Airports [time series]

total: 7 usable: 7 with permanent-surface runways: 1 with runways over 3,659 m: 0 with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 0 with runways 1,220-2,439 m: 5

Roadways (Highways) [time series]

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

Merchant marine [time series]

1 cargo ship (1,000 or over) totaling 1,464 GRT/2,181 DWT

Ports [time series]

Avatiu

Telecommunication systems (Telecommunications) [time series]

broadcast stations - 1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 11,000 radio receivers; 17,000 TV receivers (1989); 2,052 telephones; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

Affiliation [time series]

(territory of Australia)

Note [time series]

defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

Agricultural products (Agriculture) [time series]

accounts for 12% of GDP, export crops - copra, citrus fruits, pineapples, tomatoes, bananas; subsistence crops - yams, taro

Budget [time series]

revenues: $38 million expenditures: $34.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1993 est.)

Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]

1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents

Economic aid [time series]

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

Electricity [time series]

capacity: 14,000 kW production: 21 million kWh consumption per capita: 1,170 kWh (1990)

Exchange rates [time series]

New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.7771 (January 1994), 1.8495 (1993), 1.8584 (1992), 1.7265 (1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6708 (1989)

Exports [time series]

$3.4 million (f.o.b., 1990) 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

Imports [time series]

$50 million (c.i.f., 1990) commodities: foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber partners: NZ 49%, Japan, Australia, US

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

growth rate NA%; accounts for 5% of GDP

Industries [time series]

fruit processing, tourism

Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]

6.2% (1990)

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

GDP - purchasing power equivalent - $57 million (1993 est.)

Real GDP per capita (National product per capita) [time series]

$3,000 (1993 est.)

Real GDP growth rate (National product real growth rate) [time series]

NA%

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, largely from New Zealand. Current economic development plans call for exploiting the tourism potential and expanding the fishing industry.

Unemployment rate [time series]

NA%

Area [time series]

total area: 240 sq km land area: 240 sq km comparative area: slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Climate [time series]

tropical; moderated by trade winds

Coastline [time series]

120 km

Environment - current issues (Environment) [time series]

current issues: NA natural hazards: subject to typhoons (November to March) international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change; signed, but not ratified - Law of the Sea

Disputes - international (International disputes) [time series]

none

Irrigated land [time series]

NA sq km

Land boundaries [time series]

0 km

Land use [time series]

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

Location [time series]

Oceania, Polynesia, 4,500 km south of Hawaii in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Map references [time series]

Oceania

Maritime claims [time series]

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

Natural resources [time series]

negligible

Terrain [time series]

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

Administrative divisions [time series]

none

Capital [time series]

Avarua

Constitution [time series]

4 August 1965

Digraph [time series]

CW

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

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

Executive branch [time series]

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

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]

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)

Judicial branch [time series]

High Court

Legal system [time series]

NA

Legislative branch [time series]

unicameral

International organization participation (Member of) [time series]

AsDB, ESCAP (associate), ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), IOC, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO

Country name (Names) [time series]

conventional long form: none conventional short form: Cook Islands

National holiday [time series]

Constitution Day, 4 August

Legislative branch (Parliament) [time series]

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

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

Cook Islands Party, Geoffrey HENRY; Democratic Party, Sir Thomas DAVIS; Cook Islands Labor Party, Rena JONASSEN; Cook Islands People's Party, Sadaraka SADARAKA; Alliance, Norman GEORGE

Suffrage [time series]

universal adult at age NA

Government type (Type) [time series]

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

Diplomatic representation from the US (US diplomatic representation) [time series]

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

Birth rate [time series]

23.22 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Death rate [time series]

5.2 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Ethnic groups (Ethnic divisions) [time series]

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

Infant mortality rate [time series]

24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)

Labor force [time series]

5,810 by occupation: agriculture 29%, government 27%, services 25%, industry 15%, other 4% (1981)

Languages [time series]

English (official), Maori

Life expectancy at birth [time series]

total population: 71.14 years male: 69.2 years female: 73.1 years (1994 est.)

Literacy [time series]

total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA%

Nationality [time series]

noun: Cook Islander(s) adjective: Cook Islander

Net migration rate [time series]

-6.49 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)

Population [time series]

19,124 (July 1994 est.)

Population growth rate [time series]

1.15% (1994 est.)

Religions [time series]

Christian (majority of populace members of Cook Islands Christian Church)

Total fertility rate [time series]

3.3 children born/woman (1994 est.)