South Province, New Caledonia 4267110 218067112 2008-06-09T00:28:32Z CambridgeBayWeather 294180 Restore [[Image:NC Sud.gif|thumb|240px|Provincial flag, in the colours of the [[French flag]] (which is the only official flag in the archipelago).]] The '''South Province''' ([[French language|French]] '''''province Sud''''') is one of three [[Subnational|administrative subdivisions]] in [[New Caledonia]]. It corresponds to the southern and southwestern portion of the [[Geography of New Caledonia|New Caledonian mainland]]. It is by far the most economically developed and most urbanized part of the [[archipelago]] and indeed in the entire [[Melanesia]]n region. The South Province is also the only part of New Caledonia - and Melanesia - where ethnic [[Melanesians]] do not constitute an absolute majority of the population. The provincial assembly and executive are in [[Nouméa]]. The administrative services of the French central State, however, are located in [[La Foa]], with a Deputy Commissioner of the Republic (''commissaire délégué de la République''), akin to a [[subprefecture|subprefect]] of [[metropolitan France]], in residence there. La Foa was chosen by the French central State in the late 1980s to counterbalance the overwhelming weight of Nouméa in New Caledonia The central State administrative services in La Foa are not to be confused with the central State administrative services in Nouméa. The former manage local matters at the provincial level, whereas the latter, with the High Commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia at their head, manage territorial matters for the whole of New Caledonia. == Provincial Congress == Of the 40 seats in the provincial congress, the [[Future Together]] holds 19, the [[Rally for Caledonia in the Republic]] has 16, and [[National Front (France)|National Front]] has 5. This is the only province without any nationalists in the provincial Congress. ==See also== *[[Politics of New Caledonia]] {{NewCaledonia-geo-stub}} {{Administrative divisions of New Caledonia}} [[Category:Geography of New Caledonia]] [[ca:Província del Sud (Nova Caledònia)]] [[de:Südprovinz (Neukaledonien)]] [[es:Provincia del Sur (Nueva Caledonia)]] [[fr:Province Sud (Nouvelle-Calédonie)]] [[nl:Province Sud (Nieuw-Caledonië)]]