Cook Islands : Ask Biography

General information

Common name

Cook Islands

Local name

Kūki 'Āirani

Name

Kūki 'Āirani

Anthem

Te Atua Mou E
God is Truth

Capital

Avarua

Largest city

capital

Official languages

English
Cook Islands Māori

Ethnic groups

87.7% Māori, 5.8% part Māori, 6.5% other

Demonym

Cook Islander

Government

Government

Constitutional monarchy

Head of State

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen's Representative

Sir Frederick Tutu Goodwin

Prime Minister

Henry Puna

Associated state

Associated state

Self-government in free association with New Zealand

4 August 1965

Independence in foreign relations recognized by the UN

1992

Geography

Total Area

91 sq mi (235.7 km2) (210th)

Demography

Population census

19569 (213th) (2006)

Density (pop.)

76/km² (124th) (197/sq mi)

Economy

GDP PPP

$183.2 million (2005) (not ranked)

GDP (PPP) per capita

$9,100 (not ranked)

Other information

Currency

New Zealand dollar
(Cook Islands dollar also used) (NZD)

Drives on the

left

Internet TLD

.ck

Calling code

682

Home | Country | Cook Islands

The Cook Islands -enˈkʊk ˈaɪləndzen-us-Cook Islands.ogg (Cook Islands Māori: Kūki 'Āirani ) is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. The fifteen small islands in this South Pacific Oceancountry have a total land area of 240 km2 (92.7 sqmi), but the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers 1800000 km2 (694983.9 sqmi) of ocean.

The main population centres are on the island of Rarotonga (14,153 as of 2006), where there is an international airport. There is also a much larger population of Cook Islanders in New Zealand, particularly the North Island. In the 2006 census, 58,008 self-identified as being of ethnic Cook Island Māori descent.

With over 90,000 visitors travelling to the islands in 2006, tourism is the country's main industry, and the leading element of the economy, far ahead of offshore banking, pearls, marine and fruit exports.

Defence and foreign affairs are the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands. In recent times, the Cook Islands have adopted an increasingly independent foreign policy. Although Cook Islanders are citizens of New Zealand, they have the status of Cook Islands nationals, which is not given to all New Zealand citizens.