Introduction

Welcome to the Cook Islands, a small island of only 17,570 people. The Cook Islands is made up of 15 Islands and are in the South Pacific Ocean, The Cook Islands are northeast of New Zealand.The biggest island is Rarotonga so if you go you need at least 5 days to explore and have fun. Vanuatu is the cheapest island out of 15 so if you don't want to spend too much money, Vanuatu is the place to go. Some of the traditional food is Curried Eke (Octopus),Ika Mata & Banana Poke (pronounced poh – key). They have traditional Island Nights too, where passionate locals share history and traditions through music, song, dance and food.

History

The Cook Islands are named after Captain James Cook, who visited the islands in 1773 and 1777, although it had already been discovered in 1595.

Native Animals

In the Cook Islands they have lots of beautiful animals of all kinds. Let's start with sea animals, there are Black Lip Pearl Oysters, Coconut Crabs, Humpback Whales, Hawksbill Turtles and The Pacific Reef Heron. There is also an amazing array of fish, including Clownfish, Bullseyes, Gropers, Leatherjackets, Parrotfish, Pufferfish, Surgeonfish, Sweetlips, and Trivially. You might also bump into rays, eels, and octopus!. Now for the land animals,there are lots of stray dogs, Chickens and Roosters. There are also Pacific fruit bats, Moko (Gecko/Lizard),Pigs, Rats, Dolphins and Whales.

Native Plants

In the Cook Islands There are lots of native plants that are extremely beautiful like, Tipani, Hibiscus, Gardenia, Yellow Bells, Heliconia,Birds Of Paradise, Red Ginger, Flame Tree, Fringed Hibiscus, Giant Red Ixora. There are also some marine life like, Black Sea Cucumber, Seaweed, Molluscs, and Crustaceans.

Food

The Cook Islands Have some very yummy food like, Ika mata is a traditional dish made from raw fish, usually tuna fillet, marinated in a mixture of lime (or lemon) and coconut milk and topped with raw vegetables. Also a very yummy food called Banana poke (pronounced poh – key) Banana Poke is a traditional Cook Islands recipe for a classic dessert of cooked bananas mixed with milk, thickened with arrowroot, and sweetened with sugar that's baked and served in coconut milk.

Cultural locations

There are lots of fun locations in the Cook Islands like, Aitutaki Lagoon, Tapuaetai, Muri Beach, Titikaveka Beach, Te Vara Nui Village Tour & Cultural Show, Rarotonga, Cross-Island Hike to Te Rua Manga (The Needle), Rarotonga, Aroa Marine Reserve, Rarotonga, Maire Nui Gardens, Rarotonga, Avarua, Rarotonga, Mount Maungapu, Aitutaki, Arutanga, Aitutaki, Arorangi.

Fun Facts About the Cook Islands

1. The Cook Islands are the world’s second largest producer of black pearls.
2. Black pearls are a popular souvenir for tourists,the Cook Islands is the second biggest producer of black pearls.
3. Rugby is the most popular sport in the Cook Islands.Rarotonga is the most populated island out of all 15 with 13,095 people.
4. The Cook Islands are famous for their wood carving as it is for the young and old.

There are 18 different species of shark found in Cook Island waters. The more common sharks include the white-tip reef shark, the black-tip reef shark and the grey reef shark. Other sightings include hammerhead sharks, oceanic white-tip sharks, tiger sharks and whale sharks.The Cook Islands are famous for their wood carving as it is for the young and old.There are 18 different species of shark found in Cook Island waters. The more common sharks include the white-tip reef shark, the black-tip reef shark and the grey reef shark. Other sightings include hammerhead sharks, oceanic white-tip sharks, tiger sharks and whale sharks.

Population & Location

The current population of the Cook Islands is 17,570 so it is a very small country with not many people when compared to other countries and the Cook Islands are in the South Pacific Ocean, northeast of New Zealand.