Aminet 6/Aminet 6 - June 1995.iso/Aminet/docs/misc/wfbook93_texi.lha/texi/57.data

Text File | 1995-03-27 | 7.3 KB | 312 lines

@node Header (Cook Islands)
@section Header (Cook Islands)

@display

Affiliation:
  (free association with New Zealand)



@end display

@node Geography (Cook Islands)
@section Geography (Cook Islands)

@display

Location:
  Oceania, 4,500 km south of Hawaii in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway
  between Hawaii and New Zealand
Map references:
  Oceania
Area:
 total area:
  240 km2
 land area:
  240 km2
 comparative area:
  slightly less than 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC
Land boundaries:
  0 km
Coastline:
  120 km
Maritime claims:
 continental shelf:
  200 nm or the edge of continental margin
 exclusive economic zone:
  200 nm
 territorial sea:
  12 nm
International disputes:
  none
Climate:
  tropical; moderated by trade winds
Terrain:
  low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south
Natural resources:
  negligible
Land use:
 arable land:
  4%
 permanent crops:
  22%
 meadows and pastures:
  0%
 forest and woodland:   0%
 other:
  74%
Irrigated land:
  NA km2
Environment:
  subject to typhoons from November to March



@end display

@node People (Cook Islands)
@section People (Cook Islands)

@display

Population:
  18,903 (July 1993 est.)
Population growth rate:
  1.18% (1993 est.)
Birth rate:
  23.4 births/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate:
  5.2 deaths/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate:
  -6.45 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1993 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
  24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
 total population:
  71.14 years
 male:
  69.2 years
 female:
  73.1 years (1993 est.)
Total fertility rate:
  3.32 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Nationality:
 noun:
  Cook Islander(s)
 adjective:
  Cook Islander
Ethnic divisions:
  Polynesian (full blood) 81.3%, Polynesian and European 7.7%, Polynesian and
  other 7.7%, European 2.4%, other 0.9%
Religions:
  Christian (majority of populace members of Cook Islands Christian Church)
Languages:
  English (official), Maori
Literacy:
 total population:
  NA%
 male:
  NA%
 female:
  NA%
Labor force:
  5,810
 by occupation:
  agriculture 29%, government 27%, services 25%, industry 15%, other 4% (1981)



@end display

@node Government (Cook Islands)
@section Government (Cook Islands)

@display

Names:
 conventional long form:
  none
 conventional short form:
  Cook Islands
Digraph:
  CW
Type:
  self-governing parliamentary government in free association with New
  Zealand; Cook Islands is fully responsible for internal affairs; New Zealand
  retains responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook
  Islands
Capital:
  Avarua
Administrative divisions:
  none
Independence:
  none (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
Legal system:
  NA
National holiday:
  Constitution Day, 4 August
Political parties and leaders:
  Cook Islands Party, Geoffrey HENRY; Democratic Tumu Party, Vincent INGRAM;
  Democratic Party, Terepai MAOATE; Cook Islands Labor Party, Rena JONASSEN;
  Cook Islands People's Party, Sadaraka SADARAKA
Suffrage:
  universal adult at age NA
Elections:
 Parliament:
  last held 19 January 1989 (next to be held by January 1994); results -
  percent of vote by party NA; seats - (24 total) Cook Islands Party 12,
  Democratic Tumu Party 2, opposition coalition (including Democratic Party)
  9, independent 1
Executive branch:
  British monarch, representative of the UK, representative of New Zealand,
  prime minister, deputy prime minister, Cabinet
Legislative branch:
  unicameral Parliament; note - the 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 1 February 1989); Deputy Prime Minister
  Inatio AKARURU (since NA February 1989)
Member of:
  AsDB, ESCAP (associate), ICAO, IOC, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UNESCO, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US:
  none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)



@end display

@node Government (Cook Islands 2. usage)
@section Government (Cook Islands 2. usage)

@display

US diplomatic representation:
  none (self-governing in free association with New Zealand)
Flag:
  blue, with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large
  circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for every island) centered in the
  outer half of the flag



@end display

@node Economy (Cook Islands)
@section Economy (Cook Islands)

@display

Overview:
  Agriculture provides the economic base. The major export earners are fruit,
  copra, and clothing. Manufacturing activities are limited to a
  fruit-processing plant and several clothing factories. Economic development
  is hindered by the isolation of the islands from foreign markets and a lack
  of natural resources and good transportation links. A large trade deficit is
  annually made up for by remittances from emigrants and from foreign aid.
  Current economic development plans call for exploiting the tourism potential
  and expanding the fishing industry.
National product:
  GDP - exchange rate conversion - $40 million (1988 est.)
National product real growth rate:
  5.3% (1986-88 est.)
National product per capita:
  $2,200 (1988 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
  8% (1988)
Unemployment rate:
  NA%
Budget:
  revenues $33.8 million; expenditures $34.4 million, including capital
  expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)
Exports:
  $4.0 million (f.o.b., 1988)
 commodities:
  copra, fresh and canned fruit, clothing
 partners:
  NZ 80%, Japan
Imports:
  $38.7 million (c.i.f., 1988)
 commodities:
  foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber
 partners:   NZ 49%, Japan, Australia, US
External debt:
  $NA
Industrial production:
  growth rate NA%
Electricity:
  14,000 kW capacity; 21 million kWh produced, 1,170 kWh per capita (1990)
Industries:
  fruit processing, tourism
Agriculture:
  export crops - copra, citrus fruits, pineapples, tomatoes, bananas;
  subsistence crops - yams, taro
Economic aid:
  Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-89),
  $128 million
Currency:
  1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents
Exchange rates:
  New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.9490 (January 1993), 1.8584 (1992),
  1.7266 (1991), 1.6750 (1990), 1.6711 (1989), 1.5244 (1988)
Fiscal year:
  1 April - 31 March



@end display

@node Communications (Cook Islands)
@section Communications (Cook Islands)

@display

Highways:
  187 km total (1980); 35 km paved, 35 km gravel, 84 km improved earth, 33 km
  unimproved earth
Ports:
  Avatiu
Merchant marine:
  1 cargo ship (1,000 or over) totaling 1,464 GRT/2,181 DWT
Airports:
 total:
  7
 usable:
  7
 with permanent-surface runways:
  1
 with runways over 3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
  0
 with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
  5
Telecommunications:
  broadcast stations - 1 AM, 1 FM, 1 TV; 11,000 radio receivers; 17,000 TV
  receivers (1989); 2,052 telephones; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station



@end display

@node Defense Forces (Cook Islands)
@section Defense Forces (Cook Islands)

@display

Note:   defense is the responsibility of New Zealand



@end display