Cook Islands

FORUM MEMBERSHIP: 1971
INDEPENDENCE DAY: 26 July, 1965
CAPITAL: Avarua, Rarotonga
AREA: 240 sq km
EEZ: 1.8 million sq km
POPULATION: 14,987 (2021) – resident
LANGUAGE: Cook Islands Maori, English
CURRENCY: New Zealand dollar
ECONOMY: Tourism, Pearl Industry, Fishing
STATUS: Parliamentary Democracy – Free Association with New Zealand
HEAD OF STATE: HM King Charles III represented by King’s Representative, HE Tom John Marsters
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT: Prime Minister The Hon Mark Brown
WEBSITE: www.mfai.gov.ck