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Cook Islands

General Information about Cook Islands

The Cook Islands are a self-governing democracy that have free association with New Zealand. The Cook Islands are located in the South Pacific and are comprised of 15 small islands. The Cook Islands are sometimes referred to as 'Hawaii down-under'. The Cook Islands have a population of just over 21,000 people.

The official language spoken in the Cook Islands is English but Maori is also commonly spoken. Over 50% of Cook Islanders belong to the Cook Islands Christian Church. Other religions followed throughout the nation include Roman Catholic, Seventh-Day Adventist and Church of Latter Day Saints. The national capital and largest town in the Cook Islands is Avarua which has a population of just over 2,600 people and is situated on the largest island in the Cook Islands, Rarotonga Island.

The Cook Island Christian Church, or CICC, is an interesting site to visit. The church is a white coral building that was built in 1853 under the missionary Aaron Buzacott. The graveyard here includes the graves of Albert Henry, the first Prime Minister of the independent Cook Islands and the author Robert Dean Frisbie. There is also a monument dedicated to the Polynesian missionary Papeiha. The Sir Geoffrey Henry National Culture Centre is another interesting place in Rarotonga as it is the base of many government ministries. The National Culture Centre is made up of six divisions- National Auditorium, Museum, Library, Archives, Performing Arts and an Anthropology unit.

Climate

Find Out About The Climate Of The Cook Islands

The climate of the Cook Islands can be described as tropical and pleasant weather condions all year round. The climate is also tempered by the trade winds that blow in from the southeast. The Cook Islands experiences two main seasons with the wet season beginning in April and ending in November. Things begin to heat up in December with more humid weather conditions lasting up until March. The average annual temperture of the Cook Islands sits around 24 degrees on the southern island and 28 degrees in the north.

Geography

Geographical Information On The Cook Islands

The Cook Islands can be found in the South Pacific Ocean and is a geographical region of Oceania. The fifteen islands of the Cook Islands covers a total area of 236.7 square kilometres with a coastline of just 120 kilometres. The Cook Islands are divided into two main groups with the Southern Group consiting of Aitutaki, Atiu, Mangaia, Mauke, Rarotonga which is home to the capital Avarua, Palmerston Island, Manuae, Mitiaro, and Takutea. The Northern group is made up of Manihiki, Nassau, Penrhyn Island, Pukapuka, Rakahanga, and Suwarrow. The Cook Islands are of volcanic origin with many hills in the south. There are also many beautiful low coral atolls in the northern parts. The highest point of the Cook Islands rises to over 652 kilometres and is known as Te Manga while the lowest point is the Pacific Ocean at sea level.

Economy

Learn About The Economy Of The Cook Islands

The tourism industry is one of the main contributors to the economy of the Cook Islands, with over 90,000 tourists visiting the islands each year. The Cook Islands suffers from poor infrastructure minimal natural resources, a limited size of domestic markets, as well as experiencing some natural disasters. All of these factors have not helped the Cook Islands economic development. Despite the Cooks Islands poor source of natural resources their leading export is the black pearl. Other major exports are copra, papayas, fresh and canned citrus fruit, coffee, fish and pearl shells. The official currency of the Cook Islands is the New Zealand Dollar.

Apartments in Cook Islands

Guesthouses in Cook Islands

Hostels in Cook Islands

Hotels in Cook Islands

Must Explore would like to wish you an enjoyable stay in Cook Islands.

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