COOK ISLANDS
(free association with New Zealand)
GEOGRAPHY
Total area: 240 km2; land area: 240 km2
Comparative area: slightly less than 1.3 times the size of
Washington, DC
Land boundaries: none
Coastline: 120 km
Maritime claims:
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or minimum of 200
nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain: low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in
south
Natural resources: negligible
Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops 22%; meadows and pastures
0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 74%
Environment: subject to typhoons from November to March
Note: located 4,500 km south of Hawaii in the South Pacific Ocean
PEOPLE
Population: 17,882 (July 1991), growth rate 0.5% (1991)
Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1991)
Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1991)
Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (1991)
Nationality: noun--Cook Islander(s); adjective--Cook Islander
Ethnic divisions: Polynesian (full blood) 81.3%, Polynesian and
European 7.7%, Polynesian and other 7.7%, European 2.4%, other 0.9%
Religion: Christian, majority of populace members of Cook Islands
Christian Church
Language: English
Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
Labor force: 5,810; agriculture 29%, government 27%, services 25%,
industry 15%, and other 4% (1981)
Organized labor: NA
GOVERNMENT
Long-form name: none
Type: self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook
Islands fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains
responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook
Islands
Capital: Avarua
Administrative divisions: none
Independence: 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
Constitution: 4 August 1965
National holiday: 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
Leaders:
Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
Representative of the UK Sir Tangaroa TANGAROA (since NA);
Representative of New Zealand Adrian SINCOCK (since NA);
Head of Government--Prime Minister Geoffrey HENRY
(since NA February 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Inatio AKARURU (since NA
February 1989)
Political parties and leaders:
Cook Islands Party, Geoffrey HENRY;
Democratic Tumu Party, Vincent INGRAM;
Democratic Party, Dr. Vincent Pupuke ROBATI;
Cook Islands Labor Party, Rena JONASSEN;
Cook Islands People's Party, Sadaraka SADARAKA
Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
Elections:
Parliament--last held 19 January 1989 (next to be held by
January 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(24 total) Cook Islands Party 12, Democratic
Tumu Party 2, opposition coalition (including Democratic Party) 9,
independent 1
Member of: AsDB, ESCAP (associate), FAO, ICAO, IOC, SPC,
SPF, UNESCO, WHO
Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing in free association
with New Zealand)
Flag: 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
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.
GDP: $40.0 million, per capita $2,200 (1988 est.); real growth rate
5.3% (1986-88 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0% (1988)
Unemployment rate: NA%
Budget: revenues $33.8 million; expenditures $34.4 million,
including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
Exports: $4.0 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities--copra, fresh and canned fruit, clothing;
partners--NZ 80%, Japan
Imports: $38.7 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities--foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber;
partners--NZ 49%, Japan, Australia, US
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate NA%
Electricity: 14,000 kW capacity; 21 million kWh produced,
1,170 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries: fruit processing, tourism
Agriculture: export crops--copra, citrus fruits, pineapples,
tomatoes, bananas; subsistence crops--yams, taro
Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
commitments (1970-89), $128 million
Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural--dollars); 1 New Zealand
dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6798 (January
1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088
(1986), 2.0064 (1985)
Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
COMMUNICATIONS
Highways: 187 km total (1980); 35 km paved, 35 km gravel, 84 km
improved earth, 33 km unimproved earth
Ports: Avatiu
Civil air: no major transport aircraft
Airports: 7 total, 6 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways;
none with runways over 2,439 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications: stations--2 AM, no FM, no TV; 10,000 radio
receivers; 2,052 telephones; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
DEFENSE FORCES
Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand