olcanic, hilly islands in south

Natural resources: negligible

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

Environment: subject to typhoons from November to March

Note: located 4,500 km south of Hawaii in the South Pacific Ocean

- People
Population: 18,187 (July 1990), growth rate 0.5% (1990)

Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1990)

Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1990)

Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1990)

Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths/1,000 live births (1990)

Life expectancy at birth: 66 years male, 72 years female (1990)

Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (1990)

Nationality: noun--Cook Islander(s); adjective--Cook Islander

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

Religion: Christian, majority of populace members of Cook Islands
Christian Church

Language: English

Literacy: 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 unicameral
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)

Political parties and leaders: Cook Islands Party, Geoffrey Henry;
Democratic Tumu Party, Vincent Ingram; Democratic Party, Dr. Vincent Pupuke
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