The Cooks were owned at one time by New Zealand.  They gained their independence in 1965, but still rely on the Kiwis for their currency, protection and other services.The Cooks consist of 15 small islands and atolls and is divided into two groups, the Northern Group and the Southern Group, and is scattered over some 850,000 square miles (an area as big as India) but is home to only 14,000 people.  Rarotonga, the largest island at 67 sq km, lies within the southern group and is home to some 8000 residents.  The main township of Avarua is the center for administration and shopping.  The islands are in the same time zone as Hawaii and are west of Tonga and east of Tahiti. The southern group also includes Aitutaki (pop. 1937), Mangaia (745), Atiu (622), Mauke (468), Mitiaro (230), Palmerston (48), Takutea and Manuae. 

 The more scattered northern group consists of Pukapuka (664), Manihiki (516), Penrhyn (357), Rakahanga (161), Nassau (69) and Suwarrow (4). The main two islands that people visit are the capital, Rarotonga, and a small atoll, Aitutaki.  Click on Rarotonga and Aitutaki above to visit each island.

The first people to arrive in the Cooks on ocean-going canoes were from French Polynesia who arrived in 800 A.D. during the Great Polynesian Migration which began in 1500 B.C.  The land was divided among six tribes, each one headed by a tribal king or high chief (Ariki).  Today, every member of the Cook Islands society belongs to one of the six family clans. 
 

In the 11th century, a chief named Toi, built the first coral road in Rarotonga, called Ara Metua.  The Spanish explorers first sighted the islands in the 1500's and in 1773, Captain James Cook sighted the Manuae atoll.  Capt. William Bligh sighted Aitutaki in 1789.  The Cooks official discovery is credited to Captain Philip Goodenough in the ship, the Cumberland, in 1814.   In 1888, Captain Edmund Bourke of the British Admiralty hoisted the British Flag on Rarotonga and claim the islands to be part of the British Dominions.  New Zealand annexed the Cooks in June of 1901 and the islands became self-governing in August of 1965.   

Queen Gina and Ariki Paul on Aitutaki.   Descendants of the original founders of the Cook Islands.

The first missionaries arrived in 1821, when Rev. John Williams of the London Missionary Society, landed on Aitutaki, followed by Papeiha, a Christian convert from Raiatea in 1823.  The church is an integral part of the society of the Cook Islands today.  Missionaries have exerted a powerful influence over Cook Islands society.  The people are avid churchgoers and churches are spread throughout the islands.  The Cook Islanders are known for their wonderful singing and a highlight of any visit is to attend a church service.

The Parliament of the Cook Islands located in Rarotonga.

The government of the Cook Islands operates on the Westminster parliamentary system, with a Legislative Assembly of 24 members.  A single member represents the Cook Islanders in New Zealand.   There is a Prime Minister and an upper house (House of Ariki).  Parliament is elected every five years and meets several times a year at the Parliament Building, near the airport in Rarotonga.  Today all Cook Islanders hold New Zealand citizenship.

Cook Islanders speak their own version of Maori, but everyone also speaks English - and they are among the friendliest people in the world!  Add to that the current favorable exchange rate, the warm tropical climate, gorgeous, unspoiled  beaches and a few crusty South Seas characters right out of Maugham and you have the perfect vacation.