Capital: Avarua
Languages: English and Māori (official)
Population: Abt. 11,000
Area: 240 Sq km
GDP (PPP): $183.2 million (2005)
GDP Per capita: NZ$9,100 (2005)
The Cook Islands is deep in the South Pacific, between French Polynesia and American Samoa. Though Captain Cook's seamen were delighted by the islands' ladies, the culture of the Cook Islands has been since overwhelmed by Scottish Presbyterianism.
The tropical climate is pleasant all year round, except for the rainy and hurricane season (November - March).
The only people allowed to buy houses, aside from nationals, are those who have owned a business in the Cook Islands for the last three years. Land in the Cook Islands is customarily owned, and cannot be bought freehold. The maximum lease obtainable by a non-Cook Islander is 60 years.
All lease agreements over five years require approval from the Leases Approval Committee. Foreign Enterprise registration by the Development Investment Board is a pre-requisite for lease assignments to non-Cook Islanders.