rp21 situational analysis - Pacific Health Voices

2. Cook Islands
Population
11 870 (July 2009 est.)
Age 0–14 years: 27.1%
15–64 years: 63.7%
65 years and over: 9.2% (2009 est.)
Gender
Literacy
Total population: 1.07 male(s)/female (2009 est.)
Definition: Not available
Total population: 95%
Male: Not available
Female: Not available
Unemployment 13.1% (2005) (#144)
Employment by sector Agriculture: 15.1%
Industry: 9.6%
Services: 75.3% (2004)
Currency
Exchange rate
New Zealand dollar (NZ$)
Per US dollar: 1.4151 (2008 est.)
33
Source:
2.1 Introduction
The Cook Islands are located in the South
Pacific between Niue, Samoa and French
Polynesia. 130 The country is made up of 15
islands and atolls covering an estimated
total land area of 241 square kilometres. 131
The Islands form part of a self-governing
parliamentary democracy named after Captain
Cook. The Cook Islands became a British
protectorate in 1888. By 1900, administrative
control was transferred to New Zealand, and
in 1965 residents chose self-government in
free association with New Zealand.
130 K. Alexeyeff (2008), Neoliberalism, mobility and Cook Islands men in transit. The Australian
Journal of Anthropology, 19(2): 136–149, quoting data from Statistics New Zealand.
131 AusAID, Cook Islands Country Program, available at: (accessed December 2008).
Cook Islands