Geography of the Cook Islands: Difference between revisions

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[[File:Wyspy Cooka.png|thumb|300px|Map showing the two chains of the Cook Islands]]
[[File:Wyspy Cooka.png|thumb|300px|Map showing the two chains of the Cook Islands]]


The [[Cook Islands]] can be divided into two groups: the Southern Cook Islands and the [[Northern Cook Islands]]. The country is located in [[Oceania]], in the South [[Pacific Ocean]], about halfway between [[Hawaii]] and [[New Zealand]].  
The [[Cook Islands]] is located in [[Oceania]], in the South [[Pacific Ocean]], about halfway between [[Hawaii]] and [[New Zealand]]. The country can be divided into two groups: the Southern Cook Islands and the [[Northern Cook Islands]]. [[Rarotonga]] in the southern group is the main island. All the other islands are known collectively as the ''Pa Enua'' or Outer Islands.


From December through to March, the Cook Islands are in the path of tropical cyclones, the most notable of which were cyclones [[Cyclone Martin (1997)|Martin]] (1997) and [[Cyclone Percy|Percy]] (2005).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cook Islands climate: average weather, temperature, precipitation, best time |url=https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/cook-islands |access-date=2020-08-11|website=www.climatestotravel.com}}</ref> Two [[Ecoregion#Terrestrial|terrestrial ecoregions]] lie within the islands' territory: the [[Central Polynesian tropical moist forests]] and the [[Cook Islands tropical moist forests]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal|last1=Dinerstein|first1=Eric|last2=Olson|first2=David|last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly|last5=Burgess|first5=Neil D.|last6=Wikramanayake|first6=Eric|last7=Hahn|first7=Nathan|last8=Palminteri|first8=Suzanne|last9=Hedao|first9=Prashant|last10=Noss|first10=Reed|last11=Hansen|first11=Matt|last12=Locke|first12=Harvey|last13=Ellis|first13=Erle C|last14=Jones|first14=Benjamin|last15=Barber|first15=Charles Victor|last16=Hayes|first16=Randy|last17=Kormos|first17=Cyril|last18=Martin|first18=Vance|last19=Crist|first19=Eileen|last20=Sechrest|first20=Wes|last21=Price|first21=Lori|last22=Baillie|first22=Jonathan E. M.|last23=Weeden|first23=Don|last24=Suckling|first24=Kierán|last25=Davis|first25=Crystal|last26=Sizer|first26=Nigel|last27=Moore|first27=Rebecca|last28=Thau|first28=David|last29=Birch|first29=Tanya|last30=Potapov|first30=Peter|last31=Turubanova|first31=Svetlana|last32=Tyukavina|first32=Alexandra|last33=de Souza|first33=Nadia|last34=Pintea|first34=Lilian|last35=Brito|first35=José C.|last36=Llewellyn|first36=Othman A.|last37=Miller|first37=Anthony G.|last38=Patzelt|first38=Annette|last39=Ghazanfar|first39=Shahina A.|last40=Timberlake|first40=Jonathan|last41=Klöser|first41=Heinz|last42=Shennan-Farpón|first42=Yara|last43=Kindt|first43=Roeland|last44=Lillesø|first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow|last45=van Breugel|first45=Paulo|last46=Graudal|first46=Lars|last47=Voge|first47=Maianna|last48=Al-Shammari|first48=Khalaf F.|last49=Saleem|first49=Muhammad|display-authors=6|title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm|journal=BioScience|volume=67|issue=6|year=2017|pages=534–545|issn=0006-3568|doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014|pmid=28608869|pmc=5451287}}</ref>
The land areas of the southern islands range in size up to the {{convert|67|sqkm|sqmi|adj=on}} Rarotonga, while none of the northern islands are bigger than {{convert|10|sqkm|sqmi}}. The most populous islands are Rarotonga with a population of 11,000 and [[Aitutaki]] with 1,800; none of the other islands have more than 500, and a few are uninhabited.
 
Two [[Ecoregion#Terrestrial|terrestrial ecoregions]] lie within the Cook Islands territory: the [[Central Polynesian tropical moist forests]] and the [[Cook Islands tropical moist forests]].<ref name="DinersteinOlson2017">{{cite journal |last1=Dinerstein |first1=Eric |last2=Olson |first2=David |last3=Joshi|first3=Anup|last4=Vynne|first4=Carly |last5=Burgess |first5=Neil D. |last6=Wikramanayake |first6=Eric |last7=Hahn |first7=Nathan |last8=Palminteri |first8=Suzanne |last9=Hedao |first9=Prashant |last10=Noss |first10=Reed |last11=Hansen |first11=Matt |last12=Locke |first12=Harvey |last13=Ellis |first13=Erle C |last14=Jones |first14=Benjamin |last15=Barber |first15=Charles Victor |last16=Hayes |first16=Randy |last17=Kormos |first17=Cyril |last18=Martin |first18=Vance |last19=Crist |first19=Eileen |last20=Sechrest |first20=Wes |last21=Price |first21=Lori |last22=Baillie |first22=Jonathan E. M. |last23=Weeden |first23=Don |last24=Suckling |first24=Kierán |last25=Davis |first25=Crystal |last26=Sizer |first26=Nigel |last27=Moore |first27=Rebecca |last28=Thau |first28=David |last29=Birch |first29=Tanya |last30=Potapov |first30=Peter |last31=Turubanova |first31=Svetlana |last32=Tyukavina |first32=Alexandra |last33=de Souza |first33=Nadia |last34=Pintea |first34=Lilian |last35=Brito |first35=José C. |last36=Llewellyn |first36=Othman A. |last37=Miller |first37=Anthony G. |last38=Patzelt |first38=Annette |last39=Ghazanfar |first39=Shahina A. |last40=Timberlake |first40=Jonathan |last41=Klöser |first41=Heinz |last42=Shennan-Farpón |first42=Yara |last43=Kindt |first43=Roeland |last44=Lillesø |first44=Jens-Peter Barnekow |last45=van Breugel |first45=Paulo |last46=Graudal |first46=Lars |last47=Voge |first47=Maianna |last48=Al-Shammari |first48=Khalaf F. |last49=Saleem |first49=Muhammad |display-authors=6 |title=An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm |journal=BioScience |volume=67 |issue=6 |year=2017 |pages=534–545 |issn=0006-3568 |doi=10.1093/biosci/bix014 |pmid=28608869 |pmc=5451287}}</ref>


==Islands and reefs==
==Islands and reefs==
=== Southern Cook Islands ===
*[[Aitutaki]]
*[[Atiu]]
*[[Mangaia]]
*[[Manuae (Cook Islands)|Manuae]]
*[[Mauke]]
*[[Mitiaro]]
*[[Palmerston Island]]
*[[Rarotonga]] (capital)
*[[Takutea]]
=== Northern Cook Islands ===
*[[Manihiki]]
*[[Nassau (Cook Islands)|Nassau]]
*[[Penrhyn atoll]]
*[[Pukapuka]]
*[[Rakahanga]]
*[[Suwarrow]]
===Table===


{| class="sortable wikitable"
{| class="sortable wikitable"
! Island<br />Group
! Island<br />group
! Island
! Island
! Area<br />(km<sup>2</sup>)
! Area<br />(km<sup>2</sup>)
! Population
! Population
! Density
! Density <br />(/km<sup>2</sup>)
|-
|-
| [[Northern Cook Islands|Northern]]
| Northern
| [[Penrhyn atoll|Penrhyn]]
| [[Penrhyn atoll]]
| style='text-align:right;' | 10
| style='text-align:right;' | 10
| style='text-align:right;' | 226
| style='text-align:right;' | 233
| style='text-align:right;' | 22.6
| style='text-align:right;' | 24
|-
|-
| [[Northern Cook Islands|Northern]]
| Northern
| [[Rakahanga]]
| [[Rakahanga]]
| style='text-align:right;' | 4
| style='text-align:right;' | 4
| style='text-align:right;' | 80
| style='text-align:right;' | 81
| style='text-align:right;' | 20.0
| style='text-align:right;' | 20
|-
|-
| [[Northern Cook Islands|Northern]]
| Northern
| [[Manihiki]]
| [[Manihiki]]
| style='text-align:right;' | 5
| style='text-align:right;' | 5
| style='text-align:right;' | 213
| style='text-align:right;' | 215
| style='text-align:right;' | 42.6
| style='text-align:right;' | 40
|-
|-
| [[Northern Cook Islands|Northern]]
| Northern
| [[Pukapuka]]
| [[Pukapuka]]
| style='text-align:right;' | 1
| style='text-align:right;' | 1
| style='text-align:right;' | 444
| style='text-align:right;' | 456
| style='text-align:right;' | 444.0
| style='text-align:right;' | 351
|-
|-
| [[Northern Cook Islands|Northern]]
| Northern
| [[Tema Reef]] (submerged)
| [[Tema Reef]] (submerged)
| style='text-align:right;' | 0
| style='text-align:right;' | 0
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| style='text-align:right;' | –
| style='text-align:right;' | –
|-
|-
| [[Northern Cook Islands|Northern]]
| Northern
| [[Nassau (Cook Islands)|Nassau]]
| [[Nassau (Cook Islands)|Nassau]]
| style='text-align:right;' | 1
| style='text-align:right;' | 1
| style='text-align:right;' | 78
| style='text-align:right;' | 92
| style='text-align:right;' | 78.0
| style='text-align:right;' | 71
|-
|-
| [[Northern Cook Islands|Northern]]
| Northern
| [[Suwarrow]]
| [[Suwarrow]]
| style='text-align:right;' | 0.4
| style='text-align:right;' | 0
| style='text-align:right;' | 0
| style='text-align:right;' | 0
| style='text-align:right;' | 0
| style='text-align:right;' | 0.0
|-
|-
| [[Geography of the Cook Islands#Southern Cook Islands|Southern]]
| Southern
| [[Palmerston Island|Palmerston]]
| [[Palmerston Island|Palmerston]]
| style='text-align:right;' | 2
| style='text-align:right;' | 2
| style='text-align:right;' | 58
| style='text-align:right;' | 25
| style='text-align:right;' | 28.0
| style='text-align:right;' | 12
|-
|-
| [[Geography of the Cook Islands#Southern Cook Islands|Southern]]
| Southern
| [[Aitutaki]]
| [[Aitutaki]]
| style='text-align:right;' | 18
| style='text-align:right;' | 18
| style='text-align:right;' | 1,928
| style='text-align:right;' | 1,782
| style='text-align:right;' | 107.1
| style='text-align:right;' | 97
|-
|-
| [[Geography of the Cook Islands#Southern Cook Islands|Southern]]
| Southern
| [[Manuae (Cook Islands)|Manuae]]
| [[Manuae (Cook Islands)|Manuae]]
| style='text-align:right;' | 6
| style='text-align:right;' | 6
| style='text-align:right;' | 0
| style='text-align:right;' | 0
| style='text-align:right;' | 0.0
| style='text-align:right;' | 0
|-
|-
| [[Geography of the Cook Islands#Southern Cook Islands|Southern]]
| Southern
| [[Takutea]]
| [[Takutea]]
| style='text-align:right;' | 1
| style='text-align:right;' | 1
| style='text-align:right;' | 0
| style='text-align:right;' | 0
| style='text-align:right;' | 0.0
| style='text-align:right;' | 0
|-
|-
| [[Geography of the Cook Islands#Southern Cook Islands|Southern]]
| Southern
| [[Mitiaro]]
| [[Mitiaro]]
| style='text-align:right;' | 22
| style='text-align:right;' | 22
| style='text-align:right;' | 155
| style='text-align:right;' | 155
| style='text-align:right;' | 7.1
| style='text-align:right;' | 7
|-
|-
| [[Geography of the Cook Islands#Southern Cook Islands|Southern]]
| Southern
| [[Atiu]]
| [[Atiu]]
| style='text-align:right;' | 27
| style='text-align:right;' | 27
| style='text-align:right;' | 437
| style='text-align:right;' | 383
| style='text-align:right;' | 16.2
| style='text-align:right;' | 14
|-
|-
| [[Geography of the Cook Islands#Southern Cook Islands|Southern]]
| Southern
| [[Mauke]]
| [[Mauke]]
| style='text-align:right;' | 18
| style='text-align:right;' | 18
| style='text-align:right;' | 297
| style='text-align:right;' | 249
| style='text-align:right;' | 16.5
| style='text-align:right;' | 14
|-
|-
| [[Geography of the Cook Islands#Southern Cook Islands|Southern]]
| Southern
| [[Winslow Reef, Cook Islands|Winslow Reef]] (submerged)
| [[Winslow Reef, Cook Islands|Winslow Reef]] (submerged)
| style='text-align:right;' | 0
| style='text-align:right;' | 0
Line 127: Line 108:
| style='text-align:right;' | –
| style='text-align:right;' | –
|-
|-
| [[Geography of the Cook Islands#Southern Cook Islands|Southern]]
| Southern
| [[Rarotonga]]
| [[Rarotonga]]
| style='text-align:right;' | 67
| style='text-align:right;' | 67
| style='text-align:right;' | 13,044
| style='text-align:right;' | 10,898
| style='text-align:right;' | 194.7
| style='text-align:right;' | 162
|-
|-
| [[Geography of the Cook Islands#Southern Cook Islands|Southern]]
| Southern
| [[Mangaia]]
| [[Mangaia]]
| style='text-align:right;' | 52
| style='text-align:right;' | 52
| style='text-align:right;' | 499
| style='text-align:right;' | 471
| style='text-align:right;' | 9.6
| style='text-align:right;' | 9
|-
|-
! Total  
! Total  
! Total
! Total
! style='text-align:right;' | 237
! style='text-align:right;' | 237
! style='text-align:right;' | 17,459
! style='text-align:right;' | 15,040
! style='text-align:right;' | 73.7
! style='text-align:right;' | 64
|}
|}


Note: The table is ordered from north to south. Population figures from the 2016 census.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mfem.gov.ck/census |title=Cook Islands Ministry of Finance and Economic Management, 2016 Census |access-date=11 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828062044/http://www.mfem.gov.ck/census |archive-date=28 August 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
The table is ordered from north to south, but can be re-ordered by any column. Figures are from the 2021 census.<ref name=Census2021>{{Cite web |title= Census of Population and Dwellings 2021 |publisher=Cook Islands Statistics Office |date=2022 |url= https://stats.gov.ck/download/83/census-2021/1497/2021-census-report-with-tables-and-questionnaire.pdf |page=17 |access-date=1 August 2025}}</ref>
 
==Climate==
The climate is tropical, moderated by trade winds, with a dry season from April to November and a more humid season from December to March.<ref>''The World Factbook''. CIA.</ref> The islands are in the path of tropical cyclones from December to March, the most notable of which were cyclones [[Cyclone Martin (1997)|Martin]] (1997) and [[Cyclone Percy|Percy]] (2005).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cook Islands climate: average weather, temperature, precipitation, best time |url= https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/cook-islands |website=www.climatestotravel.com |access-date=2020-08-11}}</ref>


== Statistics ==
== Statistics ==


; Area:
; Area:
:* Total: {{convert|236|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}
:* Land: {{convert|237|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on}}
:* Land: 236&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>
:* Water: 0&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>
; Area - comparative:
; Area - comparative:
: 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC
: 1.3 times the size of Washington, DC
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:* Continental shelf: {{convert|200|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on|lk=in}} or to the edge of the [[continental margin]]
:* Continental shelf: {{convert|200|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on|lk=in}} or to the edge of the [[continental margin]]
:* Exclusive economic zone: {{convert|200|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on}}
:* Exclusive economic zone: {{convert|200|nmi|km mi|1|abbr=on}}
; Climate:
: Tropical; moderated by trade winds; a dry season from April to November and a more humid season from December to March
; Terrain:
; Terrain:
: Low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south
: Low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south
Line 182: Line 162:
; Time Zone:
; Time Zone:
: UTC -10 (GMT -10)
: UTC -10 (GMT -10)
; Largest Island:
: [[Rarotonga]]
; Environment - international agreements
; Environment - international agreements
:* Party to: [[Biodiversity]], [[Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol]], [[Desertification]], Hazardous Wastes, [[Law of the Sea]], Ozone Layer Protection
:* Party to: [[Biodiversity]], [[Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol]], [[Desertification]], Hazardous Wastes, [[Law of the Sea]], Ozone Layer Protection
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[[Category:Geography of the Cook Islands| ]]
[[Category:Geography of the Cook Islands| ]]
{{CookIslands-geo-stub}}
Retrieved from "https://wiki.tachyony.co.uk/wiki/Geography_of_the_Cook_Islands"