2020 New Caledonian independence referendum facts for kids
On 4 October 2020, people in New Caledonia voted in a special election called a referendum. They were asked if they wanted their country to become fully independent from France. Most voters, about 53.26%, said no to independence. A lot of people voted, with 85.64% of those who could vote taking part.
What is a Referendum?
A referendum is like a big vote where everyone in a country or region gets to say yes or no to an important question. In this case, the question was about New Caledonia becoming an independent country.
Why So Many Votes?
New Caledonia has a special agreement called the Nouméa Accord. This agreement says that the people of New Caledonia can vote on independence up to three times.
- The first vote was in November 2018. In that vote, 57% of people said no to independence, and 43% said yes.
- Because the first vote did not lead to independence, a second vote was allowed in 2020.
- If the 2020 vote also didn't lead to independence, a third vote could happen in 2022. For another vote to happen, at least one-third of the members of the Congress of New Caledonia (which is like their parliament) had to agree to it.
Who Wanted Another Vote?
In 2019, some political groups in New Caledonia asked for the 2020 referendum to happen. These groups included:
- The Caledonian Union
- Future with Confidence
- The Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (also known as FLNKS)
- The National Union for Independence
These groups believed that New Caledonia should become independent and wanted the people to vote again on the issue.
See also
In Spanish: Referéndum de independencia de Nueva Caledonia de 2020 para niños
