permanent crops: 13%
permanent pastures: NA%
forests and woodland: NA%
other: 78% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: NA sq km

Natural hazards: typhoons (November to March)

Environment-current issues: NA

Environment-international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: NA

@Cook Islands:People

Population: 19,989 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA
65 years and over: NA

Population growth rate: 1.06% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 22.52 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 5.2 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.71 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.14 years
male: 69.2 years
female: 73.1 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 3.19 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Cook Islander(s)
adjective: Cook Islander

Ethnic groups: Polynesian (full blood) 81.3%, Polynesian and European
7.7%, Polynesian and non-European 7.7%, European 2.4%, other 0.9%

Religions: Christian (majority of populace are members of the Cook
Islands Christian Church)

Languages: English (official), Maori

Literacy: NA

@Cook Islands:Government

Country name:
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Cook Islands

Data code: CW

Dependency status: self-governing in free association with New
Zealand; Cook Islands is fully responsible for internal affairs; New
Zealand retains responsibility for external affairs, in consultation
with the Cook Islands

Government type: self-governing parliamentary democracy

National capital: Avarua

Administrative divisions: none

Independence: none (became self-governing in free association with New
Zealand on 4 August 1965 and has the right at any time to move to full
independence by unilateral action)

National holiday: Constitution Day, 4 August

Constitution: 4 August 1965

Legal system: based on New Zealand law and English common law

Suffrage: NA years of age; universal adult

Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II of the UK (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Apenera SHORT (since NA); New Zealand High Commissioner
Jon JONESSEN (since NA January 1998), representative of New Zealand
head of government: Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey A. HENRY (since 1
February 1989); Deputy Prime Minister Inatio AKAR