Cook Islands

The Cook Islands is a self-governing island country in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand. It comprises 15 islands whose total land area is 240 square kilometres. The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone covers 1,960,027 square kilometres of ocean.The Cook Islands is in free association with New Zealand. Since 2001, the Cook Islands has directed its own foreign and defence policy, though it has no armed forces and therefore relies on New Zealand for its defence. In recent decades, the Cook Islands have adopted an increasingly assertive foreign policy, and a Cook Islander, Henry Puna, currently serves as Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum. Most Cook Islanders are citizens of New Zealand, but they also have the status of Cook Islands nationals, which is not given to other New Zealand citizens. The Cook Islands have been an active member of the Pacific Community since 1980.