New Caledonia became French in 1853 under Emperor Napoleon III, Napoleon’s nephew and heir. It became an overseas territory after World War II, with French citizenship granted to all Kanaks in 1957.

05/18/2024 May 18, 2024. The current unrest in New Caledonia goes back to the 1850s when France took possession of the archipelago. But what interests does France have there?

New Caledonia marked the anniversary on Tuesday of France's takeover of the Pacific archipelago with tight security and simmering tensions between the pro-independence Indigenous Kanak people ...

Deadly violence in the French island of New Caledonia erupted for a third day Wednesday, with armed clashes between protesters, militias and police, and buildings and cars set on fire in the ...

A French overseas territory in the Pacific, New Caledonia has seen deep divisions between its indigenous Kanak population and Europeans, most notably over the thorny question of independence ...

1946 - New Caledonia becomes a French oversees territory. 1976-88 - Conflicts between the French authorities and the Kanak independence movement see periods of serious violence and disorder.

An independent New Caledonia, French loyalists argue, could easily be swayed toward Beijing. During his trip to New Caledonia, Mr. Macron announced he would delay his voter-roll proposal.