Geography of the Cook Islands (original) (raw)

**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 km²
land: 240 km²
_water:_0 km²

**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
_exclusive economic zone:_200 nm
_territorial sea:_12 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:_9%
_permanent crops:_13%
_permanent pastures:_0%
_forests and woodland:_0%
_other:_78% (1993 est.)

**Irrigated land:**NA km²

**Natural hazards:**typhoons (November to March)

**Environment - current issues:**NA

Environment - international agreements:
_party to:_Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea
_signed, but not ratified:_Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

See also : Cook Islands