shelf: edge of continental margin or minimum of 200 nm;
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
Territorial sea: 12 nm
_#_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%
_#_Environment: subject to typhoons from November to March
_#_Note: located 4,500 km south of Hawaii in the South Pacific Ocean
_*People #_Population: 17,882 (July 1991), growth rate 0.5% (1991)
_#_Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
_#_Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
_#_Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1991)
_#_Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (1991)
_#_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%
_#_Religion: Christian, majority of populace members of Cook Islands Christian Church
_#_Language: English
_#_Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
_#_Labor force: 5,810; agriculture 29%, government 27%, services 25%, industry 15%, and other 4% (1981)
_#_Organized labor: NA
_*Government #_Long-form name: none
_#_Type: 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
_#_Capital: Avarua
_#_Administrative divisions: none
_#_Independence: 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
_#_Constitution: 4 August 1965
_#_National holiday: NA
_#_Executive branch: British monarch, representative of the UK, representative of New Zealand, prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
_#_Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament; note—the House of Arikis (chiefs) advises on traditional matters, but has no legislative powers
_#_Judicial branch: High Court
_#_Leaders:
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 February 1989)
_#_Political parties and leaders:
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: universal adult at age NA
_#_Elections:
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
_#_Member of: AsDB, ESCAP (associate), FAO, ICAO, IOC, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO
_#_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. Current economic development plans call for exploiting the tourism potential and expanding the fishing industry.
_#_GDP: $40.0 million, per capita $2,200 (1988 est.); real growth rate 5.3% (1986–88 est.)
_#_Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0% (1988)
_#_Unemployment rate: NA%
_#_Budget: revenues $33.8 million; expenditures $34.4 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
_#_Exports: $4.0 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities—copra, fresh and canned fruit, clothing;
partners—NZ 80%, Japan
_#_Imports: $38.7 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities—foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber;
partners—NZ 49%, Japan, Australia, US
_#_External debt: $NA
_#_Industrial production: growth rate NA%
_#_Electricity: 14,000 kW capacity; 21 million kWh produced, 1,170 kWh per capita (1990)
_#_Industries: fruit processing, tourism
_#_Agriculture: export crops—copra, citrus fruits, pineapples, tomatoes, bananas; subsistence crops—yams, taro
_#_Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970–89), $128 million
_#_Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural—dollars); 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
_#_Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per
