Kanak people
The earliest history of Europeans arriving on these islands is when Captain Cook of the United Kingdom landed in these islands in 1775 at a time when there were reportedly 70,000 Kanaks living in the archipelago. Cook gave the name "New Caledonia" to these islands, after Caledonia, his Scottish highlands.
Blue River Provincial Park
The park includes two biomes typical of New Caledonia: maquis shrubland overlying peridotite rock and tropical rainforest. There is a very high rate of biodiversity of New Caledonia. In particular, the park is known for being one of the last areas where the kagu, an endangered bird which has become a symbol of the country, can be seen in its natural habitat, with a population of about 700; this is the largest single population of the species in the wild. Other endemic and rare animals in the park include the crow honeyeater, notou, New Caledonian crow, and crested gecko.