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Cook Islands (South Pacific)

Encyclopedia—Cook Islands

Economy

Agriculture employs about one third of the people. Fruits and vegetables are grown, and pigs and poultry are raised. Food processing, tourism, and fishing are the major industries. Black pearls, copra, papayas, citrus fruits and juices, coffee, fish, clothing, and handicrafts are the principal exports. Foodstuffs, textiles, fuels, timber, and capital goods are imported. Beginning in the 1980s the islands also became a popular tax haven and offshore banking center, but in 2003 the government moved to increase regulation of offshore banks as a result of international pressure. Large numbers of workers emigrate to New Zealand and their remittances are also an important source of income. Government spending is important to the economy, and more than 60% of the labor force work in the public sector. The Maoris generally work their own land.

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Related content from HighBeam Research on: Cook Islands: Economy

Cook Islands.(Polynesia in Review: Issues and Events, 1 July 2004 to 30 June 2005)(focus in economy) (The Contemporary Pacific)

Currency boards vs. dollarization: lessons from the Cook Islands. (The Cato Journal)

Akono'anga Maori: Cook Islands Culture.(Book Review) (The Contemporary Pacific)

Neoliberalism, Mobility and Cook Islands Men in Transit (The Australian Journal of Anthropology)

Governmental auditing in the South Pacific Region: A Cook Islands perspective (International Journal of Government Auditing)

Polynesia in review: issues and events, 1 July 1996 to 30 June 1997. (Cook Islands, French Polynesia, Hawaii, Maori, Niue, Samoa, Tokelau, Tonga, Tuvula) (The Contemporary Pacific)

Plenty of waving palms. (economic conditions in the Cook Islands) (The Economist (US))

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Bringing telecoms to paradise: set against the vastness of the Pacific Ocean are some of the planet's smallest countries. Most are far-flung island communities where communications is a vital input. Stuart Davies, chief executive and managing director of Cook Islands Telecom, and president of regional body PITA, explains to group editor Robert Clark the difficulties of deploying telecommunications in paradise. (One-To-One).(Interview)(Industry Overview) (Telecom Asia)

The Pacific Islands: An Encyclopedia. (Reviews).(Book Review) (Oceania)

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