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Cook Islands
Area: 236.7 sq km
Population: 17 900 inhab. (estimate 2020)
Density: 75.62 inhab./sq km
Coordinates: lat. 8° - 23° S; long. 170° - 155° W
Capital: Avarua, su Rarotonga (chief town) 4 906 inhab. (2016);
Currency: New Zealand dollar (100 cents)
Prime Minister: Mark Brown (Cook Islands Party), in office since 1 October 2020
Internet: www.mfem.gov.ck (Ministry of Finance & Economic Management)
Member of SPC
Cook Islands
Useful informationGMT -10
DST not applied
Annual average temperature (°C) Rarotonga 23.7
Average temperature in January/July (°C) Rarotonga 26/21.5
Daily sunshine hours in June/December (average) Rarotonga 6/6
Annual average precipitation (mm) Rarotonga 2095
Days of rainfall (annual average) Rarotonga 142
Politics and current affairsGeography.
The Cooks Islands are an archipelago lying north-east of New Zealand in the Pacific Ocean between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn. There are two distinct island groups: Northern Cook (22.3 km², pop. 1024 in 2016) comprising Penrhyn, Manihiki, Pukapuka, Rakahanga, Nassau, Palmerston and Suwarrow; and Southern Cook (214.4 km², pop. 13 778 in 2016) comprising Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Mangaia, Atiu, Mauke, Mitiaro, Manuae and Takutea, the largest being Rarotonga (67.1 km², pop. 10 649 in 2016).
Formally part of New Zealand since 1901, the Cook Islands became a self-governing democracy in free association with New Zealand in 1965. The Parliament has 24 members elected for four years, and the House of Ariki (chiefs and members of the indigenous nobility).
Administrative division
| Island | AREA | INHABITANTS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aitutaki | 18.3 sq km | 1 712 inhab. | 2016 |
| Atiu | 26.9 sq km | 423 inhab. | 2016 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avarua, su Rarotonga | 4 906 | inhab. | 2016 |
Population
| Population by age and gender (% - 2020) | ||||||||
| ||||||||
| MALE | AGE | FEMALE | ||||||
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth rate | 15.6 | ‰ | 2015 |
| Death rate | 7.8 | ‰ | 2015 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Māori | 85.8 | % | 2016 |
| other | 7$ | % | 2016 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protestant | 63$ | % | 2016 |
| Catholic | 17.4 | % | 2016 |
| DESCRIPTION |
|---|
| English (official) |
| Māori (official) |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-14 years | 19.4 | % | 2020 |
| 15-29 years | 21.7 | % | 2020 |
Economy
Economy.
Coconut palms, tubers, papayas and mangoes are grown, but the economy is mainly sustained by tourism, fishing licenses (tuna) and aid from New Zealand.
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agricultural prod. index (2004-06=100) | 90.93 | index | 2016 |
| Agricultural prod. index (2014-16=100) | 79.31 | index | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment rate | 8.9 | % | 2006 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expenses | 149.9 | M LCU | 2019 |
| Revenues | 225.3 | M LCU | 2019 |
Agriculture
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| arable land | 6.25 | % | 2018 |
| forests | 64.958 | % | 2018 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| cassava | 0.718 | 1000 t | 2019 |
| roots and tubers, total | 2.241 | 1000 t | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| chillies and peppers | 0.001 | 1000 t | 2019 |
| tomatoes | 0.274 | 1000 t | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| coconuts | 1.599 | 1000 t | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| coffee | 0$ | 1000 t | 2017 |
| vanilla | 0$ | 1000 t | 2017 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| fruits, total | 1.042 | 1000 t | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| citrus fruits | 0.009 | 1000 t | 2019 |
| grapefruits | 0.007 | 1000 t | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| avocados | 0.003 | 1000 t | 2019 |
| bananas | 0.014 | 1000 t | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| cassava | 0.056 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
| sweet potatoes | 0.006 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| tomatoes | 0.01 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
| watermelons | 0.003 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| coconuts | 1.33 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| coffee | 0.001 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
| vanilla | 0$ | 1000 ha | 2017 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| citrus fruits | 0.006 | 1000 ha | 2018 |
| grapefruits | 0$ | 1000 ha | 2017 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| avocados | 0.001 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
| bananas | 0.005 | 1000 ha | 2019 |
Forests-Livestock-Fishing
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| timber | 5 000 | m³ | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| cattle | 0.114 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
| cattle and buffaloes | 0.114 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| pigs | 15.603 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| goats | 0.863 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| equines, total | 0.302 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
| horses | 0.302 | 1000 heads | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| birds | 18$ | 1000 heads | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| honey | 0.001 | 1000 t | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| eggs | 0.064 | 1000 t | 2019 |
| meat | 0.29 | 1000 t | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| crustaceans and molluscs | 57.5 | t | 2019 |
| freshwater fishes | 1$ | t | 2019 |
Energy
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| non-renewable electricity generation | 74.289 | % | 2018 |
| - thermal | 31$ | M kWh | 2018 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| - thermal | 11$ | 1000 kW | 2018 |
| - other renew. | 5.97 | 1000 kW | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| total net generation | 41.73 | M kWh | 2018 |
| total installed capacity | 16.97 | 1000 kW | 2018 |
Tourism
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expenditures | 23$ | M US$ | 2018 |
| Number of arrivals | 172 000 | units | 2019 |
Social and welfare
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expected years of schooling | 16.9 | years | 2012 |
| Graduates | 70$ | units | 2014 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students, primary level | 1 858 | units | 2016 |
| Students, secondary level | 1 685 | units | 2016 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social protection spending | 10.807 | % of total expenses | 2019 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hospital beds | 6.3 | per 1000 pop. | 2005 |
| Physicians | 1.2 | per 1000 pop. | 2004 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuberculosis | 13$ | per 100 000 pop. | 2019 |
| Tuberculosis (prevalence) | 18$ | per 100 000 pop. | 2014 |
| DESCRIPTION | VALUE | UNITS | YEAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking | 78.3 | % | 2019 |
| Access to improved drinking-water source | 99.9 | % | 2015 |
