Map of Cook Islands | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide19891990199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023 | More stats

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Background: Named after Captain Cook, who sighted them in 1770, the islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, administrative control was transferred to New Zealand. Residents chose self-government with free association with New Zealand in 1965. The emigration of Cook Islanders to New Zealand in large numbers and resulting loss of skilled labor and government deficits are continuing problems.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area
Total: 240 km²
Land: 240 km²
Comparative: slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 120 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or minimum of 200 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Disputes: none

Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds

Terrain: low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south

Elevation

Natural resources: negligible

Land use: arable land: 4%; permanent crops: 22%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 74%

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 17,977 (July 1992), growth rate 0.5% (1992)

Nationality: noun - Cook Islander(s; adjective - Cook Islander

Ethnic groups: Polynesian (full blood) 81.3%, Polynesian and European 7.7%, Polynesian and other 7.7%, European 2.4%, other 0.9%

Languages: English (official; Maori

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 22 births/1000 population (1992)

Death rate: 6 deaths/1000 population (1992)

Net migration rate: -10 migrants/1000 population (1992)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: subject to typhoons from November to March
Current issues note: located 4,500 km south of Hawaii in the South Pacific Ocean

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 25 deaths/1000 live births (1992)

Life expectancy at birth: 69 years male, 73 years female (1992)

Total fertility rate: 3.0 children born/woman (1992)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none

Government type: self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook Islands

Capital: Avarua

Administrative divisions: none

Dependent areas

Independence: 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

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Parliament:

Executive branch:

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament; note - the House of Arikis (chiefs) advises on traditional matters, but has no legislative powers

Judicial branch: High Court

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: AsDB, ESCAP (associate), FAO, ICAO, IOC, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO
Diplomatic representation:

Diplomatic representation

Flag description: blue, with the flag of the UK 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

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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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 from foreign aid. Current economic development plans call for exploiting the tourism potential and expanding the fishing industry.
GDP: exchange rate conversion - $40.0 million, per capita $2,200 (1988 est.); real growth rate 5.3% (1986-88 est.)

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita ppp

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: export crops - copra, citrus fruits, pineapples, tomatoes, bananas; subsistence crops - yams, taro

Industries: fruit processing, tourism

Industrial production growth rate: growth rate NA%

Labor force: 5,810; agriculture 29%, government 27%, services 25%, industry 15%, and other 4% (1981)
Organized labor: NA

Unemployment rate: NA%

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $33.8 million; expenditures $34.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)

Public debt

Taxes and other revenues

Revenue

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Current account balance

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $4.0 million (f.o.b., 1988)
Commodoties: copra, fresh and canned fruit, clothing
Partners: NZ 80%, Japan

Imports: $38.7 million (c.i.f., 1988)
Commodoties: foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber
Partners: NZ 49%, Japan, Australia, US

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.8502 (January 1992), 1.7266 (1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987)


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Electricity access

Electricity production: 14,000 kW capacity; 21 million kWh produced, 1,170 kWh per capita (1990)

Electricity consumption

Electricity exports

Electricity imports

Electricity installed generating capacity

Electricity transmission distribution losses

Electricity generation sources

Petroleum

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones fixed lines

Telephones mobile cellular

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet country code

Internet users

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports:

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine:
Civil air: no major transport aircraft

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs