International Cook Islands relations

Country profile & diplomacy overview · 4 relations tracked

The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. The country is located in the South Pacific Ocean, about 2,000 kilometers east of New Zealand. It is made up of 15 small islands, covering a total land area of about 240 square kilometers. The capital of the Cook Islands is Avarua, which is located on the island of Rarotonga.

Population

17.6K#198 of 203

Land area

236 km²#195 of 203

Global influence

#192Very Low

Map legend

Closest relations Strained relations Cook Islands No data

The Cook Islands has a population of around 17,000 people, who are mostly of Polynesian descent. The official languages of the Cook Islands are English and Cook Islands Māori. The country has a mixed economy, with agriculture, tourism, and offshore financial services being the main sectors.

The Cook Islands is a member of the Pacific Islands Forum, an intergovernmental organization that promotes cooperation among countries in the Pacific region. It also maintains close ties with New Zealand, which provides the country with diplomatic and economic assistance. The Cook Islands is a sovereign state, but it has a close relationship with New Zealand, which is responsible for its defense and foreign affairs.

Geography & terrain

A scattered group of small volcanic and coral islands spread across a wide expanse of the South Pacific, with limited, low-relief terrain. Climate is tropical, warm and humid year-round. Entirely coastline, as an island nation. Extreme geographic dispersion and remoteness from major powers have historically been its main natural defense, rather than any rugged terrain.

Key facts

Diverse sources: UN, World Bank, Cook Islands Statistics Office/Department. Most recent available data
Capital	Avarua (4.9K people, 27.9% of total population)
Population	17.6K (#198 of 203 countries)
Land area	236 km² (#195 of 203 countries)
Main religion	Christianity
Life expectancy	77 years

Source: World Bank Open Data. Most recent available data
Currency	New Zealand Dollar
Main language(s)	English, Cook Islands Maori
Government type	Parliamentary constitutional monarchy
Time zone	UTC-10.0
International calling code	+682
Driving side	Left
UNESCO World Heritage Sites	0
Nuclear power	No
European Union	Not a member
NATO	Not a member

Land borders

Cook Islands has no land borders (it is an island nation or otherwise has no neighboring countries).

Most similar countries, by language, currency, GDP per capita, borders & international groups

Rank #192 Very Low International Influence

Cook Islands's actions have no significant effect on the world, and a very limited impact on other countries.

See the full world influence ranking →

Most intense relations

Top 5 relations of Cook Islands by overall intensity. Intensity reflects the level and significance of interaction—not whether the relationship is positive or negative.

Closest relations

Top 5 closest relations of Cook Islands, by score

Most strained relations

Top 5 strained relations of Cook Islands, by score

Relations by category

Excellent: 8-10 · Good: 6-8 · Neutral: 4-6 · Bad: 2-4 · Very bad: 0-2

relations

Excellent 2 · 50%
Good 1 · 25%
Neutral 1 · 25%

All relations of Cook Islands

Cook Islands has no historical data recorded yet with these countries. Their relation pages still exist, with a neutral starting score.

Undocumented relations of Cook Islands