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 government deficits and limited natural resources are of continuing concern.

Geographic coordinates: 21 14 S 159 46 W

Map reference: Oceania

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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 120 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
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
Mean elevation: NA
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m: highest point: Te Manga 652 m

Natural resources: coconuts (copra)

Land use
Agricultural land: 8.4%
Forest: 64.6%
Other: 27%

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: 9,556 (July 2016 est.)
Note: the Cook Islands' Ministry of Finance & Economic Management estimated the resident population to have been 12,000 in December 2015
Rank: 225
Growth rate: -2.88% (2016 est.)
Growth rate rank: 235
Below poverty line: NA%

Nationality
Noun: Cook Islander
Adjective: Cook Islander

Ethnic groups: Cook Island Maori (Polynesian) 81.3% part Cook Island Maori 6.7% other 11.9% (2011 est.)

Languages: English (official) 86.4% Cook Islands Maori (Rarotongan) (official) 76.2% other 8.3%
Note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census

Religions: Protestant 62.8% (Cook Islands Christian Church 49.1% Seventh Day Adventist 7.9% Assemblies of God 3.7% Apostolic Church 2.1%) Roman Catholic 17% Mormon 4.4% other 8% none 5.6% no response 2.2% (2011 est.)

Age structure
0-14 years: 21.61%
15-24 years: 17.2%
25-54 years: 38.08%
55-64 years: 11.34%
65 years and over: 11.76% (2016 est.)

Median age
Total: 35.9 years
Male: 35.3 years
Female: 36.4 years
Rank: 74

Population growth rate: -2.88% (2016 est.)
Rank: 235

Birth rate: 14.1 births/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 137

Death rate: 8.3 deaths/1000 population (2016 est.)
Rank: 84

Urbanization
Urban population: 74.5% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 0.88% annual rate of change

Environment
Current issues: NA
International agreements party to: Biodiversity Climate Change Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol Desertification Hazardous Wastes Law of the Sea Ozone Layer Protection

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.04 male/female
0-14 years: 1.12 male/female
15-24 years: 1.14 male/female
25-54 years: 1 male/female
55-64 years: 1.17 male/female
65 years and over: 0.97 male/female
Total population: 1.07 male/female

Infant mortality rate
Total: 13.5 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 16.3 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 10.4 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 109

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 75.8 years
Male: 73 years
Female: 78.8 years
Rank: 95

Total fertility rate: 2.21 children born/woman (2016 est.)
Rank: 97

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 1.33 physicians/1000 population (2009)

Sanitation facility access:

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

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 50% (2014)
Rank: 3

Education expenditures: 3.9% of GDP (2014)
Rank: 137

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 14 years
Female: 17 years

Country name
Conventional long form: none
Conventional short form: Cook Islands
Etymology: named after Captain James COOK the British explorer who visited the islands in 1773 and 1777

Government type: self-governing parliamentary democracy (Parliament of the Cook Islands) in free association with New Zealand

Capital
Name: Avarua
Geographic coordinates: 21 12 S 159 46 W
Time difference: UTC-10

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: 4 August 1965 (Cook Islands Constitution Act 1964); amended many times last in 2004 (2016)

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
Chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II ; represented by Tom J. MARSTERS (since 9 August 2013); New Zealand High Commissioner Joanna KEMPKERS (since 19 July 2013)
Head of government: Prime Minister Henry PUNA
Cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister
Electionsappointments: the monarchy is hereditary; UK representative appointed by the monarch; New Zealand high commissioner appointed by the New Zealand Government; following legislative elections the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes prime minister

Legislative branch
Description: unicameral Parliament formerly the Legislative Assembly ; note - the House of Ariki a 24-member parliamentary body of traditional leaders appointed by the Queen's representative serves as a consultative body to the Parliament
Elections: last held on 9 July 2014
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CIP 13 Demo 8 One Cook Islands Movement 2 1 undecided

Judicial branch
Highest resident court: Court of Appeal ; High Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 4 judges and organized into civil criminal and land divisions); note - appeals beyond the Cook Islands Court of Appeal are heard by 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 ICCt 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 symbols: a circle of 15 five-pointed white stars on a blue field; national colors: blue white

National anthem
Name: 'Te Atua Mou E'
Lyrics and music: Tepaeru Te RITO/Thomas DAVIS
Note: adopted 1982; as prime minister Sir Thomas DAVIS composed the anthem; his wife a tribal chief wrote the lyrics

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:
Rank: 218

Real gdp growth rate: 0.1% (2005 est.)
Rank: 192

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 122

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 5.1%
Industry: 12.7%
Services: 82.1%

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: 141

Labor force: 6,820 (2001)
Rank: 218
By occupation agriculture: 29%
By occupation industry: 15%
By occupation services: 56%

Unemployment rate: 13.1% (2005)
Rank: 145

Population below poverty line: NA%

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

Budget
Revenues: $86.9 million
Expenditures: $77.9 million
Surplus or deficit: 3.7% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 11

Taxes and other revenues: 35.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 58

Fiscal year: 1 April - 31 March

Inflation rate consumer prices: 2.2% (2011 est.)
Rank: 128

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 189

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 191

Current account balance: $26.67 million (2005)
Rank: 51

Exports:
Rank: 219
Commodities: copra papayas fresh and canned citrus fruit coffee; fish; pearls and pearl shells; clothing

Imports:
Rank: 216
Commodities: foodstuffs textiles fuels timber capital goods

Debt external: $141 million (1996 est.)
Rank: 191

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 34 million kWh (2014 est.)
Production rank: 211
Consumption: 31.62 million kWh (2014 est.)
Consumption rank: 210
Exports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 129
Imports: 0 kWh (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 139
Installed generating capacity: 9,000 kW (2014 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 209
Generation sources fossil fuels: 99.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 45
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 76
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 168
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0.5% of total installed capacity (2012 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 102

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 123
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 114
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 179
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2016 es)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 122

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products production rank: 172
Products consumption: 530 bbl/day (2014 est.)
Products consumption rank: 208
Products exports: 0 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products exports rank: 173
Products imports: 528.2 bbl/day (2013 est.)
Products imports rank: 205

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Production rank: 176
Consumption: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Consumption rank: 135
Exports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Exports rank: 86
Imports: 0 m³ (2013 est.)
Imports rank: 186
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (1 January 2014 es)
Proven reserves rank: 129

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 200,000 Mt (2013 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 205

Telephones
Fixed lines total: 7,200
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 61
Fixed lines rank: 202
Mobile cellular total: 7,800
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 66
Mobile cellular rank: 213

Telephone system
General assessment: Telecom Cook Islands offers international direct dialing Internet email fax and Telex
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

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
Users total: 6,000
Users percent of population: 61%
Users rank: 216

National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 1
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: E5 (2016)

Airports: 11 (2013)
Rank: 153
With paved runways total: 1
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 1
With unpaved runways total: 10
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 7
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 1

Roadways
Total: 320 km
Paved: 33 km
Unpaved: 287 km
Rank: 205

Merchant marine
Total: 35
By type: bulk carrier 2 cargo 25 passenger 1 refrigerated cargo 6 roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 23 (2010)
Rank: 81

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Avatiu

Disputes international: none