1770s.
The island nation has been home to European settlers since the mid 1850s, with the territory officially annexed by Napoleon III in 1853.
The soils contain a quarter of the world’s nickel resources and the mining industry is a major sector of the archipelago’s economy.
The islands are also a popular tourist destination, although not as frequently visited as nearby Cook Islands or Vanuatu. In particular, New Caledonia attracts surfers and divers as it is home to the second-longest double-barrier coral reef in the world.
Far off: The island territory is located nearly 10,300 miles from the capital Paris
New Caledonia has enjoyed strong autonomy for many years, with a legislative assembly and a local government with executive powers.
Unlike the recent referendum in Catalonia in Spain, the 2018 vote is recognised by both the United Nations and the French government.
The referendum has been on the cards since the 1998 Nouméa Accord was signed by the French, which officially listed the territory for decolonization.
It has a population of around 275,000, of which around 45 per cent are Kanaks.
President Emmanuel Macron said before he won the recent election that he would prefer the island to remain ‘within the national community’ but that France would respect the voters’ decision.