Match 59 DB Rec# - 7,511 Dataset-WOFACT
Title :Cook Islands
Text :
Cook Islands
Header
Affiliation:
(free association with New Zealand)
Geography
Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the
way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Map references:
Oceania
Area:
total area:
240 sq km
land area:
240 sq km
comparative area:
slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
0 km
Coastline:
120 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf:
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone:
200 nm
territorial sea:
12 nm
International disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain:
low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south
Natural resources:
negligible
Land use:
arable land:
4%
permanent crops:
22%
meadows and pastures:
0%
forest and woodland:
0%
other:
74%
Irrigated land:
NA sq km
Environment:
current issues:
NA
natural hazards:
typhoons (November to March)
international agreements:
party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change; signed, but not ratified - Law of
the Sea
People
Population:
19,343 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years:
NA
15-64 years:
NA
65 years and over:
NA
Population growth rate:
1.13% (1995 est.)
Birth rate:
23.05 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate:
5.2 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate:
-6.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population:
71.14 years
male:
69.2 years
female:
73.1 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate:
3.27 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun:
Cook Islander(s)
adjective:
Cook Islander
Ethnic divisions:
Polynesian (full blood) 81.3%, Polynesian and European 7.7%, Polynesian and
other 7.7%, European 2.4%, other 0.9%
Religions:
Christian (majority of populace members of Cook Islands Christian Church)
Languages:
English (official), Maori
Literacy:
NA%
Labor force:
5,810
by occupation:
agriculture 29%, government 27%, services 25%, industry 15%, other 4% (1981)
Government
Names:
conventional long form:
none
conventional short form:
Cook Islands
Digraph:
CW
Type:
self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New
Zealand; Cook Islands is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand
retains responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook
Islands
Capital:
Avarua
Administrative divisions:
none
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)
National holiday:
Constitution Day, 4 August
Constitution:
4 August 1965
Legal system:
NA
Suffrage:
universal adult at age NA
Executive branch:
chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); Representative of the Queen
Apenera SHORT (since NA); Representative of New Zealand Adrian SINCOCK
(since NA)
head of government:
Prime Minister Geoffrey HENRY (since 1 February 1989); Deputy Prime Minister
Inatio AKARURU (since 1 February 1989)
cabinet:
Cabinet; collectively responsible to the Parliament
Legislative branch:
unicameral
Parliament:
elections last held 24 March 1994 (next to be held NA); results - percent of
vote by party NA; seats - (25 total) Cook Islands Party 20, Democratic Party
3, Alliance Party 2
note:
the House of Arikis (chiefs) advises on traditional matters, but has no
legislative powers
Judicial branch:
High Court
Political parties and leaders:
Cook Islands Party, Geoffrey HENRY; Democratic Party, Sir Thomas DAVIS; Cook
Islands Labor Party, Rena JONASSEN; Cook Islands People's Party, Sadaraka
SADARAKA; Alliance Party, Norman GEORGE
Member of:
AsDB, ESCAP (associate), ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user),
IOC, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US:
none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)
Government
US diplomatic representation:
none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)
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
Economy
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,
largely from New Zealand. Current economic development plans call for
exploiting the tourism potential and expanding the fishing industry.
National product:
GDP - purchasing power parity - $57 million (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate:
NA%
National product per capita:
$3,000 (1993 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
6.2% (1990)
Unemployment rate:
NA%
Budget:
revenues:
$38 million
expenditures:
$34.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)
Exports:
$3.4 million (f.o.b., 1990)
commodities:
copra, fresh and canned fruit, clothing
partners:
NZ 80%, Japan
Imports:
$50 million (c.i.f., 1990)
commodities:
foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber
partners:
NZ 49%, Japan, Australia, US
External debt:
$124 million (1994)
Industrial production:
growth rate NA%; accounts for 5% of GDP
Electricity:
capacity:
14,000 kW
production:
21 million kWh
consumption per capita:
741 kWh (1993)
Industries:
fruit processing, tourism
Agriculture:
accounts for 12% of GDP, export crops - copra, citrus fruits, pineapples,
tomatoes, bananas; subsistence crops - yams, taro
Economic aid:
recipient:
Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
$128 million; in 1994, Cook Islands received $4.3 million in budget support
and $2.7 million in project aid from New Zealand, the country's largest
source of aid
Economy
Currency:
1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.5601 (January 1995), 1.6844 (1994),
1.8495 (1993), 1.8584 (1992), 1.7265 (1991), 1.6750 (1990)
Fiscal year:
1 April - 31 March
Transportation
Railroads:
0 km
Highways:
total:
187 km
paved:
35 km
unpaved:
gravel 35 km; improved earth 84 km; unimproved earth 33 km (1980)
Ports:
Avarua, Avatiu
Merchant marine:
total:
1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,464 GRT/2,181 DWT
Airports:
7
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m:
1
with unpaved runways 1,524 to 2,438 m:
3
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m:
3
Communications
Telephone system:
2,052 telephones
local:
NA
intercity:
NA
international:
1 INTELSAT (Pacific Ocean) earth station
Radio:
broadcast stations:
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0
radios:
11,000
Television:
broadcast stations:
1
televisions:
17,000 (1989)
Defense Forces
Note:
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
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The World Factbook 1995,
SuDoc No: PREX 3.15:995
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