NEW CALEDONIA
New Caledonia is a French special collectivity in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, situated roughly 1,500 kilometers east of Australia. It contains the world’s largest lagoon by area, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and holds some of the world’s largest known nickel reserves, a resource that has defined its economy since mining operations began in the 19th century. It held independence referendums in 2018, 2020, and 2021, all of which returned a majority vote to remain part of France.
Sandy Island: The South Pacific Island That Was Discovered by Whalers—Then Undiscovered by Ham Radio Operators
How did an island that never existed end up on world maps for over a century? This is the bizarre story of Sandy Island and how it fooled cartographers for over a hundred years.
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