Noumea, New Caledonia

Credit: Credit: NASA/JSC, Posted on: Monday, 29 September 2003, 06:00 CDT Download full size image

New Caledonia represents a nexus of cultures and resources. At its center is Grande Terre, the third largest island in the Pacific. The indigenous population is Melanesian, with a Polynesian minority, but New Caledonia remains a French territory. A prime tourist destination, the island supports the second largest barrier reef in the world (over 1300 km long) with one of the highest levels of biodiversity. This photo was taken by astronauts on the ISS. This image shows details of New Caledonia’s main city, Noumea, which is built on a peninsula that juts into the lagoon on the southwest side of the island. The reefs here face localized problems from pollution and overfishing.

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