Capital of the French territory New Caledonia, Nouméa played an important role in World War II, serving as the headquarters of the United States military in the Pacific. It boasts the most sunshine of any Pacific island capital, and is also the most European-influenced. Called “The Paris of the Pacific,” it features fine French dining, designer boutiques, and cosmopolitan residents. Just off the coast, the longest barrier reef in the world shelters 350 species of coral and 1,500 species of fish.