bati; Cook Islands Labor Party, Rena Jonassen; Cook Islands People's Party,
Sadaraka Sadaraka

Suffrage: universal adult at age NA

Elections:
Parliament--last held 19 January 1989 (next to be held by
January 1994); results--percent of vote by party NA;
seats--(24 total) Cook Islands Party 12, Democratic
Tumu Party 2, opposition coalition (including Democratic Party) 9,
independent 1

Member of: ADB, ESCAP (associate member), IDA, IFC, IMF, SPEC,
SPF

Diplomatic representation: none (self-governing in free association
with New Zealand)

Flag: blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant
and a large circle of 15 white five-pointed stars (one for every island)
centered in the outer half of the flag

- Economy
Overview: Agriculture provides the economic base. The major export
earners are fruit, copra, and clothing. Manufacturing activities are limited to
a fruit-processing plant and several clothing factories. Economic development
is hindered by the isolation of the islands from foreign markets and a lack of
natural resources and good transportation links. A large trade deficit is
annually made up for by remittances from emigrants and from foreign aid. Current
economic development plans call for exploiting the tourism potential and
expanding the fishing industry.

GDP: $40.0 million, per capita $2,200 (1988 est.); real growth rate
5.3% (1986-88 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.0% (1988)

Unemployment rate: NA%

Budget: revenues $33.8 million; expenditures $34.4 million,
including capital expenditures of $NA (1990 est.)

Exports: $4.0 million (f.o.b., 1988);
commodities--copra, fresh and canned fruit, clothing;
partners--NZ 80%, Japan

Imports: $38.7 million (c.i.f., 1988);
commodities--foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber;
partners--NZ 49%, Japan, Australia, US

External debt: $NA

Industrial production: growth rate NA%

Electricity: 4,800 kW capacity; 15 million kWh produced,
830 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries: fruit processing, tourism

Agriculture: export crops--copra, citrus fruits, pineapples,
tomatoes, bananas; subsistence crops--yams, taro

Aid: Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments
(1970-89), $128 million

Currency: New Zealand dollar (plural--dollars); 1 New Zealand
dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents

Exchange rates: New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1--1.6581 (January
1990), 1.6708 (1989), 1.5244 (1988), 1.6886 (1987), 1.9088 (1986), 2.00