Cook Islands

Airports

7 total, 6 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

no major transport aircraft

Highways

187 km total (1980); 35 km paved, 35 km gravel, 84 km improved earth, 33 km unimproved earth

Ports

Avatiu

Telecommunications

stations--2 AM, no FM, no TV; 10,000 radio receivers; 2,052 telephones; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Note

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

Agriculture

export crops--copra, citrus fruits, pineapples, tomatoes, bananas; subsistence crops--yams, taro

Budget

revenues $33.8 million; expenditures $34.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)

Currency

New Zealand dollar (plural--dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents

Economic aid

Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89), $128 million

Electricity

14,000 kW capacity; 21 million kWh produced, 1,170 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates

New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6798 (January 1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)

Exports

$4.0 million (f.o.b., 1988); commodities--copra, fresh and canned fruit, clothing; partners--NZ 80%, Japan

External debt

$NA

Fiscal year

1 April-31 March

GDP

$40.0 million, per capita $2,200 (1988 est.); real growth rate 5.3% (1986-88 est.)

Imports

$38.7 million (c.i.f., 1988); commodities--foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber; partners--NZ 49%, Japan, Australia, US

Industrial production

growth rate NA%

Industries

fruit processing, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

8.0% (1988)

Overview

Agriculture provides the economic base. The major export earners are fruit, copra, and clothing. Manufacturing activities are limited to a fruit-processing plant and several clothing factories. Economic development is hindered by the isolation of the islands from foreign markets and a lack of natural resources and good transportation links. A large trade deficit is annually made up for by remittances from emigrants and from foreign aid. Current economic development plans call for exploiting the tourism potential and expanding the fishing industry.

Unemployment rate

NA%

Climate

tropical; moderated by trade winds

Coastline

120 km Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or minimum of 200 nm; Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm; Territorial sea: 12 nm

Comparative area

slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Environment

subject to typhoons from November to March

Land boundaries

none

Land use

arable land 4%; permanent crops 22%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 74%

Natural resources

negligible

Note

located 4,500 km south of Hawaii in the South Pacific Ocean

Terrain

low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south

Total area

240 km2; land area: 240 km2

Administrative divisions

none

Capital

Avarua

Constitution

4 August 1965

Diplomatic representation

none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)

Executive branch

British monarch, representative of the UK, representative of New Zealand, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet

Flag

blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for every island) centered in the outer half of the flag

Independence

became self-governing in free association with New Zealand on 4 August 1965 and has the right at any time to move to full independence by unilateral action

Judicial branch

High Court Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Representative of the UK Sir Tangaroa TANGAROA (since NA); Representative of New Zealand Adrian SINCOCK (since NA); Head of Government--Prime Minister Geoffrey HENRY (since NA February 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Inatio AKARURU (since NA February 1989) Cook Islands Party, Geoffrey HENRY; Democratic Tumu Party, Vincent INGRAM; Democratic Party, Dr. Vincent Pupuke ROBATI; Cook Islands Labor Party, Rena JONASSEN; Cook Islands People's Party, Sadaraka SADARAKA

Legislative branch

unicameral Parliament; note--the House of Arikis (chiefs) advises on traditional matters, but has no legislative powers

Long-form name

none

Member of

AsDB, ESCAP (associate), FAO, ICAO, IOC, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO

National holiday

NA

Suffrage

universal adult at age NA Parliament--last held 19 January 1989 (next to be held by January 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA; seats--(24 total) Cook Islands Party 12, Democratic Tumu Party 2, opposition coalition (including Democratic Party) 9, independent 1

Type

self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook Islands

Birth rate

22 births/1,000 population (1991)

Death rate

7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)

Ethnic divisions

Polynesian (full blood) 81.3%, Polynesian and European 7.7%, Polynesian and other 7.7%, European 2.4%, other 0.9%

Infant mortality rate

24 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)

Labor force

5,810; agriculture 29%, government 27%, services 25%, industry 15%, and other 4% (1981)

Language

English

Life expectancy at birth

67 years male, 72 years female (1991)

Literacy

NA% (male NA%, female NA%)

Nationality

noun--Cook Islander(s); adjective--Cook Islander

Net migration rate

- 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)

Organized labor

NA

Population

17,882 (July 1991), growth rate 0.5% (1991)

Religion

Christian, majority of populace members of Cook Islands Christian Church

Total fertility rate

3.5 children born/woman (1991)