Cook Islands
Group of six large and a number of smaller Polynesian islands 2,600
km/ 1,600 mi northeast of Auckland, New Zealand
Area
290 sq km/112 sq mi
Population
(1994) 17,400. Their main products include citrus fruit, copra, bananas,
pearl-shell, cultivated (black) pearls, and crafts. The islands
became a self-governing overseas territory of New Zealand in 1965.
General
The chief island, Rarotonga, is the site of Avarua, the seat of government.
Niue, geographically part of the group, is separately administered.
The Cook Islands were visited by Captain James Cook in 1773, annexed
by Britain in 1888, and transferred to New Zealand in 1901. They
have common citizenship with New Zealand.
The Cook Islands vary from high volcanic to coral atolls, and
are fertile. Geographically, the group falls into two parts: the
southern Cooks Rarotonga, Mangaia, Mauke, Mitiaro, the Hervey
Islands (Manuae and Te Au-O-Tu), Takutea, Aitutaki, and Atiu;
and the northern Cooks Suwarrow, Palmerston, Penrhyn, Manihiki,
Rakahanga, Pukapuka (Danger), and Nassau.
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