ISLANDS
There are 15 main islands in the Cooks spread over 2,200,000 sq km of the Pacific Ocean. They are divided into two distinct groups: the Southern Cook Islands and the Northern Cook Islands.
The islands you are likely to visit: Rarotonga and Aitutaki are both in the Southern Group, as is the delightful Atiu a barely-developed eco-isle that attracts a tiny number of visitors.
These three islands play host to over 99.9% of international visitors to the Cook Islands. All the other islands are extremely remote, offer limited facilities, and see very few visitors.
The total population is around 18,000. It’s said that around 100,000 Cook Islanders or people of Cook Island descent live in New Zealand and Australia.