The South Pacific French territory of New Caledonia is a major producer of nickel, a metal that is increasingly in demand around the world to make electric car batteries. The precious resource is at the heart of a political and economic tug of war between indigenous, pro-independence groups and the administration in Paris.
New Caledonia is the world’s fourth-largest nickel producer. According to Investing News, a Canadian portal that focuses on metals, the archipelago produced 190,000 metric tons in 2022 – less than Indonesia, the Philippines and Russia, but ahead of Australia and Canada.
