Sunday, July 13

France has officially decided to make the island of New Caledonia into a state, but it will remain under French control.

New Caledonia is a relatively large archipelago in Oceania containing around 140 islands, located between Vanuatu and Australia. After several years of European settlements, France officially claimed the island in 1853, turning it into a penal colony, and the native tribes there suffered from severe population decline due to European violence and the introduction of new diseases like smallpox and measles.

After World War II, during which it was used as a military base for the Allied powers, New Caledonia gained status among the French, and it was turned into an overseas territory in 1946. All New Caledonians were also given French citizenship. In the 1970s and 1980s, though, the Native people of New Caledonia began an independence movement on the island, and the French government struggled to contain the subsequent uprisings. In 1988, a peace treaty was signed, and another agreement signed in 1998 started preparing the island for independence. Despite that, in 2018, a vote was taken, and 56.7% of New Caledonians voted to stay a part of France, preventing pro-independence forces from achieving their goal.

However, several years ago, independence movements began to gain ground once again, and last year, a multitude of riots and attacks struck the island as protestors advocated for reform. Now, the French government has come to a central point between the two sides-- New Caledonia has not gained independence, but they do not remain a territory.

The French government decided that New Caledonia would become a French state, giving the island more freedom but maintaining its position as a part of the country of France. Additionally, from now on, any resident who has lived in New Caledonia for 10 or more years is eligible for voting rights, which goes against the voting restrictions placed on a considerable amount of the island's population back in 1998. Its new position as a state will also help to boost New Caledonia's economy, which has declined in recent years due to the aforementioned protests.

The French Parliament is set to meet later this year to approve the agreement, which will be enshrined in France's Constitution, before it heads to be voted on by New Caledonian residents in 2026.

Fact of the Day (The Fact Site): Iceland does not have a public railway system.

Quote of the Day (Gracious Quotes): To the man who only has a hammer, everything he encounters begins to look like a nail. (Abraham Maslow)

Word of the Day (Merriam-Webster): Impunity (noun, im-PYOO-nuh-tee) - Impunity, usually used in the phrase "with impunity," refers to exemption or freedom from punishment, harm, or loss.

In a Sentence: They mistakenly believe that they can break the camp's rules with impunity.