Landscape of New Caledonia, a small island in the French-controlled Pacific Ocean. Photo: vna2z.com
jpnn.com, MELBOURNE – The people of New Caledonia, an archipelago in the South Pacific, cast their votes for a referendum that will determine its independence from France after nearly 170 years.
If the result is “yes” then France will lose the most important territory it has in the Pacific, and that will reduce the country’s pride as an ex-colonial power whose territory formerly stretched from the Caribbean, most of Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
This referendum also coincided with a reshaping of the geopolitical map of the Pacific, with China expanding its influence to rival Western powers.
As of Sunday evening local time (GMT + 11), the turnout was estimated at 79.63%, according to the Office of the High Commissioner for the Republic of New Caledonia.
More than 180,000 long-term residents of New Caledonia are registered voters entitled to vote “yes” or “no” on the referendum question: “Do you want New Caledonia to have full sovereignty and independence?”
New Caledonia has struggled with questions about decolonization for decades. However, in 2018 there were voting results that refused to separate from France.
New Caledonia is part of the 1998 Noumea Treaty signed by France, the Kanak community (New Caledonia natives), the Socialist National Liberation Front, and anti-independence leaders.
Its territory is an elongated island, about 1,200 kilometers east of Australia, and 20,000 kilometers away from Paris.
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