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New Caledonia is an archipelago of France located in the southwest Pacific Ocean.
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Significance: It has large deposits of nickel, a vital component in manufacturing electronics and is seen by France as a strategic political and economic asset in the region.
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Autonomy: It enjoys a large degree of autonomy but depends heavily on France for matters like defence and education and still receives large subsidies from France. It is also one of the UN’s 17 “non-self governing territories” where the process of decolonisation has not been completed.
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Why in News? New Caledonia voted against independence from France in a referendum held recently. The referendum was a part of a decolonisation plan agreed in 1998 known as the Noumea Accord.