Cook Islands

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Country Name

The Cook Islands.

Location

The Cook Islands is a self-governing island country in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand. It comprises 15 islands whose total land area is 240 square kilometers.

Capital

Avarua.

Flag

The Cook Islands flag was adopted on 4 August 1979.

The flag officially called the Cook Islands Ensign, features a blend of the Cook Islands and the United Kingdom.

The current flag design is based on the traditional design for former British colonies in the Pacific Ocean. The flag has a deep blue background. In the upper left corner, there is the Union Flag, the flag of the United Kingdom. To the right, there are 15 white stars in a circle. The blue color represents the ocean and the peaceful nature of the inhabitants.

The Union Flag is a historic tie to its period as a protectorate, and the 15 stars represent the 15 islands that compose the Cook Islands.

Language

The official languages of the Cook Islands are English, Cook Islands Māori or Rarotongan, and Pukapukan.

Dialects of Cook Islands Maori include Penrhyn; Rakahanga-Manihiki; the Ngaputoru dialect of Atiu, Mitiaro, and Mauke; the Aitutaki dialect; and the Mangaian dialect.

Cook Islands Maori and its dialectic variants are closely related to both Tahitian and to New Zealand Māori. Pukapukan is considered closely related to the Samoan language.

Religion

The dominant religion in the Cook Islands is Christianity the majority are Protestant 62.8%, Roman Catholic 17%, Mormon 4.4%, other 8%, none 5.6%.

Currency

New Zealand dollar (NZD).

Cook Islands dollar.

Time Zone

-10:00 GMT.

Government Regime

Devolved presidential constitutional dependency.