World Factbook
Cook Islands
Last updated: 2026-03-28 (today)
Area
land
236 sq km
water
0 sq km
total
236 sq km
Climate
tropical oceanic; moderated by trade winds; a dry season from April to November and a more humid season from December to March
Terrain
low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south
Land use
other
27.1% (2023 est.)
forest
65% (2023 est.)
agricultural land
7.9% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: arable land
arable land: 2.1% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent crops
permanent crops: 5.8% (2023 est.)
agricultural land: permanent pasture
permanent pasture: 0% (2022 est.)
Location
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand
Coastline
120 km
Elevation
lowest point
Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point
Te Manga 652 m
Irrigated land
NA
Map references
Oceania
Land boundaries
total
0 km
Maritime claims
territorial sea
12 nm
continental shelf
200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
exclusive economic zone
200 nm
Natural hazards
tropical cyclones (November to March)
Geography - note
the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands, where most of the population lives, consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles, including the largest, Rarotonga, at 67 sq km
Natural resources
coconuts (copra)
Area - comparative
1.3 times the size of Washington, D.C.
Geographic coordinates
21 14 S, 159 46 W
Population distribution
most of the population is found on the island of Rarotonga