The dry forests cover the western side of Grand Terre, New Caledonia's largest island.

The New Caledonia rain forests ecoregion covers the rest of the island, including the eastern slope and high mountains.

[1] Nouméa, New Caledonia's capital and largest city, is located on the coast in the southern portion of the ecoregion.

The forests have a thick understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants, and numerous vines climb into the trees.

[6] Frequent fires and clearance for agriculture and cattle raising have reduced the dry forest to scattered patches which cover only 2% of the ecoregion's land area.