Cook Islands

Location

• Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
• 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 sq km

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Avarua	13,373	Capital

Size

• 93 square miles
• 240 square kilometers
• 1.3 times the size of Washington, D.C.

History

Polynesians from Tahiti were probably the first people to settle Rarotonga -- the largest of the Cook Islands -- around A.D. 900. Over time, Samoans and Tongans also settled in Rarotonga, and Rarotongans voyaged to the northern Cook Islands, settling Manihiki and Rakahanga. Pukapuka and Penrhyn in the northern Cook Islands were settled directly from Samoa. Prior to European contact, there was considerable travel and trade between inhabitants of the different islands and atolls, but they were not united in a single political entity. Spanish navigators were the first Europeans to spot the northern Cook Islands in 1595, followed by the first landing in 1606, but no further European contact occurred until the 1760s. In 1773, British explorer James COOK spotted Manuae in the southern Cook Islands, and Russian mapmakers named the islands after COOK in the 1820s. Fearing France would militarily occupy the islands as it did in Tahiti, Rarotongans asked the UK for protectorate status in the 1840s and 1860s, a request the UK ignored. In 1888, Queen MAKEA TAKAU of Rarotonga formally petitioned for protectorate status, to which the UK reluctantly agreed. In 1901, the UK placed Rarotonga and the rest of the islands in the New Zealand Colony, and in 1915, the Cook Islands Act organized the islands into one political entity. It remained a protectorate until 1965, when New Zealand granted the Cook Islands self-governing status. The Cook Islands has a great deal of local autonomy and is an independent member of international organizations, but it is in free association with New Zealand, which is responsible for its defense and foreign affairs. In September 2023, the US recognized the Cook Islands as a sovereign and independent state.

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

Languages

English (official) 86.4%, Cook Islands Maori (Rarotongan) (official) 76.2%, other 8.3% (2011 est.)note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census

Religions

Protestant 55% (Cook Islands Christian Church 43.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 8.3%, Assemblies of God 3.6%), Roman Catholic 16.7%, Church of Jesus Christ 3.9%, Jehovah's Witness 2.2%, Apostolic Church 2.1%, other 4.5%, none/unspecified 15.6% (2021 est.)

Government

parliamentary democracy

• Constitution: history: 4 August 1965 (Cook Islands Constitution Act 1964)amendment process: proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Parliament membership in each of several readings and assent of the chief of state’s representative; passage of amendments relating to the chief of state also requires two-thirds majority approval in a referendum
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: common law similar to New Zealand common law
• Executive Branch: chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Sir Tom J. MARSTERS (since 9 August 2013); New Zealand High Commissioner Catherine GRAHAM (since 8 September 2024)head of government: Prime Minister Mark BROWN (since 1 October 2020)cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime ministerelection/appointment process: 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
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and 3 judges of the High Court); High Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 4 judges and organized into civil, criminal, and land divisions) 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 termssubordinate courts: justices of the peacenote: appeals beyond the Cook Islands Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London)
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Parliamentlegislative structure: unicameralnumber of seats: 24 (directly elected)electoral system: plurality/majorityscope of elections: full renewalterm in office: 4 yearsmost recent election date: 8/1/2022parties elected and seats per party: CIP (12); Demo (5); Cook Islands United Party (3); OCI (1); independent (3)percentage of women in chamber: 25%expected date of next election: 2026note: the House of Ariki, a 24-member parliamentary body of traditional leaders appointed by the King's representative, serves as a consultative body to the Parliament

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• high-income self-governing New Zealand territorial economy; tourism-based activity but diversifying; severely curtailed by COVID-19 pandemic; copra and tropical fruit exporter; Asian Development Bank aid recipient
• Budget: revenues: $113.687 million (2022 est.)expenditures: $143.391 million (2022 est.)note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: coconuts (copra)
• Industries: fishing, fruit processing, tourism, clothing, handicrafts
• Agricultural Products: coconuts, vegetables, papayas, pork, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, fruits, mangoes/guavas, watermelons, chicken (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 7.9% (2022 est.)arable land: 2.1% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 5.8% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)forest: 65% (2022 est.)other: 27.1% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: ships, refined petroleum, cars, plastic products, additive manufacturing machines (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: NZ 44%, Italy 26%, Fiji 9%, China 7%, Australia 3% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: fish, ships, garments, shellfish (2023)note: top export commodities based on value in dollars over $500,000
• Export Partners: Japan 33%, Thailand 15%, Greece 15%, France 11%, China 8% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports