The small archipelago's independence movement is one of many that European governments are contending with, and the upcoming vote will serve as a point of influence for regions such as Catalonia and Corsica.
What Will Happen Nov. 4 Voters in New Caledonia, an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean some 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) east of Australia, will go to the polls on Nov. 4 to decide whether they desire independence from France. With a population of roughly 270,000 people, the islands are heavily dependent on financing from Paris. But they are also home to around 15 percent of the world's reserves of nickel, a metal present in a vast line of products from steel to electronics, and host French naval and air forces. Secessionist groups in Europe , as well as New Caledonia's neighbors, will be watching the vote closely. A Divided Population New Caledonia has been under French control since 1853, and in 1946, it became a French overseas territory.
