Cook Islands lie in the South Pacific Ocean, about 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometers) northeast of New Zealand. The 15 islands of the Cook group are spread out over 850,000 square miles (2.2 million square kilometers) of ocean. They have a total land area of 91 square miles (236 square kilometers) and a total coastline of 90 miles (145 kilometers). The main islands include Rarotonga, Mangaia, Atiu, Aitutaki, and Mauke. The capital, Avarua, is on the northern shore of Rarotonga. The southern islands have fertile soil and a mild climate. Tourism is the major industry in the Cook Islands. Most of the 18,000 people are Polynesians.
The Cook Islands were named after Captain James Cook, who in 1773 became the first known European to reach them. The United Kingdom took control of the islands in 1888. The islands came under direct control of New Zealand in 1901. Many Cook Islanders moved to New Zealand in search of job opportunities. A new constitution gave the islanders control of their internal affairs in 1965. Today, the islands have an arrangement with New Zealand called free association. Under free association, the islands are self-governing, the people are citizens of New Zealand, and New Zealand offers the islands military support for defense.
