The Cook Islands is a parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand. It comprises 15 small islands whose total land area is 240 square kilometres (92.7 sq mi). The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), however, covers 1,800,000 square kilometres (690,000 sq mi) of ocean.
The Cook Islands' defence and foreign affairs are the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands. In recent times, the Cook Islands have adopted an increasingly independent foreign policy. Although Cook Islanders are citizens of New Zealand, they have the status of Cook Islands nationals, which is not given to other New Zealand citizens.
The Cook Islands' main population centres are on the island of Rarotonga (14,153 in 2006), where there is an international airport. There is a much larger population of Cook Islanders in New Zealand, particularly the North Island. In the 2006 census, 58,008 self-identified as being of ethnic Cook Islands Māori descent.
With about 100,000 visitors travelling to the islands in the 2010–11 financial year,[6] tourism is the country's main industry, and the leading element of the economy, far ahead of offshore banking, pearls, and marine and fruit exports.The Cook Islands are in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand, between French Polynesia and American Samoa. There are 15 major islands spread over 2.2 million km² of ocean, divided into two distinct groups: the Southern Cook Islands and the Northern Cook Islands of coral atolls.
The islands were formed by volcanic activity; the northern group is older and consists of six atolls, which are sunken volcanoes topped by coral growth. The climate is moderate to tropical.
The 15 islands and two reefs are grouped as follows:
Southern Cook Islands:
Nga-pu-Toru ("Three Roots", the eastern islands):
Atiu (Enua Manu or Island of Birds)
Ma'uke (Akatokamanava)
Mitiaro (Nukuroa)
Takutea
Northern Cook Islands:
Manihiki (Te Fuinga o Niva)
Nassau (Te Nuku o Ngalewu )
Penrhyn Island (Tongareva or Mangarongaro)
Pukapuka (Te Ulu o te Watu)
Rakahanga (Tapuahua)
Suwarrow also called Suvorov
Tema Reef (submerged)
Other islands:
Aitutaki (Araura Enua)
Mangaia (Auau Enua)
Rarotonga (Tumutevarovaro), with the capital, Avarua.
Palmerston Island (Pamati) sometimes grouped with the Northern Group.
Manuae
Winslow Reef (submerged)
Face value | Family number | English name | Scientific name
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| 1898.01 | 11.07.1898 | Definitives |
| 2d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Brown |
| 6d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | = 2d, purple |
| 1s | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | = 2d, red |
| 1899.01 | 09.11.1899 | Definitives | 1898.01 |
| ½d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Steel blue |
| 1900.01 | Definitives | 1898.01 |
| ½d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Deep blue |
| 2d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Deep brown |
| 6d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Bright purple |
| 1s | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Deep carmine |
| 1902.01 | 01.02.1902 | Definitives | 1898.01 |
| ½d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Blue-green |
| ½d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Yellow-green, thick paper |
| 1902.02 | 01.09.1902 | Definitives | wmk | 1898.01 |
| ½d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Yellow-green |
| ½d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Grey-green |
| 2d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Deep brown |
| 6d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Purple |
| 1s | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Carmine |
| 1911.01 | Definitives | wmk, p 14½x14 | 1898.01 |
| ½d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Green |
| 1915.01 | Definitives | wmk, p 14 | 1898.01 |
| ½d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Deep green |
| 1919.01 | Definitives | wmk, p 15x14 | 1898.01 |
| 2d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Deep brown |
| 1s | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | Carmine |
| 1949.01 | 01.08.1949 | Definitives |
| 1d | 23 | Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda |
| 1963.01 | 04.06.1963 | Definitives |
| 5d | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba |
| 1967.01 | 04.05.1967 | Surcharge on 1963.01 |
| 4c | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba |
| 1973.01 | 15.03.1973 | Currency | 7v set |
| 20c | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba |
| 1974.01 | 16.09.1974 | UPU, stamp on stamp | 4v set | 1898.01 |
| 25c | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | |
| 50c | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba |
| 1974.02 | 16.09.1974 | UPU, stamp on stamp | 4v sheet | 1974.01 |
| 25c | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba | |
| 50c | 66 | White Tern Gygis alba |
| 1974.03 | 15.10.1974 | Christmas | 5v set |
| 1c | 229 | European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis |
| 1974.04 | 09.12.1974 | Christmas | 1974.03 |
| 50c | 229 | European Goldfinch Carduelis carduelis | MS |
| 1976.01 | 15.11.1976 | Nature conservation day |
| 1$ | 92 | Mewing Kingfisher Todiramphus ruficollaris |
| 1977.01 | 15.11.1977 | Nature conservation day |
| 1$ | 85 | Atiu Swiftlet Aerodramus sawtelli |
| 1978.01 | 15.11.1978 | Nature conservation day |
| 1$ | 192 | Cook Reed Warbler Acrocephalus kerearako |
| 1979.01 | 07.11.1979 | Apollo 11 | 4v set |
| 30c | 37 | Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus | p 14 |
| 1979.02 | 07.11.1979 | Apollo 11 | 4v sheet | 1979.01 |
| 30c | 37 | Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus | p 13½ |
| 1979.03 | 15.11.1979 | Nature conservation day |
| 1$ | 70 | Lilac-crowned Fruit Dove Ptilinopus rarotongensis |
| 1985.01 | 23.04.1985 | Audubon |
| 30c | 108 | Downy Woodpecker Picoides pubescens | |
| 55c | 230 | Black-throated Blue Warbler Setophaga caerulescens | |
| 65c | 230 | Yellow-throated Warbler Setophaga dominica | |
| 75c | 230 | Chestnut-sided Warbler Setophaga pensylvanica | |
| 95c | 237 | Dickcissel Spiza americana | |
| 1.15$ | 234 | White-crowned Sparrow Zonotrichia leucophrys |
| 1985.02 | 23.04.1985 | Audubon |
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| 1.30$ | 108 | Red-cockaded Woodpecker Picoides borealis | MS |
| 2.80$ | 234 | Seaside Sparrow Ammodramus maritimus | MS |
| 5.30$ | 70 | Zenaida Dove Zenaida aurita | MS |
| 1989.01 | 04.10.1989 | WWF |
| 15c | 161 | Rarotonga Monarch Pomarea dimidiata | |
| 20c | 161 | Rarotonga Monarch Pomarea dimidiata | |
| 65c | 70 | Lilac-crowned Fruit Dove Ptilinopus rarotongensis | |
| 70c | 70 | Lilac-crowned Fruit Dove Ptilinopus rarotongensis |
| 1989.02 | 04.10.1989 | WWF | 1989.01 |
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| 1$ | 161 | Rarotonga Monarch Pomarea dimidiata | MS |
| 1.25$ | 161 | Rarotonga Monarch Pomarea dimidiata | MS |
| 1.50$ | 70 | Lilac-crowned Fruit Dove Ptilinopus rarotongensis | MS |
| 1.75$ | 70 | Lilac-crowned Fruit Dove Ptilinopus rarotongensis | MS |
| 1990.01 | 05.12.1990 | Birdpex '90 | 1989.02 |
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| 1$ | 161 | Rarotonga Monarch Pomarea dimidiata | MS |
| 1.25$ | 161 | Rarotonga Monarch Pomarea dimidiata | MS |
| 1.50$ | 70 | Lilac-crowned Fruit Dove Ptilinopus rarotongensis | MS |
| 1.75$ | 70 | Lilac-crowned Fruit Dove Ptilinopus rarotongensis | MS |
| 1992.01 | 14.07.1992 | Endangered wildlife |
| 1.15$ | 78 | Eurasian Eagle-Owl Bubo bubo |
| 1992.02 | 15.07.1992 | Endangered wildlife |
| 1.15$ | 86 | Bee Hummingbird Mellisuga helenae |
| 1992.03 | 16.10.1992 | Pacific arts |
| 80c | 23 | Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda | |
| 85c | 23 | Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda | = 80c |
| 1$ | 23 | Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda | = 80c |
| 1.75$ | 23 | Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda | = 80c |
| 1992.04 | 16.10.1992 | Overprint ROYAL VISIT on 1992.03 |
| 80c | 23 | Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda | |
| 85c | 23 | Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda | |
| 1$ | 23 | Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda | |
| 1.75$ | 23 | Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda |
| 1992.05 | 02.11.1992 | Endangered wildlife |
| 1.15$ | 16 | African Penguin Spheniscus demersus |
| 1992.06 | 04.11.1992 | Endangered wildlife |
| 1.15$ | 38 | Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus |
| 1994.01 | 20.07.1994 | Apollo 11 |
| 2.25$ | 37 | Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus | |
| 2.25$ | 37 | Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus | = 2.25$ |
| 2.25$ | 37 | Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus | = 2.25$ |
| 2.25$ | 37 | Bald Eagle Haliaeetus leucocephalus | = 2.25$ |
| 1999.01 | 31.12.1999 | Overprint KIA ORANA on 1992.03 |
| 80c | 23 | Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda | |
| 85c | 23 | Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda | |
| 1$ | 23 | Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda | |
| 1.75$ | 23 | Red-tailed Tropicbird Phaethon rubricauda |
| 2001.01 | 30.04.2001 | Overprint Suwarrow Sanctuary on 1992.01-2 | 12v set |
| 80c | 86 | Bee Hummingbird Mellisuga helenae | |
| 80c | 78 | Eurasian Eagle-Owl Bubo bubo |
| 2005.01 | 13.06.2005 | WWF |
| 80c | 192 | Cook Reed Warbler Acrocephalus kerearako | |
| 90c | 92 | Mewing Kingfisher Todiramphus ruficollaris | |
| 1.15$ | 213 | Rarotonga Starling Aplonis cinerascens | |
| 1.95$ | 85 | Atiu Swiftlet Aerodramus sawtelli |
| 2007.01 | 20.03.2007 | Wildlife | 26v set |
| 10c | 73 | Blue Lorikeet Vini peruviana | Aitutaki 2002.01 |
| 50c | 213 | Rarotonga Starling Aplonis cinerascens | Cook 2005.01 |
| 2$ | 73 | Blue Lorikeet Vini peruviana | Aitutaki 2002.01 |
| 2$ | 73 | Blue Lorikeet Vini peruviana | Aitutaki 2002.01 |
| 2$ | 73 | Blue Lorikeet Vini peruviana | Aitutaki 2002.01 |
| 2$ | 73 | Blue Lorikeet Vini peruviana | Aitutaki 2002.01 |
| 2007.02 | 20.03.2007 | Wildlife | 2005.01 |
| 80c | 92 | Mewing Kingfisher Todiramphus ruficollaris | |
| 80c | 192 | Cook Reed Warbler Acrocephalus kerearako | |
| 80c | 213 | Rarotonga Starling Aplonis cinerascens | |
| 80c | 85 | Atiu Swiftlet Aerodramus sawtelli |
| 2007.03 | 10.12.2007 | Birds | 2007.01-2 |
| 15$ | 192 | Cook Reed Warbler Acrocephalus kerearako | |
| and | 73 | Blue Lorikeet Vini peruviana | |
| and | 85 | Atiu Swiftlet Aerodramus sawtelli |
| 2010.01 | 19.12.2010 | WWF |
| 80c | 73 | Kuhl's Lorikeet Vini kuhlii | |
| 90c | 73 | Kuhl's Lorikeet Vini kuhlii | |
| 2.40$ | 73 | Kuhl's Lorikeet Vini kuhlii | |
| 3.60$ | 73 | Kuhl's Lorikeet Vini kuhlii |
| 2011.01 | 21.10.2011 | Wetlands | 4v set |
| 80c | 64 | Bristle-thighed Curlew Numenius tahitiensis |
| 2011.02 | 23.12.2011 | Christmas | 4v set |
| 1.20$ | 14 | Greylag Goose Anser anser | |
| 2.10$ | 14 | Mute Swan Cygnus olor |
| 2011.03 | 23.12.2011 | Christmas | 4v sheet | 2011.02 |
| 1.20$ | 14 | Greylag Goose Anser anser | |
| 2.10$ | 14 | Mute Swan Cygnus olor |
| 2011.04 | 23.12.2011 | Christmas | Sheet of 3 sets | 2011.02 |
| 1.20$ | 14 | Greylag Goose Anser anser | |
| 2.10$ | 14 | Mute Swan Cygnus olor |
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