Countries & territories · capital city
What Is the Capital of New Caledonia?
Noumea
The capital of New Caledonia is Noumea. About 198,000 people live in the Noumea urban area — 67% of the country's population.
198,000
Urban area population
UTC+11
Time zone
22.27°S
Latitude · 166.45°E
Yes
Largest city
Noumea at a glance
Name origin
Established in 1854 as Port-de-France, the settlement was renamed Noumea in 1866 to avoid confusion with Fort-de-France in Martinique; the name Noumea may come from the local name of the peninsula the city was founded on.
Time zone
UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). No daylight saving time.
Coordinates
22 16 S, 166 27 E · IANA time zone Pacific/Noumea
Location of New Caledonia
Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Capitals closest to Noumea
Port-Vila, Vanuatu — 540 km
Kingston, Norfolk Island — 769 km
Suva, Fiji — 1,330 km
Honiara, Solomon Islands — 1,587 km
Nuku'alofa, Tonga — 1,899 km
Funafuti, Tuvalu — 2,049 km
Canberra, Australia — 2,216 km
Wellington, New Zealand — 2,255 km
Straight-line distance between capitals.
Frequently asked questions about Noumea
What is the capital of New Caledonia?
The capital of New Caledonia is Noumea. About 198,000 people live in the Noumea urban area — 67% of the country's population.
Is Noumea the largest city in New Caledonia?
Yes — Noumea is also the largest urban area of New Caledonia (198,000).
What time zone is Noumea in?
Noumea is on UTC+11 — UTC+11 (16 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time). There is no daylight saving time.
Where does the name Noumea come from?
Established in 1854 as Port-de-France, the settlement was renamed Noumea in 1866 to avoid confusion with Fort-de-France in Martinique; the name Noumea may come from the local name of the peninsula the city was founded on.
Data: CIA World Factbook (public domain); population: World Bank Open Data (CC BY 4.0).