Kaala-Gomen (French pronunciation: [kala ɡɔmɛn]) is a commune in the North Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean. It is situated on RT1 and is approximately 18 km south of Koumac, 50 km north of Voh, and 365 km from Nouméa.
Kaala-Gomen | |
|---|---|
 Location of the commune (in red) within New Caledonia | |
Location of Kaala-Gomen  | |
| Coordinates: 20°40′S 164°24′E / 20.67°S 164.4°E | |
| Country | France |
| Sui generis collectivity | New Caledonia |
| Province | Province Nord |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2026) | Alain Levant[1] |
Area 1 | 718.2 km2 (277.3 sq mi) |
| Population (2019)[2] | 1,803 |
| • Density | 2.5/km2 (6.5/sq mi) |
| Ethnic distribution | |
| • 2019 census | Kanaks 68% Europeans 10.37% Wallisians and Futunans 1.77% Mixed 14.31% Other 5.55% |
| Time zone | UTC+11:00 |
| INSEE/Postal code | 98810 /98817 |
| Elevation | 0–1,090 m (0–3,576 ft) (avg. 15 m or 49 ft) |
| 1 New Caledonia Land Register (DITTT) data, which exclude lakes and ponds larger than 1 km² (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) as well as the estuaries of rivers. | |
The name of the city comes from that of a mountain and from the Gomen tribe. The city was founded on its present site in 1899, with a committee appointed by the municipal government, which became an elected municipal council in 1961 and a fully-fledged commune in 1969.
Kaala-Gomen is also home to the village of Ouaco, known for its beef cannery of the same name and the nickel mines operated by the Mining Society of the South Pacific. The village can be visited on annual heritage days.
The commune is part of the customary area of Hoot ma Waap.
Geography
editThe highest point in the commune is Ouazangou-Taom (1092 m).
Kaala-Gomen has a port, a lighthouse on the islet of Devered, an aerodrome, a television relay station in Wala and a racecourse in Ouaco.
The neighboring communes are:
Toponymy
editThe Kanak name for the commune is Bwapanu, but Gömé is also occasionally used.
Administrations
edit| Term | Name | Party | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961-1971 | Raymond Clavier | Caledonian Union | |
| 1971-1983 | Gaston Jizdny | ||
| 1983-2014 | Alain Levant | Independent, then FCCI, then independent | Honorary professor |
| 2014-2020 | Hervé Maguei Tein-Tauova | FLNKS-UC | |
| 2020-2026 | Alain Levant | independent | Honorary professor |
Population
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 1,881 | — |
| 2009 | 1,931 | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 2,033 | +5.3% |
| 2019 | 1,803 | −11.3% |
References
edit- ^ "Répertoire national des élus: les maires" (in French). data.gouv.fr, Plateforme ouverte des données publiques françaises. 4 May 2022.
- ^ Population, ménages et logement par commune, en 2019, Institut de la statistique et des études économiques Nouvelle-Calédonie
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