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Cook Islands

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Countries; Geography of
Oceania (Australasia)

   Cook Islands
   Kūki 'Āirani

   Flag of Cook Islands Coat of arms of Cook Islands
   Flag                 Coat of arms
   Anthem: Te Atua Mou E (God is Truth)
   Location of Cook Islands
   Capital Avarua
   21°12′S 159°46′W
   Largest city Avarua (10,000 (est))
   Official languages English, Cook Islands Māori
   Government Constitutional monarchy
    - Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II
    - Queen's Representative: Sir Frederick Goodwin
    - Prime Minister: Jim Marurai
   Area
    - Total 236 km² ( 209th)
    sq mi
   Population
    - March 2006 estimate 18,700 ( 218th in 2005)
    - 2001 census 18,027
    - Density 76/km² ( 117th)
   /sq mi
   GDP ( PPP) 2005 estimate
    - Total $183.2 million ( not ranked)
    - Per capita $9,100 ( not ranked)
   HDI  (1998) 0.822 () ( 62)
   Currency New Zealand dollar
   ( Cook Islands dollar also used) ( NZD)
   Time zone ( UTC-10)
   Internet TLD .ck
   Calling code +682

   The Cook Islands ( Cook Islands Māori: Kūki 'Āirani) are a
   self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New
   Zealand. The 15 small islands in this South Pacific Ocean country have
   a total land area of 240 square kilometres (92.7  sq. mi).

   Tourism is the country's number one industry, the leading element of
   the economy, far ahead of offshore banking, pearls, marine and fruit
   exports. A popular art form on the islands is tivaivai, often likened
   to quilting.

   Defence is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the
   Cook Islands and at its request. In recent times, the Cook Islands has
   adopted an increasingly independent foreign policy.

Politics

   Politics of the Cook Islands takes place in a framework of a
   parliamentary representative democratic associated state, whereby the
   Queen of New Zealand, represented in the Cook Islands by the Queen's
   Representative, is Head of State, and the Chief Minister is the head of
   government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. The Islands are
   self-governing in free association with New Zealand and are fully
   responsible for internal affairs. New Zealand retains some
   responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook
   Islands. In recent years the Cook Islands has taken on more of its own
   external affairs and as of 2005 has diplomatic relations in its own
   name with 18 other countries. Executive power is exercised by the
   government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the
   Parliament of the Cook Islands.

   The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.

Geography

   The Cook Islands are in the South Pacific Ocean, north-east of New
   Zealand, between French Polynesia and Fiji. There are fifteen major
   islands, spread over 2.2 million square kilometres of ocean, divided
   into two distinct groups: the Southern Cook Islands, and the Northern
   Cook Islands of coral atolls.

   The islands were formed by volcanic activity; the northern group is
   older and consists of six atolls (sunken volcanoes topped by coral
   growth). The climate is moderate to tropical.

   The 15 islands are grouped as follows:
     * High Cook Islands
          + Aitutaki
          + Atiu (Enua-Manu or Island of Birds)
          + Mangaia
          + Mauke
          + Rarotonga (with capital, Avarua)

     * Low islands of the Southern group
          + Manuae
          + Mitiaro
          + Takutea

     * Northern Cook Islands
          + Manihiki
          + Nassau
          + Palmerston Island
          + Penrhyn Island also known as Tongareva
          + Pukapuka
          + Rakahanga
          + Suwarrow also called Suvorov

History

   Scene on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands
   Enlarge
   Scene on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands

   The Cook Islands were first settled in the sixth century by Polynesian
   peoples who migrated from nearby Tahiti, to the southeast.

   Spanish ships visited the islands in the late sixteenth century; the
   first written record of contact with the Islands came with the sighting
   of Pukapuka by Spanish sailor Álvaro de Mendaña in 1595 who called it
   "San Bernardo". Another Spaniard, Pedro Fernández de Quirós, made the
   first recorded European landing in the islands when he set foot on
   Rakahanga in 1606, calling it "Gente Hermosa" (Beautiful People).

   British navigator Captain James Cook arrived in 1773 and 1779; Cook
   named the Cook Islands the Hervey Islands; the name ‘Cook Islands’ was
   given by the Russians in honour of Cook when they published a Russian
   naval chart in the early 1880s.

   In 1813 Cook, on the Endeavour made the official sighting of the Island
   Rarotonga. The first recorded landing by Europeans was in 1814 by the
   Cumberland; trouble broke out between the sailors and the Islanders and
   many were killed on both sides.

   The islands saw no more Europeans until missionaries arrived from
   England in 1821. Christianity quickly took hold in the culture and many
   islanders continue to be Christian believers today.

   The Cook Islands became a British protectorate at their own request in
   1888, mainly to thwart French expansionism. Then were transferred to
   New Zealand in 1901. They remained a New Zealand protectorate until
   1965, at which point they became a self-governing territory in free
   association with New Zealand. The first Prime Minister Sir Albert Henry
   led the county until 1978 when he was accused of vote-rigging.

   Today, the Cook Islands are essentially independent, (self-governing in
   free association with New Zealand) but are still officially placed
   under New Zealand sovereignty. New Zealand is tasked with overseeing
   the country's foreign relations and defence. The Cook Islands are one
   of three New Zealand dependencies, along with Tokelau and Niue.

   After achieving autonomy in 1965, the Cook Islands elected Albert Henry
   of the Cook Islands Party as their first Prime Minister. He was
   succeeded in 1978 by Tom Davis of the Democratic Party.

   On June 11, 1980, the United States signed a treaty with New Zealand
   specifying the maritime border between the Cook Islands and American
   Samoa and also relinquishing its claim to the islands of Penrhyn,
   Pukapuka (Danger), Manihiki, and Rakahanga.

   In 2006, the British television station Channel 4 broadcast the show
   Shipwrecked (TV series), which was filmed in the Cook Islands.

   The Fall 2006 (13th) season of CBS's Survivor was filmed in the Cook
   Islands over the summer of the same year ( Survivor: Cook Islands).

Culture

   Float parade during the annual Maeva Nui celebrations
   Enlarge
   Float parade during the annual Maeva Nui celebrations

   See also: music of the Cook Islands

   CAPTION: Holidays

                Date                         Name
   January 1                       New Year's Day
   January 2                       Day after New Year's Day
   The Friday before Easter Sunday Good Friday
   The Day after Easter Sunday     Easter Monday
   April 25                        ANZAC Day
   The First Monday in June        Queen's Birthday
   July                            Rarotonga Gospel Day
   August 4                        Constitution Day
   October 26                      Gospel Day
   December 25                     Christmas
   December 26                     Boxing Day

Sport

          See also Rugby league in the Cook Islands

   Rugby league is a popular sport in the Cook Islands.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cook_Islands"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
