See Cook Island for individual islands of that name.

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Cook Islands

Kūki 'Āirani

Official Language	English, Cook Islands Maori
Capital	Avarua
Head of State	Queen Elizabeth II (as Queen in right of New Zealand)
Queen's Representative	Sir Frederick Goodwin KBE
Prime Minister	Jim Marurai
Area	240 km² (92.7 sq. mi)
Population (July 2005 Estimate)	17,954
Establishment  – Date	Became self-governing in free association with New Zealand August 4, 1965.
National anthem	Te Atua Mou E (God is Truth)
Currency	New Zealand dollar (NZD). Also, have local $5, $2 and $1 coins that can't be used elsewhere.
Time zone	UTC -10
Calling Code	682
Internet TLD	.ck
Map of The Cook Islands
The Matavera Christian Church in Rarotonga

The Cook Islands (Cook Islands Maori: Kūki 'Āirani) are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. The 15 small islands in this South Pacific Ocean have a total land area of 240 square kilometres (92.7 sq. mi).

Tourism is the country's number one industry, the leading element of the economy, far ahead of offshore banking, pearls, marine and fruit exports. A popular art form on the islands is tivaivai, often likened to quilting.

Defence is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request. The Cook Islands has adopted an increasingly independent foreign policy, particularly after the adoption of an isolationist and non-aligned policy by New Zealand in the 1980s.

Politics

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Politics of the Cook Islands takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic associated state, whereby the Queen of New Zealand, represented in the Cook Islands by the Queen's Representative, is Head of State, and the Chief Minister is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. The Islands are self-governing in free association with New Zealand and are fully responsible for internal affairs. New Zealand retains some responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook Islands. In recent years the Cook Islands has taken on more of its own external affairs and as of 2005 has diplomatic relations in its own name with 18 other countries. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Parliament of the Cook Islands. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

Geography

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Geography of the Cook Islands

• High Cook Islands
  • Aitutaki
  • Atiu (Enua-Manu or Island of Birds)
  • Mangaia
  • Mauke
  • Rarotonga (capital)
• Low islands of the Southern group
  • Manuae
  • Mitiaro
  • Takutea
• Northern Cook Islands
  • Manihiki
  • Nassau
  • Palmerston Island
  • Penrhyn Island also known as Tongareva
  • Pukapuka
  • Rakahanga
  • Suwarrow also called Suvorov

History

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The Cook Islands became a British protectorate at their own request in 1888, then were transferred to New Zealand in 1901. They remained a New Zealand protectorate until 1965, at which point they became a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand. Today, the Cook Islands are essentially independent, but are still officially placed under New Zealand sovereignty. New Zealand is tasked with overseeing the country's foreign relations and defence, but may not impose legislation on the Cook Islands without the latter's consent. The Cook Islands are one of three New Zealand dependencies, along with Tokelau and Niue.

After achieving autonomy in 1965, the Cook Islands elected Albert Henry of the Cook Islands Party as their first Prime Minister. He was succeeded in 1978 by Tom Davis of the Democratic Party.

On June 11, 1980, the United States signed a treaty with New Zealand specifying the maritime border between the Cook Islands and American Samoa and also relinquishing its claim to the islands of Penrhyn, Pukapuka (Danger), Manihiki, and Rakahanga.

Culture

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See also: music of the Cook Islands

Holidays

Date	Name
January 1	New Year's Day
January 2	Day after New Year's Day
The Friday before Easter Sunday	Good Friday
The Day after Easter Sunday	Easter Monday
April 25	ANZAC Day
The First Monday in June	Queen's Birthday
July	Rarotonga Gospel Day
August 4	Constitution Day
October 26	Gospel Day
December 25	Christmas
December 26	Boxing Day

See also

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• Communications in the Cook Islands''
• Demographics of the Cook Islands
• Economy of the Cook Islands
• Polynesian culture
• History of the Cook Islands
• Music of the Cook Islands
• Politics of the Cook Islands
• Transport in the Cook Islands''
• Cook Islands Boy Scout Association
• Cook Islands Diplomatic Missions

External links

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• Cook Islands Government
• Cook Islands Tourism Corporation
• The only independent, non-commercial Cook Islands guide on the internet
• Cook Islands, the best kept secret in the Pacific Ocean
• Cook Islands Government (summary)
• Finding Cook Islands
• Jane's Cook Islands Home Page
• KiaOrana.com — Cook Islands information with images and maps
• Map of the Cook Islands
• World Factbook entry on The Cook Islands
• Cook Islands National Environment Service
• Cook Islands Biodiversity Database
• Various Cook Islands Photos
• Photographs of Rarotonga, Cook Islands

British colonies | Cook Islands | Freely associated states | New Zealand-Pacific relations | Polynesia | Archipelagoes

Cook Kûn-tó | Острови Кук | Illes Cook | Cookovy ostrovy | Cook-øerne | Cookinseln | Νήσοι Κουκ | Islas Cook | Kukinsuloj | Îles Cook | 쿡 제도 | Kukovi otoci | Kepulauan Cook | Cooks-eyjar | Isole Cook | איי קוק | Ynysow Cook | Kuko salos | Cook-szigetek | Kepulauan Cook | Cookeilanden | クック諸島 | Cookøyene | كۇك تاقىم ئاراللىرى | Wyspy Cooka | Ilhas Cook | Острова Кука | Cook Islands | Cookove ostrovy | Cookovi otoki | Кукова острва | Kukovi otoci | Cookinsaaret | Cooköarna | Cook Adaları | 库克群岛