Isle of Pines

The Isle of Pines is an island located in the Pacific Ocean, in the archipelago of New Caledonia, an overseas collectivity of France. The island is part of the commune (municipality) of L'Île-des-Pins, in the South Province of New Caledonia. The Isle of Pines is nicknamed l'île la plus proche du paradis ("the closest island to Paradise").The island is around and measures 15km by 13km. It lies southeast of Grande Terre, New Caledonia's main island and is 100km southeast of the capital Nouméa. There is one airport (code ILP) with a 1,097m runway. The Isle of Pines is surrounded by the New Caledonia Barrier Reef.The inhabitants of the island are mainly native Melanesian Kanaks and the population is 2,000 (estimated 2006) (1989 population 1,465).The island is rich with animal life and is home to unusual creatures such as the Crested Gecko Rhacodactylus ciliatus and the world's largest gecko Rhacodactylus leachianus.The '''' is the island's highest point, at 262m elevation. River Ouro is the longest river.