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Cook Islands

1998 Edition — territory

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Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture-products) [time series]
copra, citrus, pineapples, tomatoes, beans, pawpaws, bananas, yams, taro, coffee
Budget [time series]
revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exchange rates (Currency) [time series]
1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Debt - external (Debt-external) [time series]
$160 million (1994)
Economic aid [time series]
recipient: roughly $16 million annually, 1985-95, with New Zealand furnishing 88% of the total
Economic overview (Economy-overview) [time series]
Like many other South Pacific island nations, the Cook Islands' economic development is hindered by the isolation of the country from foreign markets, lack of natural resources, periodic devastation from natural disasters, and inadequate infrastructure. Agriculture provides the economic base with major exports made up of copra and citrus fruit. Manufacturing activities are limited to fruit-processing, clothing, and handicrafts. Trade deficits are made up for by remittances from emigrants and by foreign aid, overwhelmingly from New Zealand. In 1996, the government declared bankruptcy, citing a $120 million public debt. Efforts to exploit tourism potential and expanding the mining and fishing industries have not been enough to adequately deal with the financial crisis. In an effort to stem further erosion of the economy, the government slashed public service salaries by 50%, condensed the number of government ministries from 52 to 22, reduced the number of civil servants by more than half, began selling government assets, and closed all overseas diplomatic posts except for the one in New Zealand.
Electricity - capacity (Electricity-capacity) [time series]
6,000 kW (1995)
Electricity - consumption per capita (Electricity-consumption per capita) [time series]
775 kWh (1995)
Electricity - production (Electricity-production) [time series]
15 million kWh (1995)
Exchange rates [time series]
New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1-1.7283 (January 1998), 1.5083 (1997), 1.4543 (1996), 1.5235 (1995), 1.6844 (1994), 1.8495 (1993)
Exports [time series]
total value: $4.2 million (f.o.b., 1994 est.) commodities: copra, fresh and canned citrus fruit, coffee; fish; pearls and pearl shells; clothing partners: NZ 80%, Japan, Hong Kong (1993)
Fiscal year [time series]
1 April-31 March Communications
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP) [time series]
purchasing power parity-$79 million (1994 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin (GDP-composition by sector) [time series]
agriculture: 17% industry: 6% services: 77% (FY90/91)
Real GDP per capita (GDP-per capita) [time series]
purchasing power parity-$4,000 (1994 est.)
Real GDP growth rate (GDP-real growth rate) [time series]
NA%
Imports [time series]
total value: $85 million (c.i.f., 1994) commodities: foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber, capital goods partners: NZ 49%, Italy, Australia (1993)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
NA%
Industries [time series]
fruit processing, tourism
Inflation rate (consumer prices) (Inflation rate-consumer price index) [time series]
2.6% (1994 est.)
Labor force [time series]
total: 6,601 (1993) by occupation: agriculture 29%, government 27%, services 25%, industry 15%, other 4% (1981)
Broadcast media (Radio broadcast stations) [time series]
AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 1
Radios [time series]
13,000 (1994 est.)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
domestic: the individual islands are connected by a combination of satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and VHF and HF radiotelephone; within the islands, service is provided by small exchanges connected to subscribers by open wire, cable, and fiber-optic cable international: satellite earth station-1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Telephones - fixed lines (Telephones) [time series]
4,180 (1994)
Broadcast media (Television broadcast stations) [time series]
1 studio and 8 low-powered repeaters achieve good coverage on the island of Rarotonga
Televisions [time series]
3,500 (1995 est.)
Unemployment rate [time series]
NA%
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 240 sq km land: 240 sq km water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative (Area-comparative) [time series]
1.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Climate [time series]
tropical; moderated by trade winds
Coastline [time series]
120 km
Elevation (Elevation extremes) [time series]
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: Te Manga 652 m
Environment - current issues (Environment-current issues) [time series]
NA
International environmental agreements (Environment-international agreements) [time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea signed, but not ratified: NA
Geographic coordinates [time series]
21 14 S, 159 46 W
Irrigated land [time series]
NA sq km
Land boundaries [time series]
0 km
Land use [time series]
arable land: 9% permanent crops: 13% permanent pastures: NA% forests and woodland: NA% other: 78% (1993 est.)
Location [time series]
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Map references [time series]
Oceania
Maritime claims [time series]
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
typhoons (November to March)
Natural resources [time series]
NEGL
Terrain [time series]
low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
none
Constitution [time series]
4 August 1965
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: none conventional short form: Cook Islands
Data code [time series]
CW
Dependency status [time series]
self-governing 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 [time series]
none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952), represented by Apenera SHORT (since NA); New Zealand High Commissioner Jon JONESSEN (since NA January 1998), representative of New Zealand head of government: Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey A. HENRY (since 1 February 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Inatio AKARURU (since 1 February 1989) cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister; collectively responsible to Parliament elections: none; the queen is a hereditary monarch; the queen's representative is appointed by the queen; the New Zealand high commissioner is appointed by the New Zealand Government; following legislative elections, the leader of the party that wins the most seats usually becomes prime minister
Flag (Flag description) [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
Government type [time series]
self-governing parliamentary democracy
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)
International organization participation [time series]
AsDB, ESCAP (associate), FAO, ICAO, ICFTU, IFAD, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), IOC, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO, WMO
Judicial branch [time series]
High Court
Legal system [time series]
based on New Zealand law and English common law
Legislative branch [time series]
unicameral Parliament (25 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 6 March 1994 (next to be held by NA 1999) election results: percent of vote by party-NA; seats by party-Cook Islands Party 20, Democratic Party 3, Democratic Alliance Party 2 note: the House of Arikis (chiefs) advises on traditional matters, but has no legislative powers
Capital (National capital) [time series]
Avarua
National holiday [time series]
Constitution Day, 4 August
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Cook Islands Party, Geoffrey HENRY; Democratic Party, Sir Thomas DAVIS; Democratic Alliance Party, Norman GEORGE
Suffrage [time series]
NA years of age; universal adult
Military
Military - note (Military-note) [time series]
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request
People
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: NA 15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA
Birth rate [time series]
22.52 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate [time series]
5.2 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Ethnic groups [time series]
Polynesian (full blood) 81.3%, Polynesian and European 7.7%, Polynesian and non-European 7.7%, European 2.4%, other 0.9%
Infant mortality rate [time series]
24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
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 (1998 est.)
Literacy [time series]
NA
Nationality [time series]
noun: Cook Islander(s) adjective: Cook Islander
Net migration rate [time series]
-6.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Population [time series]
19,989 (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate [time series]
1.06% (1998 est.)
Religions [time series]
Christian (majority of populace are members of the Cook Islands Christian Church)
Total fertility rate [time series]
3.19 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international (Disputes-international) [time series]
none CORAL SEA ISLANDS (territory of Australia)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
7 (1997 est.)
Airports - with paved runways (Airports-with paved runways) [time series]
total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways (Airports-with unpaved runways) [time series]
total: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1997 est.)
Roadways (Highways) [time series]
total: 187 km paved: 35 km unpaved: 152 km (1980 est.)
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,464 GRT/2,181 DWT (1997 est.)
Ports (Ports and harbors) [time series]
Avarua, Avatiu
Railways [time series]
0 km