New Caledonia
This image shows the southeastern part of Grande Terre Island, mainland of the New Caledonian islans. It is impossible to image the whole island in one scene as it is a long and narrow strip of land, 400km long in full and 50km wide. Along the coastline, 10 to 15km offshore,can be seen a blue-violet coral reef line. White coral reefs and sandy beaches against the emerald green sea may look brilliant to the naked eyes, unfortunately, the coral reefs appear as dark entities as most of their sunlight is absorbed by the seawater when lying under the sea. In the near center of this image, is a bay. Along the coast westward from this bay, can be seen vague green lines which indicate mangrove foresrs. Mountains lie in the central part of the island like a backbone, when acts as a watershed, bringing twice as much rainfall to the north as that to the south side.
The modern history of this island began when Captain Cook landed in 1774. Then it became a place of exile for France. It achieved drastic modernization when nickel mining was exploited in 1863. It is summer all the year around and attracts many Japanese tourinsts with its splendid scenery.
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