ost of the Congo River boundary with the
Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite (no agreement has
been reached on the division of the river or its islands, except in
the Stanley Pool/Pool Malebo area)

======================================================================

@Cook Islands
------------

Introduction

Background: Named after Captain Cook, who sighted them in 1770,
the islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900,
administrative control was transferred to New Zealand. Residents
chose self-government with free association with New Zealand in
1965. The emigration of Cook Islanders to New Zealand in large
numbers and resulting loss of skilled labor and government deficits
are continuing problems.

Geography

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

Land boundaries: 0 km

Coastline: 120 km

Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

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: 9%
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, Desertication, Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

People

Population: 20,200 (July 1999 est.)

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

Population growth rate: 1.04% (1999 est.)

Birth rate: 22.35 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Death rate: 5.2 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Net migration rate: -6.75 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 24.7 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 71.14 years
male: 69.2