The Cook Islands is self-governing while infree association withNew Zealand. Since the start of the 21st century, the Cook Islands conducts its own independent foreign and defence policy, and also has its own customs regulations.[9] Like most members of the Pacific Islands Forum, it has no armed forces, but the Cook Islands Police Service owns a Guardian Class Patrol Boat,CIPPB Te Kukupa II, provided by Australia, for policing its waters. In recent decades, the Cook Islands has adopted an increasingly assertive and distinct foreign policy, and a Cook Islander,Henry Puna, served as Secretary General of thePacific Islands Forum from 2021 to 2024.[10][11] MostCook Islanders haveNew Zealand citizenship, plus the status of Cook Islands nationals, which is not given to other New Zealand citizens. The Cook Islands has been an active member of thePacific Community, formerly the South Pacific Commission, since 1980.
The Cook Islands' main population centres are on Rarotonga (10,863 in 2021),[4] also the location ofRarotonga International Airport, the main international gateway to the country. The census of 2021 put the total population at 14,987. There is also a larger population of Cook Islanders in New Zealand and Australia: in the2018 New Zealand census, 80,532 people said they were Cook Islanders, or of Cook Islands descent.[12] The last Australian census recorded 28,000 Cook Islanders living in Australia, many with Australian citizenship.[13] With over 168,000 visitors to the islands in 2018,[14] tourism is the country's main industry and leading element of its economy, ahead ofoffshore banking, pearls, and marine and fruit exports.
The Cook Islands comprise 15 islands that have had individual names in indigenous languages, includingCook Islands Māori andPukapukan throughout the time they have been inhabited. The first name given by Europeans wasGente Hermosa (beautiful people) by Spanish explorers toRakahanga in 1606.[15]
The islands as a whole are named after the English captain and explorerJames Cook, who visited during the 1770s and namedManuae "Hervey Island" afterAugustus Hervey, 3rd Earl of Bristol. The southern island group became known as the "Hervey Islands" after this. In the 1820s, Russian AdmiralAdam Johann von Krusenstern referred to the southern islands as the "Cook Islands" in hisAtlas de l'Ocean Pacifique.[16] The entire territory (including the northern island group) was not known as the "Cook Islands" until after its annexation by New Zealand in the early 20th century. In 1901, the New Zealand parliament passed theCook and other Islands Government Act, demonstrating that the name "Cook Islands" only referred to some of the islands. This situation had changed by the passage of theCook Islands Act 1915, which defined the Cooks' area and included all presently included islands.[17]
The islands' official name in Cook Islands Māori isKūki 'Āirani, a transliteration of the English name.[18][19]
The Cook Islands were first settled around AD 1000[20] byPolynesian people who are thought to have migrated fromTahiti,[21] an island 1,154 kilometres (717 mi; 623 nmi) to the northeast of the main island ofRarotonga.
The first European contact with the islands took place in 1595 when the Spanish navigatorÁlvaro de Mendaña de Neira sighted the island ofPukapuka, which he namedSan Bernardo (Saint Bernard).Pedro Fernandes de Queirós, a Portuguese captain at the service of theSpanish Crown, made the first European landing in the islands when he set foot onRakahanga in 1606, calling the islandGente Hermosa (Beautiful People).[15]
British explorer and naval officer CaptainJames Cook arrived in 1773 and again in 1777,[22] giving the island ofManuae the nameHervey Island. TheHervey Islands later came to be applied to the entire southern group. The name "Cook Islands", in honour of Cook, first appeared on a Russian naval chart published byAdam Johann von Krusenstern in the 1820s.[16]
In 1813John Williams, a missionary on the colonial brigEndeavour (not the same ship as Cook's) made the first recorded European sighting of Rarotonga.[23] The first recorded landing on Rarotonga by Europeans was in 1814 by theCumberland; trouble broke out between the sailors and the Islanders and many were killed on both sides.[23] The islands saw no more Europeans until English missionaries arrived in 1821. Christianity quickly took hold in the culture and many islanders are Christians today.[24]
The islands were a popular stop in the 19th century forwhaling ships from the United States, Britain and Australia. They visited, from at least 1826, to obtain water, food, and firewood.[25] Their favourite islands were Rarotonga,Aitutaki,Mangaia andPenrhyn.
TheCook Islands became a British protectorate in 1888, following a petition from QueenMakea Takau Ariki, largely because of the fear of British residents that France might occupy the islands, as it already had Tahiti.[26][27] On 6 September 1900, the islanders' leaders presented a petition asking that the islands (includingNiue "if possible") should be annexed as British territory.[28][29] On 8 and 9 October 1900, seven instruments of cession of Rarotonga and other islands were signed by their chiefs and people. A British Proclamation was issued, stating that the cessions were accepted and the islands declared parts of Her Britannic Majesty's dominions.[28] However, it did not include Aitutaki. Even though the inhabitants regarded themselves as British subjects, the Crown's title was unclear until the island was formally annexed by that Proclamation.[30][31] In 1901 the islands were included within the boundaries of theColony of New Zealand by Order in Council[32] under the Colonial Boundaries Act, 1895 of the United Kingdom.[28][33] The boundary change became effective on 11 June 1901, and the Cook Islands have had a formal relationship with New Zealand since that time.[28]
The Cook Islands responded to the call for service whenWorld War I began, immediately sending five contingents, close to 500 men, to the war. The island's young men volunteered at the outbreak of the war to reinforce the Māori Contingents and the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Rifles. A Patriotic Fund was set up very quickly, raising funds to support the war effort. The Cook Islanders were trained at Narrow Neck Camp inDevonport, and the first recruits departed on 13 October 1915 on the SSTe Anau. The ship arrived in Egypt just as the New Zealand units were about to be transferred to the Western Front. In September 1916, the Pioneer Battalion, a combination of Cook Islanders, Māori and Pakeha soldiers, saw heavy action in the Allied attack on Flers, the first battle of the Somme. Three Cook Islanders from this first contingent died from enemy action, and at least ten died of disease as they struggled to adapt to the conditions in Europe. The 2nd and 3rd Cook Island Contingents were part of theSinai-Palestine campaign, first in a logistical role for the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Rifles at their Moascar base and later in ammunition supply for the Royal Artillery. After the war, the men returned to the outbreak of the influenza epidemic in New Zealand, and this, along with European diseases meant that a large number did not survive and died in New Zealand or on their return home over the coming years.[34]
When theBritish Nationality and New Zealand Citizenship Act 1948 came into effect on 1 January 1949, Cook Islanders who wereBritish subjects automatically gainedNew Zealand citizenship.[35] The islands remained a New Zealand dependent territory until the New Zealand Government decided to grant them self-governing status. On 4 August 1965, a constitution was promulgated. The first Monday in August is celebrated each year asConstitution Day.[36]Albert Henry of theCook Islands Party was elected as the first Premier and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.[24] Henry led the nation until 1978, when he was accused of vote-rigging and resigned. He was stripped of his knighthood in 1979.[24] He was succeeded byTom Davis of theDemocratic Party, who held that position until March 1983.[37]
On 13 July 2017, the Cook Islands establishedMarae Moana, making it become the world's largestprotected area by size.[38]
In March 2019, it was reported that the Cook Islands had plans to change its name and remove the reference to Captain James Cook in favour of "a title that reflects its 'Polynesian nature'".[18][19] It was later reported in May 2019 that the proposed name change had been poorly received by the Cook Islands diaspora. As a compromise, it was decided that the English name of the islands would not be altered, but that a new Cook Islands Māori name would be adopted to replace the current name, a transliteration from English.[39] Discussions over the name continued in 2020.[40]
The national flower of the Cook Islands is thetiare māori ortiale māoli (Penrhyn, Nassau, Pukapuka).[45]
The Cook Islands have a large population of non-nativeship rat[46] andkiore toka (Polynesian rat).[47] The rats have dramatically reduced the bird population on the islands.[48]
In April 2007, 27Kuhl's lorikeets were re-introduced toAtiu fromRimatara. Fossil and oral traditions indicate that the species was formerly on at least five islands of the southern group. Excessive exploitation for its red feathers is the most likely reason for the species's extinction in the Cook Islands.[49]
The islands' surrounding waters are the home of thepeppermint angelfish. While they are common, due to the difficulty of harvesting them, they are one of the most expensive marine aquarium fish with a price of US$30,000.[50]
The parliament building of the Cook Islands, formerly a hotelPrime MinisterHenry Puna with U.S. Secretary of StateHillary Clinton in Rarotonga, 31 August 2012
In 2025, prime minister Mark Brown said that the Cook Islands did not meet the requirements for UN membership and foreign ministerTingika Elikana said that any decision to join the UN would require a referendum and reevaluation of the relationship with New Zealand. Brown also confirmed that at the Commonwealth of Nations the Cook Islands is considered to be represented by theRealm of New Zealand, meaning that they would not have their own separate representation unless they become fully sovereign.[59] Additionally, in response to a push to introduce Cook Island passports and agreements made with China, a spokesperson for New Zealand foreign ministerWinston Peters stated, "UnlikeSamoa,Tonga andTuvalu, the Cook Islands is not a fully independent and sovereign state", unless its status and relationship with New Zealand are changed by referendum.[60]
TheCook Islands Police Service polices the waters, and shares responsibility for defence with New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands Government and at its request. The total offshore EEZ is about 2 million square kilometres.[61] Vessels of theRoyal New Zealand Navy can be employed for this task including itsProtector-class offshore patrol vessels.[62] These naval forces may also be supported byRoyal New Zealand Air Force aircraft, includingP-8 Poseidons.[63] However, these forces are limited in size and in 2023 were described by the Government as "not in a fit state" to respond to regional challenges.[64] New Zealand's subsequently announced "Defence Policy and Strategy Statement" noted that shaping the security environment, "focusing in particular on supporting security in and for the Pacific" would receive enhanced attention.[65]
The Cook Islands Police Service is the police force of the Cook Islands. The Maritime Wing of the Police Service exercises sovereignty over the nation's EEZ. Vessels have included aPacific-class patrol boat,CIPPB Te Kukupa commissioned in May 1989 which received a re-fit in 2015[66] but was withdrawn from service and replaced by a larger and more capableGuardian-class patrol boat,CIPPB Te Kukupa II, which entered service in 2022.[67] Cook Islands has its own customs regulations.[68]
Formerly, male homosexuality wasde jure illegal in the Cook Islands and was punishable by a maximum term of seven years imprisonment; however, the law was never enforced.[69] In 2023, legislation was passed which legalised homosexuality.[70]
There are island councils, each headed by a mayor, on all of the inhabited outer islands (Outer Islands Local Government Act 1987 with amendments up to 2004, and Palmerston Island Local Government Act 1993) exceptNassau, which is governed byPukapuka (Suwarrow, with only one caretaker living on the island, also governed by Pukapuka, is not counted with the inhabited islands in this context).
Map of the islands of Cook IslandsVaka councils ofRarotonga, 1997–2008
The five districts ofRarotonga, subdivided into 54 traditionaltapere
Three vaka councils headed by mayors were established onRarotonga by the Rarotonga Local Government Act 1997,[71] then abolished in February 2008, despite much controversy.[72][73]
On the lowest level, there are village committees.Nassau, which is governed byPukapuka, has an island committee (Nassau Island Committee), which advises the Pukapuka Island Council on matters concerning its own island.
The economy is strongly affected by geography. It is isolated from foreign markets, and has some inadequate infrastructure; it lacks major natural resources except for significant seabed critical minerals, has limited manufacturing and suffers moderately from natural disasters.[74] Tourism provides the economic base that makes up approximately 67.5% of GDP. Additionally, the economy is supported byforeign aid, largely from New Zealand. China has also contributed foreign aid, which has resulted in, among other projects, the Police Headquarters building.[75]
Rarotonga International Airport is the only airport that receives international flights. Eight airports on other islands provide local or charter services. Only Rarotonga andAitutaki Airport have paved runways; the others have coral runways.[77] The main seaport and the only one where container ships can berth isRarotonga's port ofAvatiu. At the port ofArutanga atAitutaki, ships anchor outside the reef and cargo is carried to the dock bylighter barge.[78]
Since about 1989, the Cook Islands has specialised in so-calledasset protection trusts through its International Trusts Act. This allows investors to shelter assets from the reach of creditors and legal authorities.[79][80] According toThe New York Times, the Cooks have "laws devised to protect foreigners' assets from legal claims in their home countries", which were apparently crafted specifically to thwart the reach of American justice; creditors must travel to the Cook Islands and argue their cases under Cooks law, often at prohibitive expense.[79] Unlike other foreign jurisdictions such as theBritish Virgin Islands, theCayman Islands and Switzerland, the Cooks "generally disregard foreign court orders" and do not require that bank accounts, real estate, or other assets protected from scrutiny (it is illegal to disclose names or any information about Cooks trusts) be physically located within the archipelago.[79] Taxes on trusts and trust employees account for some 8% of the Cook Islands economy, behind tourism but ahead of fishing.[79]
In 2019, the Cook Islands passed the Sea Bed Minerals (SBM) Act to manage the seabed minerals located in theExclusive Economic Zone surrounding the islands.[81] In 2022, the SBMA granted three exploration licenses for polymetallic nodules to three private companies, including one co-owned by the government.[82] In 2025, the Cook Islands signed seabed mineral exploration agreements with the United States and China.[83][84]
In the Cook Islands, there is separation between the church and the state, and most of the population is Christian.[87]
VariousProtestant groups account for 62.8% of the believers, the most followed denomination being theCook Islands Christian Church with 49.1%. Other Protestant Christian groups include Seventh-day Adventist 7.9%, Assemblies of God 3.7% and Apostolic Church 2.1%. The main non-Protestant group areCatholics, with 17% of the population.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints makes up 4.4%. "None" or "unspecified" account for 15.6% of the population.[87]
Confiscation and destruction of idol gods by European missionaries in Rarotonga, 1837
Woodcarving is a common art form in the Cook Islands. The proximity of islands in the southern group helped produce a homogeneous style of carving but that had special developments in each island. Rarotonga is known for its fisherman's gods and staff-gods,Atiu for its wooden seats,Mitiaro,Mauke and Atiu for mace and slab gods andMangaia for its ceremonial adzes. Most of the original wood carvings were either spirited away by early European collectors or were burned in large numbers by missionaries. Today, carving is no longer the major art form with the same spiritual and cultural emphasis given to it by the Maori in New Zealand. However, there are continual efforts to interest young people in their heritage and some good work is being turned out under the guidance of older carvers. Atiu, in particular, has a strong tradition of crafts both in carving and local fibre arts such as tapa. Mangaia is the source of many fine adzes carved in a distinctive, idiosyncratic style with the so-called double-k design. Mangaia also produces food pounders carved from the heavy calcite found in its extensive limestone caves.[89]
The outer islands produce traditionalweaving of mats, basketware and hats. Particularly fine examples of rito hats are worn by women to church. They are made from the uncurled immature fibre of the coconut palm and are of very high quality. The Polynesian equivalent of Panama hats, they are highly valued and are keenly sought by Polynesian visitors from Tahiti. Often, they are decorated with hatbands made of minuscule pupu shells that are painted and stitched on by hand. Although pupu are found on other islands the collection and use of them in decorative work has become a speciality of Mangaia. The weaving of rito is a speciality of the northern islands, Manihiki, Rakahanga and Penrhyn.[90]
A major art form in the Cook Islands istivaevae. This is, in essence, the art of handmade Island scenery patchwork quilts. Introduced by the wives of missionaries in the 19th century, the craft grew into a communal activity, which is probably one of the main reasons for its popularity.[91]
The Cook Islands has produced internationally recognised contemporary artists, especially from the main island of Rarotonga. Artists include painter (and photographer)Mahiriki Tangaroa, sculptorsEruera (Ted) Nia (originally a film maker) and master carverMike Tavioni, painter (and Polynesian tattoo enthusiast) Upoko'ina Ian George, Aitutakian-born painter Tim Manavaroa Buchanan, Loretta Reynolds, Judith Kunzlé,Joan Gragg, Kay George (who is also known for her fabric designs), Apii Rongo, Varu Samuel, and multi-media, installation and community-project artistAni O'Neill, all of whom currently live on Rarotonga. Atiuan-basedAndrea Eimke is an artist who works in the medium of tapa and other textiles, and also co-authored the bookTivaivai – The Social Fabric of the Cook Islands with British academicSusanne Kuechler. Many of these artists have studied at university art schools in New Zealand and continue to enjoy close links with the New Zealand art scene.[92]
Music in the Cook Islands is varied, with Christian songs being quite popular, but traditional dancing and songs in Cook Islands Maori and Pukapukan remain popular.
The Cook Islands have competed at theSummer Olympic Games since1988, without winning a medal.[98]Rugby league is the most popular sport and the national sport of the country.[99]
Newspapers in the Cook Islands are usually published in English with some articles inCook Islands Māori.[100] TheCook Islands News has been published since 1945, although it was owned by the government until 1989.[101] Former newspapers includeTe Akatauira, which was published from 1978 to 1980.[100]
^"Cook Islands".New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved13 June 2025.
^"Cook Islands".France in New Zealand. 13 March 2014. Archived fromthe original on 27 June 2015. Retrieved30 October 2015.Since 2001, the Cook Islands has complete sovereignty in managing their Foreign affairs according to the common declaration of 6 April 2001.
^Robert Langdon (ed.)Where the whalers went: an index to the Pacific ports and islands visited by American whalers (and some other ships) in the 19th century, (1984) Canberra, Pacific Manuscripts Bureau, pp. 16, 24.
^Gilson, Richard (1980). Crocombe, Ron (ed.).The Cook Islands, 1820-1950. Wellington: Victoria University Press. p. 60.
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