| Location : |
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand |
| Geographic Coordinates : |
21 14 S, 159 46 W |
| Map References : |
Oceania |
| Area : |
total: 240 sq km
land: 240 sq km
water: 0 sq km |
| Area - Comparative : |
1.3 times the size of Washington, DC |
| Coastline : |
120 km |
| Maritime Claims : |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin |
| Climate : |
tropical; moderated by trade winds |
| Terrain : |
low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south |
| Elevation Extremes : |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Te Manga 652 m |
| Natural Resources : |
NEGL |
| Land Use : |
arable land: 17.39%
permanent crops: 13.04%
other: 69.57% (2001) |
| Natural Hazards : |
typhoons (November to March) |
| Environment - International Agreements : |
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
| Geography - Note : |
The northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles where most of the populace lives. |
