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
Biodiversity of New Caledonia modern groups such as the Compositae, Gramineae, Labiatae and Melastomataceae. The groups of Gondwanan origin are the most remarkable flora and include Cunoniaceae, Proteaceae and Myrtaceae. The family of Cunoniaceae has six genera in New Caledonia. "Pancheria" and "Codia" are endemic, although the last is known as a fossil in Australia, while "Cunonia" has 23 endemic species in New Caledonia and one species in South Africa. The other three genera have a Papuan-Australian ("Acsmithia"), Australian ("Geissois") and sub-Antarctic ("Weinmannia") distribution. Proteaceae's two main centers of dispersion are in Australia and Southern Africa; the family is represented in the archipelago by