Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Cook Islands
History
Geography
Cook Islands Pictures
The Cook Islands were first settled in the sixth century by Polynesian peoples who migrated from nearby Tahiti, to the southeast.
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". Another 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; Cook named the Cook Islands the Hervey Islands; the name ‘Cook Islands’ was given by the Russians in honour of Cook when they published a Russian naval chart in the early 1880s.
In 1813, John Williams, a missionary on the Endeavour (not the same ship as Cook's), made the first official sighting of the Island Rarotonga. The first recorded landing 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. Then 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. The first Prime Minister Sir Albert Henry led the county until 1978 when he was accused of vote-rigging.
Today, the Cook Islands are essentially independent, (self-governing in free association with New Zealand) but are still officially placed under New Zealand sovereignty. New Zealand is tasked with overseeing the country's foreign relations and defence. The Cook Islands are one of three New Zealand dependencies, along with Tokelau and Niue.
After achieving autonomy in 1965, the Cook Islands elected Albert Henry of the Cook Islands Party as their first Prime Minister. He was succeeded in 1978 by Tom Davis of the Democratic Party.
On June 11, 1980, the United States 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, Pukapuka (Danger), Manihiki, and Rakahanga.
In 2006, the British television station Channel 4 broadcast the show Shipwrecked (TV series), which was filmed in the Cook Islands.
The Fall 2006 (13th) season of CBS's Survivor was filmed in the Cook Islands over the summer of the same year (Survivor: Cook Islands).
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". Another 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; Cook named the Cook Islands the Hervey Islands; the name ‘Cook Islands’ was given by the Russians in honour of Cook when they published a Russian naval chart in the early 1880s.
In 1813, John Williams, a missionary on the Endeavour (not the same ship as Cook's), made the first official sighting of the Island Rarotonga. The first recorded landing 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. Then 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. The first Prime Minister Sir Albert Henry led the county until 1978 when he was accused of vote-rigging.
Today, the Cook Islands are essentially independent, (self-governing in free association with New Zealand) but are still officially placed under New Zealand sovereignty. New Zealand is tasked with overseeing the country's foreign relations and defence. The Cook Islands are one of three New Zealand dependencies, along with Tokelau and Niue.
After achieving autonomy in 1965, the Cook Islands elected Albert Henry of the Cook Islands Party as their first Prime Minister. He was succeeded in 1978 by Tom Davis of the Democratic Party.
On June 11, 1980, the United States 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, Pukapuka (Danger), Manihiki, and Rakahanga.
In 2006, the British television station Channel 4 broadcast the show Shipwrecked (TV series), which was filmed in the Cook Islands.
The Fall 2006 (13th) season of CBS's Survivor was filmed in the Cook Islands over the summer of the same year (Survivor: Cook Islands).
Geography
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 15 islands are grouped as follows:
* High Cook Islands
o Aitutaki
o Atiu (Enua-Manu or Island of Birds)
o Mangaia
o Mauke
o Rarotonga (with capital, Avarua)
* Low islands of the Southern group
o Manuae
o Mitiaro
o Takutea
* Northern Cook Islands
o Manihiki
o Nassau
o Palmerston Island
o Penrhyn Island also known as Tongareva
o Pukapuka
o Rakahanga
o Suwarrow also called Suvorov
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 15 islands are grouped as follows:
* High Cook Islands
o Aitutaki
o Atiu (Enua-Manu or Island of Birds)
o Mangaia
o Mauke
o Rarotonga (with capital, Avarua)
* Low islands of the Southern group
o Manuae
o Mitiaro
o Takutea
* Northern Cook Islands
o Manihiki
o Nassau
o Palmerston Island
o Penrhyn Island also known as Tongareva
o Pukapuka
o Rakahanga
o Suwarrow also called Suvorov
Cook Islands Pictures
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