206 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
206 lines
16 KiB
Plaintext
COOK ISLANDS
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(free association with New Zealand)
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GEOGRAPHY
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Total area: 240 km2; land area: 240 km2
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Comparative area: slightly less than 1.3 times the size of
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Washington, DC
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Land boundaries: none
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Coastline: 120 km
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Maritime claims:
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Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or minimum of 200
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nm;
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Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm;
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Territorial sea: 12 nm
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Climate: tropical; moderated by trade winds
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Terrain: low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in
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south
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Natural resources: negligible
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Land use: arable land 4%; permanent crops 22%; meadows and pastures
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0%; forest and woodland 0%; other 74%
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Environment: subject to typhoons from November to March
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Note: located 4,500 km south of Hawaii in the South Pacific Ocean
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PEOPLE
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Population: 17,882 (July 1991), growth rate 0.5% (1991)
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Birth rate: 22 births/1,000 population (1991)
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Death rate: 7 deaths/1,000 population (1991)
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Net migration rate: - 10 migrants/1,000 population (1991)
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Infant mortality rate: 24 deaths/1,000 live births (1991)
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Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 72 years female (1991)
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Total fertility rate: 3.5 children born/woman (1991)
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Nationality: noun--Cook Islander(s); adjective--Cook Islander
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Ethnic divisions: Polynesian (full blood) 81.3%, Polynesian and
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European 7.7%, Polynesian and other 7.7%, European 2.4%, other 0.9%
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Religion: Christian, majority of populace members of Cook Islands
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Christian Church
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Language: English
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Literacy: NA% (male NA%, female NA%)
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Labor force: 5,810; agriculture 29%, government 27%, services 25%,
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industry 15%, and other 4% (1981)
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Organized labor: NA
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GOVERNMENT
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Long-form name: none
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Type: self-governing in free association with New Zealand; Cook
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Islands fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand retains
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responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook
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Islands
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Capital: Avarua
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Administrative divisions: none
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Independence: became self-governing in free association with
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New Zealand on 4 August 1965 and has the right at any time to move to
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full independence by unilateral action
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Constitution: 4 August 1965
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National holiday: NA
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Executive branch: British monarch, representative of the UK,
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representative of New Zealand, prime minister, deputy prime minister,
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Cabinet
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Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament; note--the House of
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Arikis (chiefs) advises on traditional matters, but has no legislative
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powers
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Judicial branch: High Court
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Leaders:
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Chief of State--Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952);
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Representative of the UK Sir Tangaroa TANGAROA (since NA);
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Representative of New Zealand Adrian SINCOCK (since NA);
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Head of Government--Prime Minister Geoffrey HENRY
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(since NA February 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Inatio AKARURU (since NA
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February 1989)
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Political parties and leaders:
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Cook Islands Party, Geoffrey HENRY;
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Democratic Tumu Party, Vincent INGRAM;
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Democratic Party, Dr. Vincent Pupuke ROBATI;
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Cook Islands Labor Party, Rena JONASSEN;
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Cook Islands People's Party, Sadaraka SADARAKA
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Suffrage: universal adult at age NA
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Elections:
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Parliament--last held 19 January 1989 (next to be held by
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January 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA;
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seats--(24 total) Cook Islands Party 12, Democratic
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Tumu Party 2, opposition coalition (including Democratic Party) 9,
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independent 1
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Member of: AsDB, ESCAP (associate), FAO, ICAO, IOC, SPC,
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SPF, UNESCO, WHO
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Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing in free association
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with New Zealand)
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Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant
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and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for every island)
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centered in the outer half of the flag
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ECONOMY
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Overview: Agriculture provides the economic base. The major export
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earners are fruit, copra, and clothing. Manufacturing activities are
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limited to a fruit-processing plant and several clothing factories.
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Economic development is hindered by the isolation of the islands from
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foreign markets and a lack of natural resources and good transportation
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links. A large trade deficit is annually made up for by remittances from
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emigrants and from foreign aid. Current economic development plans call
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for exploiting the tourism potential and expanding the fishing industry.
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GDP: $40.0 million, per capita $2,200 (1988 est.); real growth rate
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5.3% (1986-88 est.)
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Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0% (1988)
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Unemployment rate: NA%
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Budget: revenues $33.8 million; expenditures $34.4 million,
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including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
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Exports: $4.0 million (f.o.b., 1988);
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commodities--copra, fresh and canned fruit, clothing;
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partners--NZ 80%, Japan
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Imports: $38.7 million (c.i.f., 1988);
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commodities--foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber;
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partners--NZ 49%, Japan, Australia, US
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External debt: $NA
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Industrial production: growth rate NA%
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Electricity: 14,000 kW capacity; 21 million kWh produced,
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1,170 kWh per capita (1990)
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Industries: fruit processing, tourism
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Agriculture: export crops--copra, citrus fruits, pineapples,
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tomatoes, bananas; subsistence crops--yams, taro
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Economic aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral
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commitments (1970-89), $128 million
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Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural--dollars); 1 New Zealand
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dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
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Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6798 (January
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1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088
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(1986), 2.0064 (1985)
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Fiscal year: 1 April-31 March
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COMMUNICATIONS
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Highways: 187 km total (1980); 35 km paved, 35 km gravel, 84 km
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improved earth, 33 km unimproved earth
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Ports: Avatiu
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Civil air: no major transport aircraft
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Airports: 7 total, 6 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways;
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none with runways over 2,439 m; 3 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
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Telecommunications: stations--2 AM, no FM, no TV; 10,000 radio
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receivers; 2,052 telephones; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station
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DEFENSE FORCES
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Note: defense is the responsibility of New Zealand
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