Airports [time series]

7 total, 5 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over 2,439 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air [time series]

no major transport aircraft

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Ports [time series]

Avatiu

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

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

Note [time series]

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

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

Aid [time series]

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

Budget [time series]

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

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

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

Electricity [time series]

4,800 kW capacity; 15 million kWh produced, 830 kWh per capita (1989)

Exchange rates [time series]

New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6581 (January 1990), 1.6708 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.0064 (1985)

Exports [time series]

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

Debt - external (External debt) [time series]

$NA

Fiscal year [time series]

1 April-31 March

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]

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

Imports [time series]

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

Industrial production growth rate (Industrial production) [time series]

growth rate NA%

Industries [time series]

fruit processing, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

8.0% (1988)

Economic overview (Overview) [time series]

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 [time series]

NA%

Climate [time series]

tropical; moderated by trade winds

Coastline [time series]

120 km

Area - comparative (Comparative area) [time series]

slightly less than 1.5 times the size of Washington, DC

Continental shelf [time series]

200 meters or edge of continental margin;

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

subject to typhoons from November to March

Extended economic zone [time series]

200 nm;

Land boundaries [time series]

none

Land use [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

negligible

Note [time series]

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

Terrain [time series]

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

Maritime claims (Territorial sea) [time series]

12 nm

Area (Total area) [time series]

240 km2; land area: 240 km2

Administrative divisions [time series]

none

Capital [time series]

Avarua

Constitution [time series]

4 August 1965

Diplomatic representation in the US (Diplomatic representation) [time series]

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

Executive branch [time series]

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

Flag [time series]

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 [time series]

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 [time series]

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)

Legislative branch [time series]

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

Country name (Long-form name) [time series]

none

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

ADB, ESCAP (associate member), IDA, IFC, IMF, SPEC, SPF

National holiday [time series]

NA

Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]

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

Suffrage [time series]

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

Government type (Type) [time series]

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 [time series]

22 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate [time series]

7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

24 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Labor force [time series]

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

Languages (Language) [time series]

English

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

66 years male, 72 years female (1990)

Literacy [time series]

NA%

Nationality [time series]

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

Net migration rate [time series]

- 10 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Organized labor [time series]

NA

Population [time series]

18,187 (July 1990), growth rate 0.5% (1990)

Religions (Religion) [time series]

Christian, majority of populace members of Cook Islands Christian Church

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.5 children born/woman (1990)