Noumea was initially called what before being renamed in 1866?

Nouméa was initially called Port-de-France before being renamed in 1866.

The French established a settlement near the present-day city in 1854, after British trader James Paddon had established a nearby settlement in 1851. The French site was first named Port-de-France, reflecting its role as a new colonial settlement and harbor. In 1866, the name Nouméa replaced Port-de-France.

Nouméa later became closely tied to New Caledonia’s colonial economy. The territory was used as a penal colony, and the city developed as a center for exporting nickel and gold mined in the region. The answer is sometimes confused with Fort-de-France, which is the capital of Martinique; that is a different city in the Caribbean, not Nouméa’s earlier name.