Cook Islands

Free association with New Zealand

Geography                 Economy                 Defense Forces
 

People                    Transportation          Government



Communications            History      	          Travel

GEOGRAPHY

Location

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand

Area

Total area: 240 sq km
Land area: 240 sq km
Comparative area: slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Land Boundaries

0 km

Coastline

120 km

Maritime Claims

Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

International Disputes

None

Climate

Tropical; moderated by trade winds

Terrain

Low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Te Manga 652 m

Natural Resources

Negligible

Land Use

Arable land: 4%
Permanent crops: 22%
Meadows and pastures: 0%
Forest and woodland: 0%
Other: 74%

Irrigated Land

Environment

Current issues: NA
Natural hazards: typhoons (November to March)
International agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea

PEOPLE

Population

19,561 (July 1996 est.)
19,343 (July 1995 est.)

Age Structure

0-14 Years

15-64 Years

65 Years and Over

Population Growth Rate

1.11% (1996 est.)
1.13% (1995 est.)

Birth Rate

22.87 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)
23.05 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Death Rate

5.2 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)
5.2 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Net Migration Rate

-6.58 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)
-6.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate

24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)
24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)

Life Expectancy at Birth

Total population: 71.14 years
Male: 69.2 years
Female: 73.1 years (1996 est.)

Total Fertility Rate

3.25 children born/woman (1996 est.)
3.27 children born/woman (1995 est.)

Nationality

Noun: Cook Islander(s)
Adjective: Cook Islander

Ethnic Divisions

Polynesian (full blood) 81.3%
Polynesian and European 7.7%
Polynesian and other 7.7%
European 2.4%
Other 0.9%

Religions

Christian (majority of populace members of Cook Islands Christian Church)

Languages

English (official), Maori

Literacy

Labor Force

5,810

By occupation:

Agriculture 29%
Government 27%
Services 25%
Industry 15%
Other 4% (1981)

GOVERNMENT

Names

Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Cook Islands

Digraph

Type

Self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook Islands

Capital

Avarua

Administrative Divisions

None

Independence

None (became self-governing in free association with New Zealand on 4 August 1965 and has the right at any time to move to full independence by unilateral action)

National Holiday

Constitution Day, 4 August

Constitution

4 August 1965

Legal System

Suffrage

Universal adult at age NA

Executive Branch

Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (of the United Kingdom since 6 February 1952), a hereditary monarch, is represented by Apenera SHORT (since NA); New Zealand High Commissioner Darryl DUNN (since NA 1994), representative of New Zealand was appointed by the New Zealand Government
Head of government: Prime Minister Geoffrey HENRY (since 1 February 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Inatio AKARURU (since 1 February 1989)
Cabinet: Cabinet; collectively responsible to the Parliament

Legislative Branch

Unicameral

Parliament

Elections last held 24 March 1994 (next to be held NA); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (25 total) Cook Islands Party 20, Democratic Party 3, Alliance Party 2

Note: The House of Arikis (chiefs) advises on traditional matters, but has no legislative powers

Judicial Branch

High Court

Political Parties and Leaders

Cook Islands Party, Geoffrey HENRY; Democratic Party, Sir Thomas DAVIS; Democratic Alliance Party, Norman GEORGE

Member of

AsDB, ESCAP (associate), ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO

Flag

Blue, with the flag of the U.K. in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for every island) centered in the outer half of the flag

ECONOMY

Overview

Agriculture provides the economic base. The major export earners are fruit, copra, and clothing. Manufacturing activities are limited to a fruit-processing plant and several clothing factories. Economic development is hindered by the isolation of the islands from foreign markets and a lack of natural resources and good transportation links. A large trade deficit is annually made up for by remittances from emigrants and by foreign aid, largely from New Zealand. Current economic development plans call for exploiting the tourism potential and expanding the mining and fishing industries. Despite these plans, the Cook Islands will continue to face severe financial problems.

National Product

GDP - purchasing power parity - $57 million (1993 est.)

National Product Real Growth Rate

National Product Per Capita

$3,000 (1993 est.)

Inflation Rate (consumer Prices)

6.2% (1990)

Unemployment Rate

Budget

Revenues: $38 million
Expenditures: $34.4 million, including capital expenditures of NA (1993 est.)

Exports

$3.4 million (f.o.b., 1990)

Commodities:

Copra
Fresh and canned fruit
Clothing

Partners:

NZ 80%
Japan

Imports

$50 million (c.i.f., 1990)

Commodities:

Foodstuffs
Textiles
Fuels
Timber

Partners:

NZ 49%
Japan
Australia
U.S.

External Debt

$160 million (1994)

Industrial Production

Growth rate NA; accounts for 5% of GDP

Electricity

Capacity: 14,000 kW
Production: 21 million kWh
Consumption per capita: 741 kWh (1993)

Industries

Fruit processing
Tourism

Agriculture

Accounts for 12% of GDP, export crops - copra, citrus fruits, pineapples, tomatoes, bananas; subsistence crops - yams, taro

Economic Aid

Recipient: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $128 million; in 1994, Cook Islands received $4.3 million in budget support and $2.7 million in project aid from New Zealand, the country's largest source of aid

Currency

1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents

Exchange Rates

New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.5138 (January 1996), 1.5235 (1995), 1.6844 (1994), 1.8495 (1993), 1.8584 (1992), 1.7265 (1991), 1.6750 (1990)

Fiscal Year

1 April - 31 March

TRANSPORTATION

Railroads

0 km

Highways

Total: 187 km
Paved: 35 km
Unpaved: gravel 35 km; improved earth 84 km; unimproved earth 33 km (1980)

Ports

Avarua, Avatiu

Merchant Marine

Total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,464 GRT/2,181 DWT

Airports

Total: 7
With paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
With unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 3

COMMUNICATIONS

Telephone System

4,180 telephones (1994)

Domestic: the individual islands are connected by a combination of satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and VHF and HF radiotelephone; within the islands, service is provided by small exchanges connected to subscribers by open wire, cable, and fiber-optic cable
International: 1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station

Radio

Broadcast stations: AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
Radios: 13,000 (1992 est.)

Television

Broadcast stations: 1
Televisions: 3,500 (1995 est.)

DEFENSE FORCES

Note: Defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

History
World Atlas

Last modified: 5 december 1997

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