According to abbreviationfinder, the Cook Islands is an archipelago located in the Pacific Ocean. They are located between Hawaii and New Zealand.
History
The first to settle here were the Polynesians. The first coral road, which broke through the interior of Rorotonga, the Ara Metua, was built by a chief named Toi in the 11th century. The chiefs of Samoa and Tahiti settle on the islands, defeating the residents of the islands.
The Spanish visited them in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the 18th century, Captain Cook sighted some islands of the group, and made them known to his world. These islands are also sighted by Captain William Bligh and Fletcher Christian, although their discovery is ultimately attributed to Captain Philip Goodenough in the 19th century.
The English declare them their protectorate. In 1965 the islands will become a self-governing state. The Cook Islands function as a state with independent self-government, although they are connected with New Zealand which prevents them from having a seat in the UN, but on the other hand the residents have New Zealand nationality, which brings them some advantages.
Politics
Cook Islands policy is conducted within the framework of a Democratic Associate State Parliamentary Representative, under which the Queen of New Zealand, represented in the Cook Islands by the Queen’s Representative, is the Head of State and the Prime Minister is the head of government.
There is a multi-party multi-party system and the islands are autonomous in free association with New Zealand and fully responsible for both internal and external affairs. New Zealand no longer has any responsibility for foreign affairs. As of 2005, it has diplomatic relations in its own name with eighteen other countries. The executive power is exerced by the government. Legislative power rests with the Government and Parliament of the Cook Islands.
The judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative branches.
Defense is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands and at their request. In recent times, the Cook Islands have increasingly adopted an independent foreign policy.
Characteristics
The Cook Islands are an autonomous parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. The fifteen small islands in the south of this Pacific Ocean country have a total area of 240 square kilometers (92.7 sq mi), but the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers 1.8 million square kilometers (0, 7 million square miles) of ocean.
Population
The main population centers are on the island of Rarotonga (14,153 as of 2006), where there is an international airport. There is also a much larger Cook Islands population in New Zealand, particularly the North Island; In the 2006 census, 58,008 self-identified as Cook Islands ethnic minority Maori descent. See population of Cook Islands.
Economic development
With more than 90,000 visitors traveling to the islands in 2006, tourism is the main element of the economy, far ahead of offshore banking, pearls, marine and fruit exports.
