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Noumea, New Caledonia

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February 3rd 2010
New Caledonia was discovered by Captain James Cook in 1774, and though he dropped anchor and named the island after a part of Scotland, he never claimed it for his sovereign. Instead, it was left to the French who officially annexed New Caledonia in 1853, when a penal colony was set up here. Convict labor was instrumental in helping to erect many of the colonial-style buildings, and the convicts c ... read more

Oceania » New Caledonia » South Province » Noumea

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Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island was made 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 has di... ... read more