Looking for interesting facts about the Cook Islands? The Cook Islands are some of the most pristine and beautiful islands in the world. Located in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean, they are also pretty mysterious to most travelers. This article will cover some of the most interesting Cook Islands facts to know before you go.
When I told friends and family that I was heading off to the Cook Islands, the general response was “Where is that?”
And I don’t blame them. The Cook Islands are shrouded in a bit of mystery for most people. You don’t usually come across too much information on the Cook Islands in North America.
This collection of islands is sits in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean, with neighbors like Fiji, Samoa, and Moorea not-so-nearby.
After visiting the beautiful paradise, I just about fell in love. The Cook Islands sits in some of the bluest water I have ever seen.
In this article, I will share the most interesting facts about the Cook Islands that I learned while traveling. Some of them are educational and some are downright quirky! Let’s dive in.
23 Fun Cook Islands Facts
Here are some fun facts about the Cook Islands – a beautiful tropical paradise!
1. Cook Islands is made up of 15 islands.
Unlike nations like French Polynesia, which is made up of over 100 islands, the Cook Islands stretches across only 15.
These 15 islands are spread across roughly 850,000 square miles of ocean, and the individual islands vary in size and land mass.
2. The islands comprise 91 square miles of land.
Though the Cook Islands span a large area of water, the land mass is only about 91 square miles, in total.
That is smaller than French Polynesia and larger than Aruba.
3. The capital is Avarua.
Cook Island’s capital city is called Avarua, though it is not really a city at all. At least not in the way that we are used to in the USA.
Avarua is a town and district in the north of the island of Rarotonga. This is where most visitors will fly into, via the Rarotonga International Airport. The population of Avarua District is 4,906 people.
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4. The Cook Islands are part of New Zealand. Sort of.
The Cook Islands is a self-governing nation, but the country remains in a free association with New Zealand.
This means that while the Cook Islands runs it’s own domestic government, it also relies on New Zealand for defense and foreign affairs. This is very similar to French Polynesia‘s association with France and Aruba‘s association with the Netherlands.
Cook Islanders are automatically born citizens of New Zealand and can freely live and work there.
5. There are more Cook Islanders in New Zealand than there are in the Cook Islands.
There are roughly 17,000 people living in the Cook Islands as a whole. But, there are up to 65,000 Cook Islanders living in New Zealand!
This Cook Island fact was sad to learn, actually, because the beauty of the Cook Islands is so real. It’s hard to imagine ever wanting to leave.
But, for economic reasons, and for education, many young Cook Islanders leave their beautiful country for opportunities abroad.
6. Most of the population lives on Rarotonga.
Most of the Cook Islands population is concentrated on Rarotonga, the island of the capital. Roughly 15,000 people are based on here.
And, nearly 5,000 of them live in the Avarua District. Needless to say, Rarotonga is the busiest island of all 15, though I would not actually call it “busy.”
7. You can drive around Rarotonga in less than one hour.
Rarotonga, the largest island in the Cook Islands, can be circled in around 40 minutes by car. It is a short but extremely beautiful drive!
8. There are no traffic lights in the Cook Islands.
Would you believe that there are no traffic lights in the Cook Islands?
You’ll find a few roundabouts and stop signs in Avarua, but otherwise it is smooth sailing. In my experience, the roads are never crowded and everything moves on “Island Time” so it is a non-issue.
9. The official currency of the Cook Islands is the New Zealand Dollar.
Because of their long partnership with new Zealand of sorts, the Cook Islands and New Zealand are intertwined in many ways. The islands use the New Zealand Dollar as their official currency.
But, the Cook Islands has triangle coins exclusive to their country, which are probably the coolest coins I’ve ever received!
Find out more about money matters in my Cook Islands Travel Guide.
10. They also have their own paper bill.
The Cook Islands has their own 3$ paper bill in circulation, too.
One of my boat captains said it depicts the Cook Islands’ legend of Ina and the Shark. The legend goes something like this.
Once upon a time in the Cook Islands lived Ina. Ina was a brave maiden who embarked on a journey to visit the divine Tinirau, the God of the Ocean, on a neighboring island. She hopped on a sharks back to catch a ride.
As the voyage went on, her stomach growled with hunger, leading her to crack open one of the coconuts she had – on the shark’s head. Alas, the shark, feeling offended, gave her a sudden shake.
Ina lost her balance and fell off of the shark, and was ultimately devoured by the shark.
On the bright side, she now has her onw 3$ bill, which is pretty rad.
11. You’ll meet a lot of dogs on Rarotonga…
I did walk to some of the closer Rarotonga attractions while visiting. And on those walks, I sometimes encountered dogs roaming around.
These dogs, through some look stray, typically belong to locals.
12. But not on Aitutaki.
Alternately, I only ever saw cats on Aitutaki. There are no dogs here, as in not even one.
On my day trip from Rarotonga to Aitutaki, a local told me that they plan to keep it that way. My understanding was that they didn’t want strays running around. I guess cats rule on Aitutaki.
13. No building can be taller than a coconut tree – by law.
It is 100% true – legally, no building is allowed to be taller than a coconut tree.
After a local told me about this law, I started to notice how low to the ground the architecture is on both Rarotonga and Aitutaki. The reason being, they are not allowed to obstruct the view.
I am in full support of this! It keeps the amazing ocean view visible and frankly helps to retain the Cook Island’s charm. Of all the strange and interesting Cook Islands facts, this has to be my favorite one!
14. The Cook Islands is the world’s second largest producer of Black Pearls.
The Cook Islands are known for their commercial cultivation of the exquisite black pearl. In fact, they rank as the second-largest global producer, after Tahiti.
Fun Fact: I got to learn all about the history of pearl farming at Suwaidi Pearls in the UAE. While on the other side of the planet, it is a fascinating process!
15. There are no venomous snakes or spiders on the islands.
Arachnophobes, rejoice! You do not have to worry about poisonous spiders on the Cook Islands. And, no poisonous snakes, either.
While there are a couple of ocean annoyances and insects to avoid, overall, you can feel safe. For those trying to avoid poisonous creatures, this will likely be your favorite of all the facts about Cook Islands!
Pro Tip: When I travel, I always use these bug wipe towelettes! Why? Because they take up zero ounces of your TSA-allowed liquids! Simply stash them in your suitcase and forget about them until later. Get yours here.
16. Captain James Cook never set foot on the Cook Islands
The famous Captain James Cook, who was a British explorer and the first to map out the South Pacific, never actually set foot on the Cook Islands.
But, the islands are named after him. Seriously.
He simply sailed through and I guess he thought “Nothing to see here.” (Spoiler alert, he was wrong!)
After originally being named the Harvey Islands, the Cook Islands got a rebrand when a cartographer renamed them to honor James Cook much later.
17. Maori in the Cook Islands is different than Maori in New Zealand.
Maori is one of the native and official languages of the Cook Islands.
While Cook Islands Maori has some similarities to New Zealand Maori, it is decidedly not the same language at all.
There is another official language on the islands called Pukapukan, which is completely different from either Maori dialect.
18. Every child in the Cook Islands learns to sing and dance.
The Cook Islanders are very proud of their traditions and culture, like singing and dancing, as they should be. It is in fact mandatory that every child on the island takes classes in such art forms and traditions.
I experienced evidence of this on my Vaka Cruise. Every single crew member on the boat played an instrument or sang, and did so well! It is one of my strongest memories of the trip to this day.
19. There are nine airports across the Cook Islands.
There are nine airports on the Cook Islands. And yes, it seems a bit excesive, since there are only 15 islands total!
There is one international airport, Rarotonga International Airport. The other eight airports provide local or charter flight services.
20. But only two of them are paved.
Out of the nine airports in the country, only Rarotonga and Aitutaki Airport have paved runways. The other airports use crushed coral runways for takeoff and landing.
21. This is absolutely the most untouched slice of Earth that I’ve ever seen.
The shades of turquoise that I saw here are indescribable. It is clear and clean and pristine – and frankly indescribable unless you see it for yourself.
The blue of the water is a very different shade than anywhere else. It is different than in Moorea, or in Aruba, or in the Dominican Republic. Even Zanzibar couldn’t compete! It was unreal.
The crystal clear waters and pristine beaches absolutely blew my mind.
I can’t think of one other country I’ve been to where I didn’t see plastic water bottles strewn about or a stray piece of trash near the ocean. The Cook Islands provides just such a paradise.
22. American “Survivor” was filmed in the Cook Islands.
Survivor US’s Season 13 was filmed in Aitutaki.
The exact area was pointed out to me on my visit, among the small islets on the beautiful island. Of all the facts about the Cook Islands here, television buffs will appreciae this one most.
23. You can get your passport stamped on “One Foot Island.”
One Foot Island is situated in Aitutaki atoll, in close proximity to the outer reef. It can be reached by a 15-minute speedboat ride from the main island of Aitutaki.
One Foot Island got its name because it resembles a large left foot from above. Once on the island, you can get your passport stamped with a foot-shaped stamp to commemorate your trip.
Find out how to book your Aitutaki day trip here.
Final Thoughts: Interesting Facts About The Cook Islands
I hope that these 23 facts about the Cook Islands has opened your eyes to what an incredible place this is. It is a true paradise, unlike anywhere else I have seen.
Just writing about all of these interesting Cook Islands facts has got me dreaming of going back soon. I can’t recommend Cook Islands travel enough!
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