COOK ISLANDS - GEOGRAPHY
News: The tiny nation at the
vanguard of mining the ocean floor
What's in the news?
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The Cook Islands is leading efforts to explore
deep-sea mining for minerals essential in electric car batteries.
Cook Islands:
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Cook Islands is a self-governing island state in free association with New Zealand.
Location:
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It is located in the South Pacific Ocean.
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Its capital is Avarua
on Rarotonga Island.
Islands in Cook Islands:
The Cook Islands comprise 15 islands
divided into the Northern and Southern-island groups.
1. Northern Islands:
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They are mostly low-lying and sparsely populated
coral atolls and include the islands of Manihiki, Nassau, Penrhyn, Pukapuka,
Rakahanga, and Suwarrow.
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These islands are covered in light vegetation and
equipped with white sand beaches.
2. Southern Islands:
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They generally consist of much larger higher
islands that are volcanic in origin and more densely populated.
Highest and Lowest
Point:
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The highest point is Te Manga on the Rarotonga island and the lowest point is the Pacific Ocean (0m).
Flora and Fauna:
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The Cook Islands has a unique tropical ecosystem.
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This includes approximately 100 native ferns, 200
flowering plants, 500 fish species, a dozen lizards, landbirds, shellfish,
migrant birds, resident seabirds, as well as marine turtles and humpback
whales.