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
water: 0 sq km
land: 240 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
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 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: 17%
permanent crops: 13%
other: 70% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land NA sq km

Natural hazards typhoons (November to March)

Environment - current issues NA

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles where most of the populace lives

NOTE: The information regarding Cook Islands on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Cook Islands Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Cook Islands Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.