Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand

Geographic coordinates:
21 14 S, 159 46 W

Map references:
Oceania

Area:
total: 236 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 236 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 0 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 215

Area - comparative:
1.3 times the size of Washington, DC

Land boundaries:
0 km

Coastline:
120 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - territorial sea country ranks ]
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
[see also: Maritime claims - exclusive economic zone country ranks ]
continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
[see also: Maritime claims - continental shelf country ranks ]

Climate:
tropical oceanic; moderated by trade winds; a dry season from April to November and a more humid season from December to March

Terrain:
low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south

Elevation:
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Te Manga 652 m

Natural resources:
coconuts (copra)

Land use:
agricultural land: 8.4% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 4.2% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 4.2% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 0% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 64.6% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 27% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
NA
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population distribution:
most of the population is found on the island of Rarotonga

Natural hazards:
tropical cyclones (November to March)

Environment - current issues:
limited land presents solid and liquid waste disposal problems; soil destruction and deforestation; environmental degradation due to indiscriminant use of pesticides; improper disposal of pollutants; overfishing and destructive fishing practices; over dredging of lagoons and coral rubble beds; unregulated building

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection

Geography - note:
the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands, where most of the population lives, consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles, including the largest, Rarotonga, at 67 sq km