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Cook Islands Coor din ates: 2 1 °1 4 ′S 1 5 9 °4 6 ′W Cook Islands The Cook Islands (Cook Islands Māori: Kūki Cook Islands 'Āirani)[6] is a self-governing island country in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Kūki 'Āirani Zealand. It comprises 15 islands whose total land area is 240 square kilometres (92.7 sq mi). The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers 1,800,000 square kilometres (690,000 sq mi) of ocean.[7] Flag Coat of arms New Zealand is responsible for the Cook Islands' Anthem: Te Atua Mou E defence and foreign affairs, but they are exercised in God is Truth consultation with the Cook Islands. In recent times, 0:00 MENU 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 other New Zealand citizens. The Cook Islands' main population centres are on the island of Rarotonga (10,57 2 in 2011),[8] where there is an international airport. There is a larger population of Cook Islanders in New Zealand itself; in the 2013 census, 61,839 people said they were Cook Islanders, or of Cook Islands descent.[9] With about 100,000 visitors travelling to the islands in Capital Avarua the 2010–11 financial year,[10] tourism is the country's and largest city 21°12′S 159°46′W main industry, and the leading element of the economy, ahead of offshore banking, pearls, and Official languages English marine and fruit exports. Cook Islands Māori (including Pukapukan[a]) Spoken languages English (86.4%) Māori (76.2%) Contents other (8.3%)[1] Geography Ethnic groups 81.3% Māori History [1] (2011 ) 6.7% part-Māori Politics and foreign relations 11.9% other Human rights Administrative subdivisions Demonym Cook Islander Demographics Government Constitutional monarchy Economy • Monarch Elizabeth II Culture • Queen's Tom Marsters Language Music Representative Public holidays • Prime Minister Henry Puna Art • House of Ariki Tou Travel Ariki Carving Weaving Legislature Parliament Tivaevae Associated state of New Zealand Contemporary art • Self-governance 4 August 1965 Wildlife • UN recognition of 1992[2] Sport independence in foreign relations See also References Area • Total 236.7 km2 (91.4 sq mi) Further reading (unranked) External links Population • 2016 estimate 17,379[3] Geography • 2016 census 17,459[4] • Density 42/km2 (108.8/sq mi) The Cook Islands are in the South Pacific Ocean, (124th) northeast of New Zealand, between French Polynesia GDP (PPP) 2014 estimate and American Samoa. There are 15 major islands • Total $311 million[5] spread over 2,200,000 km2 (849,425 sq mi) of ocean, (not ranked) divided into two distinct groups: the Southern Cook • Per capita $15,002.5 (not ranked) Islands and the Northern Cook Islands of coral Currency New Zealand dollar (NZD) atolls.[11] Cook Islands dollar Time zone CKT (UTC-10) The islands were formed by volcanic activity; the northern group is older and consists of six atolls, Drives on the left which are sunken volcanoes topped by coral growth. Calling code +682 The climate is moderate to tropical. ISO 3166 code CK The Cook Islands consist of 15 islands and two reefs. Internet TLD .ck a. ^ As per the Te Reo Maori Act (http://www.pac lii.org/ck/legis/num_act/trma2003130/). Tapuaetai (One Foot Island) in the southern part of Aitutaki Atoll Group Island Area km² Population 2016 Northern Penrhyn 10 226 Northern Rakahanga 4 80 Northern Manihiki 5 213 Northern Pukapuka 1 444 Northern Tema Reef (submerged) 0 0 Northern Nassau 1 78 Northern Suwarrow 0 0 Southern Palmerston 2 58 Southern Aitutaki 18 1,928 Southern Manuae 6 0 Southern Takutea 1 0 Southern Mitiaro 22 155 Southern Atiu 27 437 Southern Mauke 18 297 Southern Winslow Reef (submerged) 0 0 Southern Rarotonga 67 13,044 Southern Mangaia 52 499 Total Total 237 17,459 The table is ordered from north to south. Population figures from the 2016 census.[12] History The Cook Islands were first settled in the 6th century by Polynesian people who migrated from Tahiti,[13] an island 1,154 kilometres (7 17 mi) to the northeast. Spanish ships visited the islands in the 16th century; the first written record of contact with the islands came in 1595 with the sighting of Pukapuka by Spanish sailor Álvaro de Mendaña de Neira, who called it San Bernardo (Saint Bernard). Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, a Portuguese captain working for the Spanish crown, made the first recorded European landing in the islands when he set foot on Rakahanga in 1606, calling it Gente Hermosa (Beautiful People).[14] British navigator Captain James Cook arrived in 17 7 3 and Map of the Cook Islands. 17 7 7 [15] and named the island of Manuae Hervey Island. Later, the name Hervey Islands came to be applied to the entire southern group; the name "Cook Islands", in honour of Cook, first appeared on a Russian naval chart published in the 1820s.[16] In 1813 John Williams, a missionary on the Endeavour (not the same ship as Cook's) made the first recorded sighting of Rarotonga.[17] The first recorded landing on Rarotonga by Europeans was in 1814 by the Cumberland; trouble broke out between the sailors and the Islanders and many were killed on both sides.[18] The islands saw no more Europeans until missionaries arrived from England in 1821. Christianity quickly took hold in the culture and many islanders continue to be Christian believers today. Beach on Rarotonga The Cook Islands became a British protectorate in 1888, due largely to community fears that France might occupy the territory as it had Tahiti. On 6 September 1900, the leading islanders presented a petition asking that the islands (including Niue "if possible") should be annexed as British territory.[19][20] On 8–9 October 1900 seven instruments of cession of Rarotonga and other islands were signed by their chiefs and people; and by a British Proclamation issued at the same time the cessions were Governor-General Lord Ranfurly accepted, the islands being declared parts of Her Britannic reading the annexation proclamation to Queen Makea on 7 October 1900. Majesty's dominions.[19] These instruments did not include Aitutaki. It appears that, though the inhabitants regarded themselves as British subjects, the Crown's title was uncertain, and the island was formally annexed by Proclamation dated 9 October 1900.[21][22] The islands were included within the boundaries of the Colony of New Zealand in 1901 by Order in Council[23] under the Colonial Boundaries Act, 1895 of the United Kingdom.[19][24] The boundary change became effective on 11 June 1901 and the Cook Islands have had a formal relationship with New Zealand ever since.[19] When the British Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948 came into effect on 1 January 1949, Cook Islanders who were British subjects gained New Zealand citizenship.[25] The country remained a New Zealand dependent territory until 1965, when the New Zealand Government decided to offer self- governing status to its colony. In that year, Albert Henry of the Cook Islands Party was elected as the first Premier. Henry led the country until he was accused of vote-rigging. He was succeeded in 197 8 by Tom Davis of the Democratic Party. Politics and foreign relations The Cook Islands is a representative democracy with a parliamentary system in an associated state relationship with New Zealand. Executive power is exercised by the government, with the Chief Minister as head of government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Parliament of the Cook Islands. There is a pluriform multi-party system. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The head of state is the Queen of New Zealand, who is represented in the Cook Islands by the Queen's Representative. The islands are self-governing in "free association" with New Zealand. New Zealand retains primary responsibility for external affairs, with consultation with the Cook Islands government. Cook Islands nationals are citizens of New Zealand and can receive New Zealand government services, but the reverse is not true; New Zealand citizens are not Cook Islands nationals. Despite this, as of 2014, the Cook Islands had diplomatic relations in its own name with 43 other countries. The Cook Islands is not a United Nations member state, but, along with Niue, has had their "full treaty-making capacity" recognised by United Nations Secretariat,[26][27] and is a full member of the WHO and UNESCO UN specialised agencies, is an associate member of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and a Member of the Assembly of States The parliament building of the Cook of the International Criminal Court. Islands, formerly a hotel. On 11 June 1980, the United States signed a treaty with the Cook Islands specifying the maritime border between the Cook Islands and American Samoa and also relinquishing any American claims to Penrhyn, Pukapuka, Manihiki, and Rakahanga.[28] In 1990 the Cook Islands and France signed a treaty that delimited the boundary between the Cook Islands and French Polynesia.[29] As competition between the US and China heated up in the South China Sea and other areas closer to the mainland, the Cook Islands began to feel the results. In late Prime Minister Henry Puna with U.S. August 2012, for instance, United States Secretary of State Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, 31 Hillary Clinton visited the islands.[30][31] August 2012 Human rights Male homosexuality is illegal in the Cook Islands and is punishable by a maximum term of seven years imprisonment.[32] Administrative subdivisions There are island councils on all of the inhabited outer islands (Outer Islands Local Government Act 1987 with amendments up to 2004, and Palmerston Island Local Government Act 1993) except Nassau, which is governed by Pukapuka (Suwarrow, with only one caretaker living on the island, also governed by Pukapuka, is not counted with the inhabited islands in this context).
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