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: Oceania, 4,500 km south of Hawaii in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Geographic coordinates

Map reference: Oceania

Area
Total: 240 km²
Land: 240 km²

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 120 km
Continental shelf: 200 nm or the edge of continental margin
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Maritime claims

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: NA km²

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography


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Population: 18,903 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 1.18% (1993 est.)

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
Total population: NA%
Male: NA%
Female: NA%

Religions:

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate: 1.18% (1993 est.)

Birth rate: 23.4 births/1000 population (1993 est.)

Death rate: 5.2 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.45 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: subject to typhoons from November to March

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 24.7 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 71.14 years
Male: 69.2 years
Female: 73.1 years (1993 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.32 children born/woman (1993 est.)

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

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Cook Islands

Government type:

Capital: Avarua

Administrative divisions: none

Dependent areas

Independence:

National holiday: Constitution Day, 4 August

Constitution: 4 August 1965

Legal system: NA

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal adult at age NA

Executive branch: British monarch, representative of the UK, representative of New Zealand, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

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:

Diplomatic representation
In the us: none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)
From the us: none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)

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.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate: 5.3% (1986-88 est.)

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
By occupation agriculture: 29%
By occupation government: 27%
By occupation services: 25%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation other: 4% (1981)

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 - 1.9490 (January 1993), 1.8584 (1992), 1.7266 (1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988)


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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: 7
Usable: 7
With permanentsurface runways: 1
With runways over 3659 m: 0
With runways 2440-3659 m: 0
With runways 1220-2439 m: 5

Airports with paved runways

Airports with unpaved runways

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

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

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: none

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs