New Caledonia is a major source for nickel and contains roughly 10% of the worlds known nickel supply. The islands contain about 7,100,000 tonnes of nickel. With the annual production of about 107,000 tonnes in 2009, New Caledonia was the Nickel mining in New Caledonia after Russia (266,000), Indonesia (189,000), Canada (181,000) and Australia (167,000). In recent years, the economy has suffered because of depressed international demand for nickel, due to the ongoing financial crisis of 2007–2008. Only a negligible amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition to nickel, the substantial financial support from France and tourism are keys to the health of the economy. In the 2000s, large additions were made to nickel mining capacity. The Goro, New Caledonia is expected to be one of the largest nickel producing plants on Earth. When full-scale production begins in 2013 this plant will produce an estimated 20% of the global nickel supply. However, the need to respond to environmental concerns over the countrys globally recognized ecological heritage, may increasingly need to be factored into capitalization of mining operations.
What else besides financial support from France are keys to the health of the economy?
tourism