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"The economy of the Cook Islands is based mainly on tourism, with minor exports made up of tropical and citrus fruit. Manufacturing activities are limited to fruit-processing, clothing and handicrafts. As in many other South Pacific nations, the Cook Islands's economy is hindered by the country's isolation from foreign markets, lack of natural resources aside from fish, periodic devastation from natural disasters, and inadequate infrastructure. Trade deficits are made up for by remittances from emigrants and by foreign aid, overwhelmingly from New Zealand. Efforts to exploit tourism potential, encourage offshore banking, and expand the mining and fishing industries have been partially successful in stimulating investment and growth. Banking and finance The Cook Islands has "Home Rule" with respect to banking, similar to Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man. This "Home Rule" banking confuses New Zealanders on vacation in the Cooks. Cook automated teller machines often fail to fully disclose the fact that the Cooks are not part of the New Zealand banking system, thus legally requiring banks to charge the same fees for withdrawing or transferring money as if the person was in Australia or the EU. The New Zealand dollar is the official currency of the Cook Islands, adding to the confusion. Cook Islanders are NZ citizens. The banking and incorporation laws of the Cook Islands make it an important centre for setting up companies that are involved in global trade. Economic statistics ; GDP: : Purchasing power parity - $183.2 million (2005 est.) ; GDP - real growth rate: -.05% (2005); -1.2% (2014); -1.7% (2013). Growth in the Cook Islands has slowed due to a lack of infrastructure projects and accommodation capacity constraints in the tourism sector. Cook Islands economic activity is expected to be flat in FY2016; to grow by 0.2% in FY2017. Inflation 1.8% (FY2016); 2.0% (FY2017). Statistics Asian Development Bank ; GDP - per capita: $9 100 (2005 estimate) ; GDP - composition by sector: :* Agriculture: 78.9% :* Industry: 9.6% :* Services: 75.3% (2000) ; Population below poverty line: : 28.4% of the population lives below the national poverty line. Statistics 2016 Asian Development Bank ; Household income or consumption by percentage share: :* Lowest 10%: NA% :* Highest 10%: NA% ; Inflation rate (consumer prices): : 2.1% (2005 est.) ; Labor force: : 6,820 (2001) ; Labor force - by occupation: : Agriculture 29%, industry 15%, services 56% (1995) ; Unemployment rate: 13.1% (2005) ; Budget: :* Revenues: $70.95 million :* Expenditures: $69.05 million; including capital expenditures of $5.744 million (FY00/01 est.) ; Industries: : Fruit processing, tourism, fishing, clothing, handicrafts ; Industrial production growth rate: : 1% (2002) ; Electricity - production: : 28 GW·h (2003) ; Electricity - production by source: :* Fossil fuel: 100% :* Hydro: 0% :* Nuclear: 0% :* Other: 0% (2001) ; Electricity - consumption: : 34.46 GW·h (2005 est) ; Electricity - exports: : 0 kW·h (2003) ; Electricity - imports: : 0 kW·h (2003) ; Oil consumption: : (2003) ; Agriculture - products: : Copra, citrus, pineapples, tomatoes, beans, pawpaws, bananas, yams, taro, coffee, pigs, poultry ; Exports: : $5.222 million (2005) ; Exports - commodities: : Copra, papayas, fresh and canned citrus fruit, coffee; fish; pearls and pearl shells; clothing ; Exports - partners: : Australia 34%, Japan 27%, New Zealand 25%, US 8% (2004) ; Imports: : $81.04 million (2005) ; Imports - commodities: : Foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber, capital goods ; Imports - partners: : New Zealand 61%, Fiji 19%, US 9%, Australia 6%, Japan 2% (2004) ; Debt - external: : $141 million (1996 est.) ; Economic aid - recipient: : $13.1 million (1995); note - New Zealand furnishes the greater part ; Currency: : 1 New Zealand dollar (NZ$) = 100 cents ; Exchange rates: : New Zealand dollars (NZ$) per US$1 - 1.4203 (2005), 1.9451 (January 2000), 1.8886 (1999), 1.8632 (1998), 1.5083 (1997), 1.4543 (1996), 1.5235 (1995) ; Fiscal year: : 1 April-31 March Telecommunications Telecom Cook Islands Ltd (TCI) is the sole provider of telecommunications in the Cook Islands. TCI is a private company owned by Spark New Zealand Ltd (60%) and the Cook Islands Government (40%). In operation since July 1991, TCI provides local, national and international telecommunications as well as internet access on all islands except Suwarrow. Communications to Suwarrow is via HF radio. References *CIA World Factbook, 2006 * Cook Islands banking explained from TVNZ program Fair Go . "
"Like most countries and territories in Oceania, telecommunications in the Cook Islands is limited by its isolation and low population, with only one major television broadcasting station and six radio stations. However, most residents have a main line or mobile phone. Its telecommunications are mainly provided by Telecom Cook Islands, who is currently working with O3b Networks, Ltd. for faster Internet connection. Telephone In July 2012, there were about 7,500 main line telephones, which covers about 98% of the country's population. There were approximately 7,800 mobile phones in 2009. Telecom Cook Islands, owned by Spark New Zealand, is the islands' main telephone system and offers international direct dialling, Internet, email, fax, and Telex. The individual islands are connected by a combination of satellite earth stations, microwave systems, and very high frequency and high frequency radiotelephone; within the islands, service is provided by small exchanges connected to subscribers by open wire, cable, and fibre optic cable. For international communication, they rely on the satellite earth station Intelsat. In 2003, the largest island of Rarotonga started using a GSM/GPRS mobile data service system with GSM 900 by 2013 3G UMTS 900 was introduce covering 98% of Rarotonga with HSPA+. In March 2017 4G+ launch in Rarotonga with LTE700 (B28A) and LTE1800 (B3) . Mobile service covers Aitutaki GSM/GPRS mobile data service system in GSM 900 from 2006 to 2013 while in 2014 3G UMTS 900 was introduce with HSPA+ stand system. In March 2017 4G+ also launch in Aitutaki with LTE700 (B28A). The rest of the Outer Islands (Pa Enua) mobile was well establish in 2007 with mobile coverage at GSM 900 from Mangaia 3 villages (Oneroa, Ivirua, Tamarua), Atiu, Mauke, Mitiaro, Palmerston in the Southern Group (Pa Enua Tonga) and the Northern Group (Pa Enua Tokerau) Nassau, Pukapuka, Rakahanga, Manihiki 2 Village (Tukao, Tauhunu) and Penrhyn 2 villages (Omoka Tetautua). The Cook Islands uses the country calling code +682. Broadcasting There are six radio stations in the Cook Islands, with one reaching all islands. there were 14,000 radios. Cook Islands Television broadcasts from Rarotonga, providing a mix of local news and overseas-sourced programs. there were 4,000 television sets. Internet There were 6,000 Internet users in 2009 and 3,562 Internet hosts as of 2012. The country code top-level domain for the Cook Islands is .ck. In June 2010, Telecom Cook Islands partnered with O3b Networks, Ltd. to provide faster Internet connection to the Cook Islands. On 25 June 2013 the O3b satellite constellation was launched from an Arianespace Soyuz ST-B rocket in French Guiana. The medium Earth orbit satellite orbits at and uses the Ka band. It has a latency of about 100 milliseconds because it is much closer to Earth than standard geostationary satellites, whose latencies can be over 600 milliseconds. Although the initial launch consisted of 4 satellites, as many as 20 may be launched eventually to serve various areas with little or no optical fibre service, the first of which is the Cook Islands. In December 2015, Alcatel-Lucent and Bluesky Pacific Group announced that they would build the Moana Cable system connecting New Zealand to Hawaii with a single fibre pair branching off to the Cook Islands. The Moana Cable is expected to be completed in 2018.Alcatel-Lucent and Bluesky Pacific Group launch new submarine cable system to enhance connectivity across Pacific, Alcatel-Lucent, December 2, 2015 In July 2020 the Cook Islands were connected to the Manatua One Polynesia Fibre Cable, which links the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tahiti. The cable has landing points at Rarotonga and Aitutaki. ReferencesExternal links *Telecom Cook Islands *Bluesky Cook Islands +Cook "
"This article lists transport in the Cook Islands. Road transport Avarua Roundabout, one of only two on Rarotonga The Cook Islands uses left-handed traffic. The maximum speed limit is 50 km/h. On the main island of Rarotonga, there are no traffic lights and only two roundabouts. A bus operates clockwise and anti-clockwise services around the islands coastal ring-road. Road safety is poor. In 2011, the Cook Islands had the second-highest per-capita road deaths in the world. In 2018, crashes neared a record high, with speeding, alcohol and careless behaviour being the main causes. Motor-scooters are a common form of transport, but there was no requirement for helmets, making them a common cause of death and injuries. Legislation requiring helmets was passed in 2007, but scrapped in early 2008 before it came into force. In 2016 a law was passed requiring visitors and riders aged 16 to 25 to wear helmets, but it was widely flouted. In March 2020 the Cook Islands parliament again legislated for compulsory helmets to be worn from June 26, but implementation was delayed until July 31, and then until September 30. ; Highways: :* Total: 295 km (2018) :* Paved: 207 km (2018) :* Unpaved: 88 km (2018) Rail transport The Cook Islands has no effective rail transport. Rarotonga had a 170m tourist railway, the Rarotonga Steam Railway, but it is no longer in working condition. Water transport Avatiu Harbour, Rarotonga The Cook islands have a long history of sea transport. The islands were colonised from Tahiti, and in turn colonised New Zealand in ocean-going waka. In the late nineteenth century, following European contact, the islands had a significant fleet of schooners, which they used to travel between islands and to trade with Tahiti and New Zealand. In 1899, locally-owned shipping carried 10% of all international trade to the islands, and 66% of all trade carried by sail. Indigenous-owned shipping was driven out of business following New Zealand's acquisition of the islands, replaced by government-owned vessels, New Zealand trading companies, and the steamships of the Union Steamship Company. International shipping is provided by Pacific Forum Line and Matson, Inc. (as EXCIL shipping). Only the port of Avatiu can handle containers, with ships unloading at Aitutaki using lighters. There are two inter-island shipping companies: Taio Shipping, operating two vessels, and Cook Islands Towage, operating one. In the past, shipping interruptions have led to shortages of imported goods and fuel, and electricity blackouts on the outer islands. Shipping has frequently been subsidised to ensure service. In 2019 the Cook islands government announced that it would acquire a dedicated cargo ship for the outer islands after Cook Islands Towage's barge was sold. It subsequently delayed the purchase pending the development of a Cook Islands Shipping Roadmap, and issued a tender for a Pa Enua Shipping Charter. The Cook Islands operates an open ship registry and has been placed on the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control Black List as a flag of convenience. Ships registered in the Cook Islands have been used to smuggle oil from iran in defiance of international sanctions. Ports and harbours * Container ports: Avatiu * Other ports: Avarua (Rarotonga), Arutanga (Aitutaki) The smaller islands have passages through their reefs, but these are unsuitable for large vessels. Merchant marine :* total: 205 :* by type: bulk carrier 21, container ship 3, general cargo 85, oil tanker 33, other 63 (2019) :* country comparison to the world: 65 Air transport Rarotonga Airport from air1 The Cook islands is served by one domestic airline, Air Rarotonga. A further three foreign airlines provide international service. Airports There is one international airport, Rarotonga International Airport. Eight airports provide local or charter services. Only Rarotonga and Aitutaki Airport are paved. : 11 (2013) ; Airports – with paved runways: :* Total: 1 (2019) :* 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 ; Airports – with unpaved runways: :* Total: 10 (2013) :* 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (2013) :* 914 to 1,523 m: 7 (2013) :+ Under 914 m: 1 (2013) ReferencesExternal links * Airports and Ports in the Cook Islands "