The Cook Islands is a self-governing territory, which is an associated state with New Zealand, located in the Pacific Ocean, to the north of it.
The capital is the city of Avarua.
The climate is tropical - warm throughout the year.
The population is about 15,000 people.
The official language in the Cook Islands is English. The local population also speaks Maori, which is the language of the locals.
The basis of the state economy is tourism, the financial sector (it is one of the largest offshore centers in the world) and agriculture.
Tourism has recently been developing at a good pace, thanks to the climate, beautiful beaches and reefs, which are very fond of divers. Sights include Mount Needle (Te Rua Manga), Anatakitaka Cave and the beaches of Aitutaki.
The level of medical services in the country as a whole is below average. Accessibility in towns and inhabited islands is generally good, but not in rural areas and on sparsely populated islands. In difficult cases, patients may be evacuated to New Zealand.
The level of secondary education in the Cook Islands is good, as it has the same curriculum as in New Zealand. Higher education of the middle level and represented by several educational institutions. To get a good higher education, they usually go to New Zealand.
There is no citizenship by birth in the Cook Islands, but citizenship can be obtained through a naturalization process that requires a certain length of residence and conditions.
