Cook Islands / Place guide
Discover Cook Islands
The Cook Islands spread across the South Pacific in free association with New Zealand. High volcanic islands and low coral atolls create contrasting environments. Large sea distances are fundamental to the territory's geography.
Explore Cook Islands on the OrbiPlace map ↗
Explore Cook Islands
Rarotonga and other island forms
Rarotonga is an important population and administrative centre with a mountainous interior. Other islands have much lower atoll landscapes. Their environments should not be treated as interchangeable.
Polynesian connections
Language, kinship, music and dance give the communities shared cultural foundations with local differences. Avarua on Rarotonga offers an urban starting point. Individual islands reveal how that culture takes shape within very different relationships between land and ocean.
Background source: Cook Islands. Editorial text: OrbiPlace.
Start with the city overview, then zoom in to explore streets and landmarks. The location point does not define municipal boundaries.