1 April - 31 March

:Cook Islands Communications

Highways:
187 km total (1980); 35 km paved, 35 km gravel, 84 km improved earth, 33 km
unimproved earth
Ports:
Avatiu
Merchant marine:
1 cargo ship (1,000 or over) totaling 1,464 GRT/2,181 DWT
Civil air:
no major transport aircraft
Airports:
6 total, 6 usable; 1 with permanent-surface runways; none with runways over
2,439 m; 4 with runways 1,220-2,439 m
Telecommunications:
broadcast stations - 2 AM, no FM, no TV; 10,000 radio receivers; 2,052
telephones; 1 Pacific Ocean INTELSAT earth station

:Cook Islands Defense Forces

Note:
defense is the responsibility of New Zealand

:Coral Sea Islands Geography

Total area:
less than 3 km2
Land area:
less than 3 km2; includes numerous small islands and reefs scattered over a
sea area of about 1 million km2, with Willis Islets the most important
Comparative area:
undetermined
Land boundaries:
none
Coastline:
3,095 km
Maritime claims:
Exclusive fishing zone:
200 nm
Territorial sea:
3 nm
Disputes:
none
Climate:
tropical
Terrain:
sand and coral reefs and islands (or cays)
Natural resources:
negligible
Land use:
arable land 0%; permanent crops 0%; meadows and pastures 0%; forest and
woodland 0%; other, mostly grass or scrub cover 100%; Lihou Reef Reserve and
Coringa-Herald Reserve were declared National Nature Reserves on 3 August
1982
Environment:
subject to occasional tropical cyclones; no permanent fresh water; important
nesting area for birds and turtles
Note:
the islands are located just off the northeast coast of Australia in the
Coral Sea

:Coral Sea Islands People

Population:
3 meteorologists (1992)

:Coral Sea Islands Government

Long-form name:
Coral Sea Islands Territory
Type:
territory of Australia administered by the Minister for Arts, Sport, the
Environment, Tourism, and Territories Roslyn KELLY
Capital:
none; administered from Canberra, Australia
Flag:
the flag of Australia is used

:Coral Sea Islands Economy

Overview:
no economic activity

:Coral Sea Islands Communications

Ports:
none; offshore anchorages only

:Coral Sea Islands Defense Forces

Note:
defense is the responsibility of Australia; visited regularly by the Royal
Australian Navy; Australia has control over the activities of visitors

:C