|
Location:
|
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
|
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
21 14 S, 159 46 W
|
|
Map references:
|
Oceania
|
|
Area:
|
total: 240 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 240 sq km
|
|
Area - comparative:
|
1.3 times the size of Washington, DC
|
|
Land boundaries:
|
0 km
|
|
Coastline:
|
120 km
|
|
Maritime claims:
|
continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
|
|
Climate:
|
tropical; moderated by trade winds
|
|
Terrain:
|
low coral atolls in north; volcanic, hilly islands in south
|
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Te Manga 652 m
|
|
Natural resources:
|
NEGL
|
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 17.39%
permanent crops: 13.04%
other: 69.57% (1998 est.)
|
|
Irrigated land:
|
NA sq km
|
|
Natural hazards:
|
typhoons (November to March)
|
|
Environment - current issues:
|
NA
|
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Law of the Sea
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
|
|
Geography - note:
|
the northern Cook Islands are seven low-lying, sparsely populated, coral atolls; the southern Cook Islands consist of eight elevated, fertile, volcanic isles where most of the populace lives
|
