The history of New Caledonia is closely linked to that of nickel, this "devil's metal", so called by German miners in the 17th century because they could not separate it from copper, which was then much more useful.
It was in 1864 that Jules Garnier, a mining engineer on a mission in New Caledonia, discovered a green rock there, which was found to contain a very high level of nickel.
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Even today, the Caillou is a leading player in the global production of this "green gold".
In 2020, 200,000 tonnes of ore were extracted from New Caledonian soil, which represents 8.1% of world production.
The island alone is the world's 4th largest producer of nickel, behind Indonesia, the Philippines and Russia.
This mineral represents 90% of the territory's exports and 10% of its gross domestic product (GDP).
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Production started in 1875. It was made possible by the arrival of convicts from the metropolis, then Asians,
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