New Caledonia Their social organization is traditionally based around clans, which identify as either "land" or "sea" clans, depending on their original location and the occupation of their ancestors. According to the 2009 census, the Kanak constitute 94% of the population in the Loyalty Islands Province, 74% in the North Province and 27% in the South Province. The Kanak tend to be of lower socio-economic status than the Europeans and other settlers. Europeans first settled in New Caledonia when France established a penal colony on the archipelago. Once the prisoners had completed their sentences, they were given land to settle. According to
Bahá'í Faith in New Caledonia there were 129 officially recognized Bahá'í socio-economic development projects. By 1987, the number of officially recognized development projects had increased to 1482. The Bahá'í community in New Caledonia has participated in a number of events in New Caledonia. In 1988, and then again 1991, the Bahá'í International Community, who were meeting in New Caledonia, offered statements at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community; the statements summarized Bahá'í projects across the Pacific basin by the Bahá'ís on projects related to initiatives of the United Nations (in this case "Health, Education, and the Role of Women" and "Health and Nutrition"). In 1999,