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; in 1965 residents chose self-government in free association with New Zealand. The emigration of skilled workers to New Zealand and government deficits are continuing problems.

Geographic coordinates: 21 14 S 159 46 W

Area
Rank: 215
Land: 236 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: 1.3 times the size of Washington DC

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 120 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Climate: tropical oceanic; moderated by trade winds; a dry season from April to November and a more humid season from December to March

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

Elevation
Extremes highest point: Te Manga 652 m

Natural resources: NEGL

Land use
Permanent crops: 4.17%
Other: 87.5% (2011)

Irrigated land: NA

Natural hazards: typhoons (November to March)

Geography
Note: the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying sparsely populated coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands where most of the population lives consist of eight elevated fertile volcanic isles including the largest Rarotonga at 67 km²

Population: 10,447 (July 2013 est.)
Rank: 226
Growth rate: -3.07% (2013 est.)
Growth rate rank: 233
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Adjective: Cook Islander

Ethnic groups: Cook Island Maori (Polynesian) 87.7% part Cook Island Maori 5.8% other 6.5% (2001 census)

Languages: English (official) Maori

Religions: Protestant 69.6% (Cook Islands Christian Church 55.9% Seventh-Day Adventist 7.9% other Protestant 5.8%) Roman Catholic 16.8% Mormon 3.8% other 4.2% unspecified 2.6% none 3% (2001 census)

Age structure
15-24 years: 18.1% (male 1015/female 877)
25-54 years: 38% (male 1995/female 1971)
55-64 years: 9.9% (male 549/female 483)
65 years and over: 10.6% (male 544/female 566) (2013 est.)

Median age
Male: 33 years
Female: 34.3 years (2013 est.)

Population growth rate: -3.07% (2013 est.)
Rank: 233

Birth rate: 14.93 births/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 134

Death rate: 7.66 deaths/1000 population (2013 est.)
Rank: 112

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 1.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Environment
Current issues: NA

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.15 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.14 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.96 male(s)/female
Total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2013 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 113
Male: 18.01 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 11.45 deaths/1000 live births (2013 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 96
Male: 72.35 years
Female: 78.09 years (2013 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.31 children born/woman (2013 est.)
Rank: 96

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 43.2% (1999)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 2.89 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: NA
People living with hivaids: NA
Deaths: NA

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 63.7% (2008)
Rank: 3

Education expenditures: 3.2% of GDP (2011)
Rank: 138

Literacy
Total population: 95%
Male: NA
Female: NA

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 12 years
Female: 13 years (2011)

Country name
Conventional short form: Cook Islands
Former: Harvey Islands

Government type: self-governing parliamentary democracy

Capital
Geographic coordinates: 21 12 S 159 46 W
Time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington DC during Standard Time)

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 first Monday in August (1965)

Constitution: effective 4 August 1965 (Cook islands Constitution Act 1964); amended many times last in 2004 (2004)

Legal system: common law similar to New Zealand common law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration (New Zealand normally retains responsibility for external affairs); accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Head of government: Prime Minister Henry PUNA (since 30 November 2010)
Cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister; collectively responsible to Parliament
Elections: the monarchy is hereditary; the UK representative appointed by the monarch; the New Zealand high commissioner appointed by the New Zealand Government; following legislative elections the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition usually becomes prime minister

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of a House of Ariki or upper house made up of traditional leaders and a Legislative Assembly or lower house (24 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
Elections: last held on 17 November 2010 (next to be held by 2014)

Judicial branch: note - appeals beyond the Cook Islands Court of Appeal are brought before the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
Judge selection and term of office: High Court chief justice appointed by the Queen's Representative on the advice of the Executive Council tendered by the prime minister; other judges appointed by the Queen's Representative on the advice of the Executive Council tendered by the chief justice High Court chief justice and the minister of justice; chief justice and judges appointed for 3-year renewable terms
Subordinate courts: justices of the peace

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ACP ADB AOSIS FAO ICAO ICRM IFAD IFRCS IMO IMSO IOC ITUC (NGOs) OPCW PIF Sparteca SPC UNESCO UPU WHO WMO

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 anthem
Lyrics and music: Tepaeru Te RITO/Thomas DAVIS

Economy overview: Like many other South Pacific island nations the Cook Islands' economic development is hindered by the isolation of the country from foreign markets the limited size of domestic markets lack of natural resources periodic devastation from natural disasters and inadequate infrastructure. Agriculture employing more than one-quarter of the working population provides the economic base with major exports of copra and citrus fruit. Black pearls are the Cook Islands' leading export. Manufacturing activities are limited to fruit processing clothing and handicrafts. Trade deficits are offset by remittances from emigrants and by foreign aid overwhelmingly from New Zealand. In the 1980s and 1990s the country lived beyond its means maintaining a bloated public service and accumulating a large foreign debt. Subsequent reforms including the sale of state assets the strengthening of economic management the encouragement of tourism and a debt restructuring agreement have rekindled investment and growth.

Real gdp purchasing power parity: $183.2 million (2005 est.)
Rank: 220

Real gdp growth rate: 0.1% (2005 est.)
Rank: 178

Real gdp per capita: $9,100 (2005 est.)
Rank: 121

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 12.7%
Services: 82.1% (2010 est.)

Agriculture products: copra citrus pineapples tomatoes beans pawpaws bananas yams taro coffee; pigs poultry

Industries: fruit processing tourism fishing clothing handicrafts

Industrial production growth rate: 1% (2002)
Rank: 121

Labor force: 6,820 (2001)
Rank: 219
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation services: 56% (1995)

Unemployment rate: 13.1% (2005)
Rank: 134

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: NA%

Budget
Expenditures: $69.05 million (FY05/06)
Surplus or deficit: 1% of GDP (FY05/06)
Surplus or deficit rank: 34

Taxes and other revenues: 38.7% of GDP (FY05/06)
Rank: 53

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.2% (2011 est.)
Rank: 50

Stock of narrow money: $38.99 million (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 186

Stock of broad money: $170.9 million (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 188

Current account balance: $26.67 million (2005)
Rank: 56

Exports: $5.222 million (2005 est.)
Rank: 216
Commodities: copra papayas fresh and canned citrus fruit coffee; fish; pearls and pearl shells; clothing

Imports: $83.49 million (2011 est.)
Rank: 215
Commodities: foodstuffs textiles fuels timber capital goods

Debt external: $141 million (1996 est.)
Rank: 189

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 31.13 million kWh (2010 est.)
Production rank: 210
Consumption: 28.95 million kWh (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 210
Exports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Exports rank: 186
Imports: 0 kWh (2012 est.)
Imports rank: 177
Installed generating capacity: 8,090 kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 205
Generation sources fossil fuels: 98.9% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 53
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 72
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 164
Generation sources other renewable sources: 1.1% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 80

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 164
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 103
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 176
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2013 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 120

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 167
Products consumption: 974.1 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 204
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products exports rank: 167
Products imports: 484.7 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 205

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 120
Consumption: 0 m³ (2010 est.)
Consumption rank: 135
Exports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 87
Imports: 0 m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 182
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2013 es)
Proven reserves rank: 128

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 75,400 Mt (2011 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 207

Telephones
Main lines in use: 7,200 (2009)
Main lines in use rank: 206
Mobile cellular: 7,800 (2009)
Mobile cellular rank: 212

Telephone system
Domestic: 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: country code - 682; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)

Broadcast media: 1 privately owned TV station broadcasts from Rarotonga providing a mix of local news and overseas-sourced programs; a satellite program package is available; 6 radio stations broadcast with 1 reportedly reaching all of the islands (2009)

Internet
Country code: .ck
Hosts: 3,562 (2012)
Hosts rank: 150
Users: 6,000 (2009)
Users rank: 205

Airports: 11 (2013)
Rank: 153
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1 (2013)
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With unpaved runways: 1 (2013)

Roadways
Rank: 202
Paved: 33 km
Unpaved: 287 km (2003)

Merchant marine
Rank: 81
By type: bulk carrier 2 cargo 25 passenger 1 refrigerated cargo 6 roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 23 (Estonia 1 Germany 1 Lithuania 1 Norway 8 NZ 2 Russia 1 Sweden 3 Turkey 4 UK 2) (2010)

Disputes international: none