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Related FAQs: The
Fishes of the Cook Islands,
Coverage of families in the Cooks: Surgeons, Doctorfishes, Tangs, Triggerfishes,
Hawkfishes, Wrasses
Related Articles: Introduction to Fishwatcher's Guide
Series Pieces/Sections,
/Fishwatching: Adventure Travel Series
Pet-Fishing in the Cook
Islands
Long Version, Part
I
To: Pet-Fishing in the Cooks, Short Version,
Longer Version: Part II
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| Bob Fenner |
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> Where are the Cooks? 32 Degrees South
Latitude
Hawai'i's principal islands are about
32 degrees north latitude.
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>More Closely, Twixt Samoa and Polynesia to the east
Spread out in an area larger than Western Europe.
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| >Cooks History/Geology Notes |
Cook Islanders original Polynesian inhabitants
gave rise to the Maori of New Zealand. The country was a British
Commonwealth, now semi-independent (reliant on aid, protection
from NZ). The Cooks are a Parliamentary democracy, a very stable
government. The populace are mainly Christians of different
sorts.
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This island nation is made up of fifteen
islands, only the surface area of 241 sq. km. (about size of
Rhode Island in the US), spread over water area of over 2 million
sq. km. Most folks just visit Roratonga, Aitutaki Islands in the
southern group. The islands are volcanic in origin (though some
now just low-lying sand spots) like Hawai'i. Steep
shorelines, little shelf, deep water about.
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> >Cooks Economy
vImports exceed exports.
vMore citizens outside.
vBlack pearls largest export.
vTourism most important, about 50k tourists a year, 11k
population/Rora.
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>Roratonga Views
Principal Island population, size (67.1 sq. km., about 35 mile
drive around edge), capital wise.
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>Aitutaki Views
Second most popular island in Cook's. Site of original
"Survivor" show. Population 2,332. Size 18.3 sq. km.
Larger surrounding lagoon.
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>Flora
The principal Cook Islands are one of those places where you
can proverbially put a stick in the ground and it will grow.
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