Geography

Physical geography

Located about 5,000 kilometres north-east of Sydney, the Cook Islands consist of 15 islands spread over two million square kilometres of ocean with over 1,400 kilometres separating the northern and southern islands. The northern group consists of six low coral atolls and the southern group consists of nine volcanic, hilly islands. They cover a total land area of 240 square kilometres, about the same area as the Australian Capital Territory. Rarotonga is the largest island (67 square kilometres) and has the highest peak, the extinct volcano Te Manga, at 652 metres. The smallest island, Suwarrow, covers only 40 hectares.

Climate

The Cook Islands have a pleasant, even climate all year round. The wetter, more humid months, December to March, have an average daily high of 29 °C. The cooler, drier months, June to September, have an average daily high of 25 °C. The mountainous interior of Rarotonga is the wettest area. The hurricane season lasts from November to March, although severe storms are rare, averaging one every twenty years.

Environment

The more fertile southern islands grow coconut palms, pandanus and fruit trees and have jungles of ferns, creepers and tall hardwood trees. Animal life includes the Pacific fruit bat, found only on Mangaia and Rarotonga, the cave-dwelling Atiu swiftlet, the chattering kingfisher of Atiu and Mauke, the Mangaia kingfisher and the Rarotonga flycatcher, or kakerori. Marine life includes parrotfish and humpback whales.

Population

Most of the population lives in the southern islands with more than 70% on the island of Rarotonga, where the capital city, Avarua, is situated. The six northern islands are sparsely populated. Since the mid-1990s many Cook Islanders have migrated to Australia and New Zealand, resulting in a significant decline in resident population.

People

Culture and identity

The Cook Islanders are Polynesians, people of the ‘many’ (poly) islands of the South Pacific. They are mainly Maori people, distantly related to the New Zealand Maori. A small number of Europeans, New Zealanders, Fijians, Indians and Chinese also live in the Cook Islands.

Each island has its own distinct mixture of culture but there are common threads. English is the official language and most people also speak one of the six dialects of Cook Island Maori, which can be generally understood. Pukapukan is spoken on Pukapuka and Nassau.

Christian missionaries brought many changes to the traditional systems of government, economy, agriculture and culture, as well as religion. The traditional tribal system, where hereditary chiefs were in control, was gradually replaced by a centralised form of government with elected politicians. A cash economy replaced the barter system and calico cotton replaced the tapa cloth used for clothing, bedding and house furnishings. Plantations replaced subsistence farming.

In churches, the traditional singing style with close harmonies and guttural sounds by the men continued through the hymn singing. There are now efforts to reclaim some of the traditional practices.

Cook Islands arts and crafts include ceremonial adzes, an axe-like tool with a stone blade and an intricately carved wooden handle; coconut palm woven hats, fans, belts and baskets; feathered headdresses; carved wooden statues and communally sown tivaivai, appliqué quilts. Tivaivai are given on important family and social occasions such as weddings and the traditional haircutting ceremony for boys when they come of age. Tattoos were traditionally a way of showing the family line and sometimes covered the whole body.

Health

The health status of Cook Islanders is relatively good in comparison with other Pacific Island countries, as demonstrated by a life expectancy at birth of almost 75 years and infant mortality rate of 14 per 1,000 live births. Healthcare is free, babies are fully immunised and there are active health promotion campaigns to address the increasing incidence of lifestyle diseases such as obesity, stress, heart disease and diabetes.

Religion and beliefs

Most Cook Islanders are devout churchgoers. Almost 49% of the people belong to the Cook Islands Christian Church, which is derived from the Congregationalist London Missionary Society. The second largest group is Roman Catholic but many belong to other denominations.

Food and shelter

Coconut, fish, cassava, taro and tropical fruits form the basis of most meals in the Cook Islands. Traditional foods may be cooked slowly in ground ovens.

In the towns, Western-style homes have replaced the traditional homes made from bush materials for the extended family.

Economy

Wealth and poverty

The GDP of the Cook Islands is high compared to other Pacific Island countries. This is largely due to the expatriate population and the tourism industry. The relatively high income of workers in Rarotonga is in great contrast to the subsistence lifestyle of the population on the outer islands.

Education and work

Free education for primary and secondary students is provided and there is some financial assistance for independent schools run by Catholic and Seventh-day Adventist missions. The Cook Islands follow the New Zealand school curriculum.

The country also has the Teacher’s Training College, the Nursing School, the Trade Training Centre and the Hospitality and Tourism Training Centre. The Fiji-based University of the South Pacific maintains a centre in Avarua, Rarotonga, providing vocational, foundation and degree courses, some using video links with the Fiji centre.

Industries and products

Tourism, fishing, agriculture and financial services are the leading producers of income. Black pearls are cultivated mainly on Manihiki and Penrhyn in the north.

Many households in the Cook Islands are engaged in some form of agricultural activity, either for subsistence or commercial gain, or both. The tourism sector is an important market outlet for locally grown produce. The main agricultural products produced are copra, citrus fruits, pineapples, tomatoes, beans, pawpaw, bananas, yams, taro, coffee, pigs and poultry.

Trade

The Cook Islands export copra, papayas, fresh and canned citrus fruit, coffee, fish, pearls and pearl shells, and clothing.

The Cook Islands import foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber, and capital goods.

Government

The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy that is in free association with New Zealand. While the Cook Islands manages all its internal affairs, its foreign affairs and defence is managed by New Zealand in consultation with the Cook Islands Government. All Cook Islands citizens also hold New Zealand citizenship.

Achievements and challenges

Like many other South Pacific Island nations, the Cook Islands’ economic development is hindered by distance from foreign markets, limited size of domestic markets, lack of natural resources, occasional typhoons, diminishing workforce and inadequate infrastructure. The outer islands are particularly affected by a lack of basic services such as potable water, healthcare, education and transport.

The government is working to combat the skills shortage, focusing on trades such as carpentry, electrical and automotive, as well as business management and tourism. The country also has a very close relationship with New Zealand, which is assisting the government to improve economic growth, infrastructure and governance.

Links with Australia

Australia’s relationship with the Cook Islands is based mainly on shared membership of regional organisations, and a small aid program. There are roughly 6,000 Cook-Islands-born people living in Australia.

Australian Aid to the Cook Islands is managed by the New Zealand Agency for International Development. It focuses on improving economic infrastructure, education and disaster preparedness.