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Tourism is the country's number one industry, the leading element of the economy, far ahead of offshore banking, pearls, marine and fruit exports. A popular art form on the islands is tivaivai, often likened to quilting. Defence is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request. In recent times, the Cook Islands has adopted an increasingly independent foreign policy. PoliticsPolitics of the Cook Islands takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic associated state, whereby the Queen of New Zealand, represented in the Cook Islands by the Queen's Representative, is Head of State, and the Chief Minister is the head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. The Islands are self-governing in free association with New Zealand and are fully responsible for internal affairs. New Zealand retains some responsibility for external affairs, in consultation with the Cook Islands. In recent years the Cook Islands has taken on more of its own external affairs and as of 2005 has diplomatic relations in its own name with 18 other countries. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the Parliament of the Cook Islands. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
GeographyThe Cook Islands are in the South Pacific Ocean, north-east of New Zealand, between French Polynesia and Fiji. There are fifteen major islands, spread over 2.2 million square kilometres of ocean, divided into two distinct groups: the Southern Cook Islands, and the Northern Cook Islands of coral atolls. The islands were formed by volcanic activity; the northern group is older and consists of six atolls (sunken volcanoes topped by coral growth). The climate is moderate to tropical. The 15 islands are grouped as follows:
High Cook Islands
Aitutaki;
Atiu (Enua-Manu or Island of Birds);
Mangaia;
Mauke;
Rarotonga (with capital, Avarua);
Low islands of the Southern group
Manuae;
Mitiaro;
Takutea;
Northern Cook Islands
Manihiki;
Nassau;
Palmerston Island;
Penrhyn Island also known as Tongareva;
Pukapuka;
Rakahanga;
Suwarrow also called Suvorov;
HistoryThe Cook Islands were first settled in the sixth century by Polynesian peoples who migrated from nearby Tahiti, to the southeast. • [List your site here Free!]
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