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New Caledonia, a French archipelago in the South Pacific, votes on a 30-year decolonization process.
It is the first self-determination vote in the country of Djibouti in the Horn of Africa voted for independence in 1977. Tensions have long run deep between pro-independence indigenous Kanaks and descendants of colonial settlers who remain loyal to Paris.
A "yes" vote would not only be the only one of the French pride, but it would also have a negative impact on the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa and the Pacific Ocean. is expanding its presence.
Voters will be asked the question "Do you want New Caledonia to gain full sovereignty and become independent?"
During a visit to the Archipelago in May, French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged the "breads of colonization" and saluted the "dignified" campaign for autonomy led by the Kanaks.
He and his administration have sought to strike a neutral tone on the vote.
The latest polls show that the islands are expected to vote to remain in French territory.
New Caledonia's economy is underpinned by 1.3 billion euros ($ 1.48 trillion), nickel deposits that are estimated to represent 25 percent of the world's total, and tourism.
The archipelago and its population of 280,000 already enjoy a large degree of autonomy and dependence heavily on France.
16.700 kilometers (10.377 miles) from metropolitan France. It became a French colony in 1853.
Under colonial rule the Kanaks have been confined to reserves and excluded from the economy. The first revolt erupted in 1878, not long after the discovery of large nickel deposits that are today exploited by French miner Eramet's subsidiary SLN.
More than 100 years later, in the mid-1980s, struggling to stay at a disadvantage.
A 1988 massacre in a cave on the island of Ouvea left 19 indigenous separatists and two French soldiers dead and intensified talks on the island's future. A 1998 deal provided for a referendum on independence to be held by the end of 2018.
Under the terms of the deal, in the event of a "no" vote, two further referenda can be held before 2022.
