Cook Islands Accommodation

Many people like to get accommodation in ther Cook Islands. Some may want to stay at villas, houses, accommodation, homes, apartments, flats, cabins, cottages in the island region. Some may want to stay at hotels in the region. Some may want to stay at accommodation that has a good reputation.

Some may want to stay at accommodation in the region. Some may want to get cheap or luxury accommodation in the region. Some may want access to cheap or luxury accommodation in the island region. Some may want to have accommodation for a vacation or have a permanent accommodation. Some may want to invest in accommodation in the island region.

The Cook Islands (Cook Islands Ma-ori: Ku-ki 'A-irani) are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. The fifteen small islands in this South Pacific Ocean country have a total land area of 240 square kilometres (92.7 sq mi).

Defence is the responsibility of New Zealand, in consultation with the Cook Islands and at its request. In recent times, the Cook Islands have adopted an increasingly independent foreign policy.

The Cook Islands are in the South Pacific Ocean, north-east of New Zealand, between French Polynesia and Fiji. There are fifteen major islands, spread over 2.2 million square kilometres of ocean, divided into two distinct groups: the Southern Cook Islands, and the Northern Cook Islands of coral atolls.

The islands were formed by volcanic activity; the northern group is older and consists of six atolls (sunken volcanoes topped by coral growth). The climate is moderate to tropical.

The fifteen islands and two reefs are grouped as follows:

Nga-pu-Toru ("Three Roots", easternmost islands of Southern Group)
Atiu (Enua-Manu or Island of Birds)
Ma'uke (Akatokamanava)
Mitiaro (Nukuroa)

Lower Cook Islands - remaining islands
Aitutaki (Araura Enua)
Mangaia (Auau Enua)
Rarotonga (Tumutevarovaro)and also with the capital, Avarua.
Palmerston Island (sometimes grouped with the Northern Group)
Manuae
Takutea
Winslow Reef (submerged)

Northern Cook Islands
Manihiki
Nassau
Penrhyn Island (Tongareva or Saku)
Pukapuka (Mangarongaro)
Rakahanga
Suwarrow also called Suvorov
Tema Reef (submerged)

The Cook Islands were first settled in the 6th century A.D. by Polynesian people who migrated from nearby Tahiti, to the southeast.[7]

Spanish ships visited the islands in the late sixteenth century; the first written record of contact with the Islands came with the sighting of Pukapuka by Spanish sailor Álvaro de Mendaña in 1595 who called it San Bernardo ("Saint Bernard"). Portuguese-Spaniard Pedro Fernández de Quirós, made the first recorded European landing in the islands when he set foot on Rakahanga in 1606, calling it Gente Hermosa ("Beautiful People").

British navigator Captain James Cook arrived in 1773 and 1779 and named the islands the Hervey Islands; the name "Cook Islands", in honour of Cook, appeared on a Russian naval chart published in the 1820s.

In 1813, John Williams, a missionary on the Endeavour (not the same ship as that of Cook), made the first official sighting of the island of Rarotonga.[9]

The first recorded landing on Rarotonga by Europeans was in 1814 by the Cumberland; trouble broke out between the sailors and the Islanders and many were killed on both sides.

The islands saw no more Europeans until missionaries arrived from England in 1821. Christianity quickly took hold in the culture and many islanders continue to be Christian believers today.

The Cook Islands became a British protectorate at their own request in 1888, mainly to thwart French expansionism. They were transferred to New Zealand in 1901. They remained a New Zealand protectorate until 1965, at which point they became a self-governing territory in free association with New Zealand. In that year, Albert Henry of the Cook Islands Party was elected as the first Prime Minister. Sir Albert Henry led the country until he was accused of vote-rigging. He was succeeded in 1978 by Tom Davis of the Democratic Party.

Today, the Cook Islands are essentially independent ("self-governing in free association with New Zealand") but New Zealand is tasked with overseeing the country's defence.

On June 11, 1980, the USA signed a treaty with New Zealand specifying the maritime border between the Cook Islands and American Samoa and also relinquishing its claim to the islands of Penrhyn Island, Pukapuka (Danger), Manihiki, and Rakahanga.

Rugby union is the most popular sport in the Cook Islands with football (soccer) and rugby league also popular.

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