Cook Islands

Broadcast media

1 privately owned TV station broadcasts from Rarotonga providing a mix of local news and overseas-sourced programs (2016)

Internet country code

.ck

Internet users

total: 5,160 (July 2016 est.) | percent of population: 54% (July 2016 est.)

Telephone system

general assessment: Telecom Cook Islands offers international direct dialing, Internet, email, and fax; individual islands are connected by a combination of satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and VHF and HF radiotelephone (2017) | domestic: service is provided by small exchanges connected to subscribers by open-wire, cable, and fiber-optic cable; 75 per 100 fixed-line, 105 per 100 mobile-cellular (2017) | international: country code - 682; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean); the topography of the South Pacific region has made internet connectivity a serious issue for many of the remote islands; submarine fibre-optic networks are expensive to build and maintain, with capital costs prohibitive for the smaller island communities; some countries have to rely solely on geostationary satellites; as a result, bandwidth is limited and broadband prices are expensive (2017)

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions: 7,800 (July 2016 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 75 (July 2016 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

total subscriptions: 11,000 (July 2016 est.) | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 105 (July 2016 est.)

Agriculture - products

copra, citrus, pineapples, tomatoes, beans, pawpaws, bananas, yams, taro, coffee; pigs, poultry

Budget

revenues: 86.9 million (2010) | expenditures: 77.9 million (2010)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

3% (of GDP) (2010 est.)

Current account balance

$26.67 million (2005)

Debt - external

$141 million (1996 est.)

Economy - overview

Like many other South Pacific island nations, the Cook Islands' economic development is hindered by the isolation of the country from foreign markets, the limited size of domestic markets, lack of natural resources, periodic devastation from natural disasters, and inadequate infrastructure. Agriculture, employing more than one-quarter of the working population, provides the economic base with major exports of copra and citrus fruit. Black pearls are the Cook Islands' leading export. Manufacturing activities are limited to fruit processing, clothing, and handicrafts. Trade deficits are offset by remittances from emigrants and by foreign aid overwhelmingly from New Zealand. In the 1980s and 1990s, the country became overextended, maintaining a bloated public service and accumulating a large foreign debt. Subsequent reforms, including the sale of state assets, the strengthening of economic management, the encouragement of tourism, and a debt restructuring agreement, have rekindled investment and growth. The government is targeting fisheries and seabed mining as sectors for future economic growth.

Exchange rates

NZ dollars (NZD) per US dollar - | 1.416 (2017 est.) | 1.4341 (2016 est.) | 1.4341 (2015 est.) | 1.441 (2014 est.) | 1.4279 (2013 est.)

Exports

$3.125 million (2011 est.) | $5.163 million (2010 est.)

Exports - commodities

fish; copra, papayas, fresh and canned citrus fruit, coffee; pearls and pearl shells; clothing

Fiscal year

1 April - 31 March

GDP (official exchange rate)

$299.9 million (2016 est.) (2016 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$299.9 million (2016 est.) | $183.2 million (2005 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture: 5.1% (2010 est.) | industry: 12.7% (2010 est.) | services: 82.1% (2010 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$16,700 (2016 est.) | $9,100 (2005 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

0.1% (2005 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: NA | highest 10%: NA

Imports

$109.3 million (2011 est.) | $90.62 million (2010 est.)

Imports - commodities

foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber, capital goods

Industrial production growth rate

1% (2002)

Industries

fishing, fruit processing, tourism, clothing, handicrafts

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

2.2% (2011 est.)

Labor force

6,820 (2001)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 29% | industry: 15% | services: 56% (1995)

Population below poverty line

NA

Stock of broad money

$148.2 million (31 December 2011 est.) | $170.9 million (31 December 2010 est.)

Stock of narrow money

$38.99 million (31 December 2011 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

29% (of GDP) (2010 est.)

Unemployment rate

13.1% (2005)

Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy

88,810 Mt (2017 est.)

Crude oil - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - imports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

0 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

31.62 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

79% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

21% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

0 kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

14,000 kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

34 million kWh (2016 est.)

Natural gas - consumption

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

0 cu m (1 January 2014 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

600 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

611 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

0 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Area

total: 236 sq km | land: 236 sq km | water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative

1.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate

tropical oceanic; moderated by trade winds; a dry season from April to November and a more humid season from December to March

Coastline

120 km

Elevation

0 m lowest point: Pacific Ocean | 652 highest point: Te Manga

Environment - current issues

limited land presents solid and liquid waste disposal problems; soil destruction and deforestation; environmental degradation due to indiscriminant use of pesticides; improper disposal of pollutants; overfishing and destructive fishing practices; over dredging of lagoons and coral rubble beds; unregulated building

Environment - international agreements

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

Geographic coordinates

21 14 S, 159 46 W

Geography - note

the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands, where most of the population lives, consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles, including the largest, Rarotonga, at 67 sq km

Irrigated land

NA

Land boundaries

0 km

Land use

agricultural land: 8.4% (2011 est.) | arable land: 4.2% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 4.2% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 0% (2011 est.) | forest: 64.6% (2011 est.) | other: 27% (2011 est.)

Location

Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Map references

Oceania

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin

Natural hazards

tropical cyclones (November to March)

Natural resources

coconuts (copra)

Population distribution

most of the population is found on the island of Rarotonga

Terrain

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

Administrative divisions

none

Capital

name: Avarua | geographic coordinates: 21 12 S, 159 46 W | time difference: UTC-10 (5 hours behind Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Constitution

history: 4 August 1965 (Cook Islands Constitution Act 1964) (2017) | amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote by the Parliament membership in each of several readings and assent to by the chief of state’s representative; passage of amendments relating to the chief of state also requires two-thirds majority approval in a referendum; amended many times, last in 2004 (2017)

Country name

conventional long form: none | conventional short form: Cook Islands | former: Hervey Islands | etymology: named after Captain James COOK, the British explorer who visited the islands in 1773 and 1777

Dependency status

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Executive branch

chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Tom J. MARSTERS (since 9 August 2013); New Zealand High Commissioner Peter MARSHALL (since 10 January 2017) | head of government: Prime Minister Henry PUNA (since 30 November 2010) | cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister | elections/appointments: the monarchy is hereditary; UK representative appointed by the monarch; New Zealand high commissioner appointed by the New Zealand Government; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition usually becomes prime minister

Flag description

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

Government type

self-governing parliamentary democracy (Parliament of the Cook Islands) in free association with New Zealand

Independence

none (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)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration (New Zealand normally retains responsibility for external affairs); accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, ADB, AOSIS, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IMO, IMSO, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Judicial branch

highest courts: Court of Appeal (consists of the chief justice and 3 judges of the High Court); High Court (consists of the chief justice and at least 4 judges and organized into civil, criminal, and land divisions); note - appeals beyond the Cook Islands Court of Appeal are heard by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (in London) | judge selection and term of office: High Court chief justice appointed by the Queen's Representative on the advice of the Executive Council tendered by the prime minister; other judges appointed by the Queen's Representative, on the advice of the Executive Council tendered by the chief justice, High Court chief justice, and the minister of justice; chief justice and judges appointed for 3-year renewable terms | subordinate courts: justices of the peace

Legal system

common law similar to New Zealand common law

Legislative branch

description: unicameral Parliament, formerly the Legislative Assembly (24 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms); note - the House of Ariki, a 24-member parliamentary body of traditional leaders appointed by the Queen's representative serves as a consultative body to the Parliament | elections: last held on 14 June 2018 (next to be held by 2022) | election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Demo 11, CIP 10, One Cook Islands Movement 1, independent 2; composition - men 15, women 9, percent of women 37.5%

National anthem

name: "Te Atua Mou E" (To God Almighty) | lyrics/music: Tepaeru Te RITO/Thomas DAVIS | note: adopted 1982; as prime minister, Sir Thomas DAVIS composed the anthem; his wife, a tribal chief, wrote the lyrics

National holiday

Constitution Day, first Monday in August (1965)

National symbol(s)

a circle of 15, five-pointed, white stars on a blue field, Tiare maori (Gardenia taitensis) flower; national colors: green, white

Political parties and leaders

Cook Islands Party or CIP [Henry PUNA] Democratic Party or Demo [Tina BROWNE] One Cook Islands Movement [Teina BISHOP]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Background

Named after Captain COOK, who sighted them in the 1770s, the islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, administrative control was transferred to New Zealand; in 1965, residents chose self-government in free association with New Zealand. The emigration of skilled workers to New Zealand, government deficits, and limited natural resources are of continuing concern.

Military - note

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request

Military branches

no regular military forces; National Police Department

Age structure

0-14 years: 20.68% (male 987 /female 882) | 15-24 years: 15.99% (male 774 /female 671) | 25-54 years: 38.06% (male 1,710 /female 1,730) | 55-64 years: 12.72% (male 627 /female 523) | 65 years and over: 12.55% (male 558 /female 576) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Australia - Oceania :: Cook Islands Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Cook Islands. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.

Birth rate

13.7 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Death rate

8.6 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)

Drinking water source

improved: urban: 99.9% of population | rural: 99.9% of population | total: 99.9% of population | unimproved: urban: 0.1% of population | rural: 0.1% of population | total: 0.1% of population (2015 est.)

Education expenditures

4.7% of GDP (2016)

Ethnic groups

Cook Island Maori (Polynesian) 81.3%, part Cook Island Maori 6.7%, other 11.9% (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

NA

HIV/AIDS - deaths

NA

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

NA

Health expenditures

3.4% of GDP (2014)

Infant mortality rate

total: 12.6 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 15.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | female: 9.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

Languages

English (official) 86.4%, Cook Islands Maori (Rarotongan) (official) 76.2%, other 8.3% (2011 est.) | note: shares sum to more than 100% because some respondents gave more than one answer on the census

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 76.2 years (2018 est.) | male: 73.4 years (2018 est.) | female: 79.2 years (2018 est.)

Median age

total: 37.2 years | male: 36.7 years | female: 37.6 years (2018 est.)

Nationality

noun: Cook Islander(s) | adjective: Cook Islander

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

55.9% (2016)

Physicians density

1.19 physicians/1,000 population (2009)

Population

9,038 (July 2017 est.) (July 2018 est.) | note: the Cook Islands' Ministry of Finance & Economic Management estimated the resident population to have been 11,700 in September 2016

Population distribution

most of the population is found on the island of Rarotonga

Population growth rate

-2.72% (2018 est.)

Religions

Protestant 62.8% (Cook Islands Christian Church 49.1%, Seventh Day Adventist 7.9%, Assemblies of God 3.7%, Apostolic Church 2.1%), Roman Catholic 17%, Mormon 4.4%, other 8%, none 5.6%, no response 2.2% (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: urban: 97.6% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 97.6% of population (2015 est.) | total: 97.6% of population (2015 est.) | unimproved: urban: 2.4% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 2.4% of population (2015 est.) | total: 2.4% of population (2015 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years (2015) | male: 15 years (2015) | female: 16 years (2015)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.07 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 0-14 years: 1.12 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 15-24 years: 1.14 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 25-54 years: 1 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 55-64 years: 1.17 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | 65 years and over: 0.97 male(s)/female (2017 est.) | total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

Total fertility rate

2.16 children born/woman (2018 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 75.1% of total population (2018) | rate of urbanization: 0.37% annual rate of change (2015-20 est.)

Disputes - international

none

Airports

11 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

total: 1 (2017) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2017)

Airports - with unpaved runways

total: 10 (2013) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2013) | under 914 m: 1 (2013)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

E5 (2016)

Merchant marine

total: 218 (2017) | by type: bulk carrier 27, container ship 5, general cargo 102, oil tanker 17, other 67 (2017)

National air transport system

number of registered air carriers: 1 (2015) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 1 (2015)

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s): Avatiu

Roadways

total: 320 km (2003) | paved: 33 km (2003) | unpaved: 287 km (2003)