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A massive, 7.0 magnitude earthquake has struck early Friday off the New Caledonia islands, a French territory in the Southern Pacific, the USGS reported.
The quake was initially measured at 7.3, before it was downgraded after review by a seismologist. It was centered 85 miles SSW of Vanuatu, and 80 miles NNE of the Loyalty Islands. This puts it nearly than 1,100 miles from Australia.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake, though barely 2.9 miles (4.6 kilometers) deep, was not expected to trigger a destructive wave. It added, however, that temblors of such strength sometimes trigger smaller, local waves.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/01/ ... n-pacific/

Was just thinking, how many of us see New Caledonia and know exactly where it is, where most people would look puzzled and wonder if its in Asia or Europe..

ORIGINAL: Misconduct

Was just thinking, how many of us see New Caledonia and know exactly where it is, where most people would look puzzled and wonder if its in Asia or Europe..

Very true. I can't tell you how many books (military history) or maps I've looked over just because I'm playing a game and becoming more interested in those areas the current game focusses on. In reading those books, I become even more immersed in the game and thus the cycle feeds itself.[:)] I just bought a bunch of pacific naval warfare books the other week due to this fantastic game.[:'(]

I discovered wargames in fifth grade, and had been pouring through dad's Life's Picture History of World War II for a year or more prior to that, so I was pretty aware of maps at a fairly early age.

In sixth grade the weekly geography quiz consisted of the teacher pulling down the world map, calling each student up and having him point out a location that she would choose at random. She quickly learned that she had to find lesser known locations when she called me up because I would go straight to the spot without any dithering...

I looked up New Caledonia in the 2010 version of the CIA World factbook. i use this source in my college geo courses I teach, and I have my students reference it when they present on projects. Its a FREE source, btw,
anyway, below is a brief amount of info on the area direct from the source (yes, cut and paste !!!!)
EXPAND ALL | COLLAPSE ALL
Introduction ::NEW CALEDONIA
Background:

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 ended in the 1998 Noumea Accord, which over a period of 15 to 20 years will transfer an increasing amount of governing responsibility from France to New Caledonia. The agreement also commits France to conduct as many as three referenda between 2013 and 2018, to decide whether New Caledonia should assume full sovereignty and independence.

Geography ::NEW CALEDONIA
Location:

Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia
Geographic coordinates:

21 30 S, 165 30 E
Map references:

Oceania
Area:

total: 18,575 sq km
country comparison to the world: 155
land: 18,275 sq km
water: 300 sq km
Area - comparative:

slightly smaller than New Jersey
Land boundaries:

0 km
Coastline:

2,254 km
Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Climate:

Current Weather
tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid
Terrain:

coastal plains with interior mountains
Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 m
Natural resources:

nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper
Land use:

arable land: 0.32%
permanent crops: 0.22%
other: 99.46% (2005)
Irrigated land:

100 sq km (2003)
Natural hazards:

cyclones, most frequent from November to March
volcanism: Matthew and Hunter Islands are historically active
Environment - current issues:

erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires
Geography - note:

consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls

People ::NEW CALEDONIA
Population:

252,352 (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 181
Age structure:

0-14 years: 26.8% (male 31,191/female 29,870)
15-64 years: 65.8% (male 75,189/female 74,552)
65 years and over: 7.3% (male 7,681/female 8,953) (2010 est.)
Median age:

total: 29.8 years
male: 29.3 years
female: 30.3 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:

1.561% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 78
Birth rate:

16.52 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 125
Death rate:

5.23 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 182
Net migration rate:

4.31 migrant(s)/1,000 population
country comparison to the world: 21
note: there has been steady emigration from Wallis and Futuna to New Caledonia (2009 est.)
Urbanization:

urban population: 65% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 2.1% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

anyway, anyone interested can learn more facts just from googling CIA world factbook 2010

ORIGINAL: collegeprof

I looked up New Caledonia in the 2010 version of the CIA World factbook. i use this source in my college geo courses I teach, and I have my students reference it when they present on projects. Its a FREE source, btw,
anyway, below is a brief amount of info on the area direct from the source (yes, cut and paste !!!!)

It's one of the sources some of us used when discussing what were the correct dates for the wet monsoon season in Burma! [8D]

A good buddy of mine went to New Caledonia for his honeymoon a couple of years ago. Not a wargamer, so he wasn't hip to the history and he is even too young to have seen "McHale's Navy."

Anyway, he said it was the one of the worst trips of his life--stuck at a French resort with lousy service; one-hour mealtimes three times a day and if you missed the window, too bad; nothing else nearby; expensive; and boring (other than his own entertainment, if you know what I mean). His Korean wife picked the location and he was just along for the ride.

So, if you're thinking of going there for a nice beach resort-like vacation, I'd suggest somewhere else. Not sure if the place has any good historical goodies for guys like us, though.

Cheers,
CC

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

I discovered wargames in fifth grade, and had been pouring through dad's Life's Picture History of World War II for a year or more prior to that, so I was pretty aware of maps at a fairly early age.

In sixth grade the weekly geography quiz consisted of the teacher pulling down the world map, calling each student up and having him point out a location that she would choose at random. She quickly learned that she had to find lesser known locations when she called me up because I would go straight to the spot without any dithering...

At the risk of continuing to hijack this thread, this also happend to me in college. I took a geography course and the instructor quickly realized that I knew just about everything she wanted us to learn. I was shocked how many of those around me couldn't identify five rivers by name when given a map of the world with no labels on it the first day of class to see what we knew. I mean, gee, maybe the Nile, Amazon, Mississippi, Columbia, Yangtze, Ganges ....

She also passed out a map of the US and asked us to fill in as many states as we could. I got all 50, but some around me couldn't even identify Lousy-Anna. I mean, it's true that it's an ugly state, but you should at least know where it is if you need to avoid it (especially since it's right next door). [;)]

All those years of reading military history as a kid and looking at all the associated maps had paid off. It was a VERY easy A.

Except, well, when she asked what the primary export of Andorra was. I mean, I knew where Andorra was, but what the hell do they export, anyway? (No offense to you Andorrans.)

Looks like Andorra's primary exports are cigars and others.... from at least 4 sources.... i could cite, but nah....

ORIGINAL: collegeprof

Looks like Andorra's primary exports are cigars and others....

I would have guessed cars passing through from somewhere else . . .

Yeah, but you had to look it up, didn't you? [:D]

ORIGINAL: bjmorgan

Yeah, but you had to look it up, didn't you? [:D]

Nah, ever since 4th grade geography, I just think "Angora sweater-- no, it's the other one" and everything I know about Andorra pops into my head. IOW, it's small. [:)]

The other way to go is too Star Trekish and geeky (and blue.)

I believe that Andorra's economy is based mainly on tourism, isn't it?

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

I believe that Andorra's economy is based mainly on tourism, isn't it?

Well, it sure ain't sweaters.

But the question was not what their economy is based on, but what thier biggest export was.  Well, I looked it up.  It's machinery, especially road and hover craft.  Hover craft.  In Andorra?  Ok.
 
Of course, I have no idea what is was in 1968.

ORIGINAL: bjmorgan

But the question was not what their economy is based on, but what thier biggest export was.  Well, I looked it up.  It's machinery, especially road and hover craft.  Hover craft.  In Andorra?  Ok.

Of course, I have no idea what is was in 1968.

I wonder if they're holding out on the flying car I was also promised in 1968?

At this point the vacation on the Moon is out the window, but I'd still like my flying minivan.

In economic terms, inbound tourism is considered an export. Same as foreign students studying at university is also an export. The foreign exchange they bring in is counted in the national accounts.

Andorra's skifields bring in both foreign capital (to build and own the adjacent condos servicing the skifields) and recurrent income from the foreign skiers. Back in the late 1960s, when the skifields were still to be developed, Andorra was a major contraband center for tobacco, alchohol, petrol etc to go to its neighbours without paying their taxes.

Alfred