La Foa
{{Infobox French commune
|name = La Foa
|commune status = Commune
|province = South Province
|map size = 270px
|adjustable map = Locator map of La Foa 2018.png
|map caption = Location of the commune (in red) within New Caledonia
|INSEE = 98813
|postal code = 98880
|term = 2022–2026
|coordinates = {{coord|-21.7115|165.8182|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
|elevation m = 20
|elevation min m = 0
|elevation max m = 1058
|area km2 = 464.0
|population = 3552
|population date = 2019 census
|ethnic = Kanaks 31.11%
Europeans 28.66%
Wallisians and Futunans 10.67%
Mixed 17.96%
Other 11.6%
|ethnic date = 2019 census
|arrondissement=|intercommunality=}}
File:O'kono hache cérémonielle Nouvelle Calédonie MHNT.jpg]]
La Foa ({{IPA|fr|la fwa|audio|LL-Q150 (fra)-Noaius Paticus-La Foa.wav}}) is a commune in the South Province of New Caledonia, an overseas territory of France in the Pacific Ocean.
Although the provincial seat of the South Province is in Nouméa, La Foa was made the chief town of the administrative subdivision of the South in order to counterbalance the overwhelming weight of Nouméa in New Caledonia. Both entities share an almost identical territory, but their status and role is quite different: the South Province, with its provincial assembly in Nouméa, is a full political division, whereas the administrative subdivision of the South is only an administrative division of the French central state, akin to an arrondissement of Metropolitan France, with a Deputy Commissioner of the Republic (commissaire délégué de la République), akin to a subprefect of metropolitan France, in residence in La Foa.
Geography
=Climate=
La Foa has a tropical savanna climate (Köppen climate classification Aw). The average annual temperature in La Foa is {{cvt|22.7|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|1128.4|mm}} with February as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in February, at around {{cvt|26.5|C}}, and lowest in July, at around {{cvt|18.9|C}}. The highest temperature ever recorded in La Foa was {{cvt|38.0|C}} on 12 December 1952; the coldest temperature ever recorded was {{cvt|4.2|C}} on 29 July 1968.
{{Weather box|width=auto
|location = La Foa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1952−present)
|single line = Y
|metric first = Y
|collapsed= Y
|temperature colour = pastel
|Jan record high C = 36.4
|Feb record high C = 37.1
|Mar record high C = 36.9
|Apr record high C = 34.8
|May record high C = 33.5
|Jun record high C = 32.5
|Jul record high C = 31.2
|Aug record high C = 32.0
|Sep record high C = 34.5
|Oct record high C = 34.8
|Nov record high C = 37.2
|Dec record high C = 38.0
|Jan record low C = 12.0
|Feb record low C = 9.0
|Mar record low C = 12.2
|Apr record low C = 8.8
|May record low C = 7.0
|Jun record low C = 4.9
|Jul record low C = 4.2
|Aug record low C = 5.4
|Sep record low C = 5.3
|Oct record low C = 6.0
|Nov record low C = 8.5
|Dec record low C = 11.4
|Jan high C = 31.7
|Feb high C = 31.8
|Mar high C = 30.9
|Apr high C = 29.5
|May high C = 27.5
|Jun high C = 26.0
|Jul high C = 25.1
|Aug high C = 25.3
|Sep high C = 26.9
|Oct high C = 28.8
|Nov high C = 30.1
|Dec high C = 31.3
|year high C = 28.7
|Jan mean C = 26.0
|Feb mean C = 26.5
|Mar mean C = 25.8
|Apr mean C = 24.0
|May mean C = 21.8
|Jun mean C = 20.1
|Jul mean C = 18.9
|Aug mean C = 18.9
|Sep mean C = 20.0
|Oct mean C = 21.9
|Nov mean C = 23.5
|Dec mean C = 25.3
|year mean C = 22.7
|Jan low C = 20.4
|Feb low C = 21.3
|Mar low C = 20.7
|Apr low C = 18.5
|May low C = 16.0
|Jun low C = 14.2
|Jul low C = 12.6
|Aug low C = 12.5
|Sep low C = 13.1
|Oct low C = 15.0
|Nov low C = 16.9
|Dec low C = 19.2
|year low C = 16.7
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 155.0
|Feb precipitation mm = 184.3
|Mar precipitation mm = 177.3
|Apr precipitation mm = 102.9
|May precipitation mm = 78.0
|Jun precipitation mm = 72.2
|Jul precipitation mm = 64.8
|Aug precipitation mm = 62.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 35.7
|Oct precipitation mm = 29.6
|Nov precipitation mm = 63.2
|Dec precipitation mm = 102.7
|year precipitation mm = 1128.4
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 9.9
|Feb precipitation days = 11.4
|Mar precipitation days = 11.7
|Apr precipitation days = 7.8
|May precipitation days = 7.4
|Jun precipitation days = 7.0
|Jul precipitation days = 6.5
|Aug precipitation days = 6.2
|Sep precipitation days = 4.0
|Oct precipitation days = 3.9
|Nov precipitation days = 5.7
|Dec precipitation days = 8.1
|year precipitation days = 89.5
|source 1 = Météo-France{{cite web
| url = https://donneespubliques.meteofrance.fr/FichesClim/FICHECLIM_98813001.pdf
|title=Fiche Climatologique Statistiques 1991-2020 et records
| publisher = Météo-France
| access-date = August 25, 2022}}}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.lafoa.nc/ Commune de La Foa - Official site]
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{{commons category}}
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{{Administrative divisions of New Caledonia}}
{{authority control}}
{{NewCaledonia-geo-stub}}