New Caledonia

Fossils and prehistoric animals on stamps and postmarks of New Caledonia


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Contents:
New Caledonia, is a special collectivity of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, 1,210 km east of Australia and 16,136 km east of Metropolitan France.
New Caledonia consists of a main island (Grand Terre), several smaller archipelagos (the Loyalty Islands, the Chesterfield Islands, and the Belep Archipelago) and several smaller islands and islets. The Chesterfield Islands are in the Coral Sea.
New Caledonia has a land area of 18,576 km2. Its population of about 270,000 consists of a mix of Kanak people (the original inhabitants of New Caledonia), people of European descent, Polynesian people and Southeast Asian people, as well as a few people of Pied-Noir and Maghreban descent. The capital of the territory is Nouméa.
Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island became a French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s ended in the 1998 v Accord, which over a period of 15 to 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia.
The agreement also commits France to conduct a referendum between 2014 and 2018 to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.
On the first referendum, in 2018 – with 56.9% voting decided New Caledonia to remain in France. A second referendum in October 2020 voted to remain with 53.9% in favor. A third referendum is scheduled for later in 2021. [R1]

The first postage stamps of New Caledonia were issued in 1859, to be used on the postal route between Canada and Nouméa, Port De France.
Since 1862 stamps of the French Colonies General were used. [R2]



Official stamps of New Caledonia related to Paleontology: fossils and prehistoric animals

23.02.1996 "Mekosuchus inexpactatus" 08.01.1997 "Horned turtle Meiolania" 19.03.1999 "Carcharodon megalodon"
Prehistoric animals on stamps of New Caledonia 1996 Prehistoric animals on stamps of New Caledonia 1997 Prehistoric animals on stamps of New Caledonia 1999



Commemorative postmarks of New Caledonia related to Paleontology: fossils

Legend is here
08.01.1997 "Horned turtle Meiolania" [FDC] 19.03.1999 "Carcharodon megalodon" [FDC]
Fossil on postmark of New Caledonia 1997 Fossil on postmark of New Caledonia 1999



References:



Acknowledgements:
Many thanks to Dr. Peter Voice from Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Western Michigan University, for the draft page review and his valuable comments.


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