Location: Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand.
Area: total: 236 sq km, land: 236 sq km, water: 0 sq km.
Natural resources: Coconuts (copra).
Population: 9,290 (July 2017 est.).
Capital: Avarua.
Time Zone: UTC−10.
Languages: English (official), Cook Islands Maori (Rarotongan) (official).
Dependency status: Self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook Islands is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs and defense in consultation with the Cook Islands.
Government type: Self-governing parliamentary democracy (Parliament of the Cook Islands) in free association with New Zealand.
Legal system: Common law similar to New Zealand common law.
International organization participation: ACP, ADB, AOSIS, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IMO, IMSO, IOC, ITUC (NGOs), OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO.
Economy: Like many other South Pacific island nations, the Cook Islands’ economic development is hindered by the isolation of the country from foreign markets, the limited size of domestic markets, lack of natural resources, periodic devastation from natural disasters, and inadequate infrastructure. Agriculture, employing more than one-quarter of the working population, provides the economic base with major exports of copra and citrus fruit. Black pearls are the Cook Islands’ leading export. Manufacturing activities are limited to fruit processing, clothing, and handicrafts. Trade deficits are offset by remittances from emigrants and by foreign aid overwhelmingly from New Zealand.
Currency: NZ dollar (NZD).