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REPORT * COOK ISLANDS (EXCEPT NIUE) PART I—GENERAL INFORMATION A. Geography Location The Cook Group (excluding Niue) comprises fifteen islands. These are generally small and are widely scattered throughout an area of some 850,000 square miles of ocean extending from 9 degrees south to almost 23 degrees south and from 156 degrees west to 167 degrees west, the total land area being approximately 100 square miles. Niue, although usually considered geographically part of the Group, is so remote that it has been administered separately since 1903. The remaining islands fall naturally into two distinct areas —the Southern or Lower Group, and the Northern Group. The Lower Group consists of eight islands, of which Rarotonga, Aitutaki, Atiu, Mitiaro, Mauke, and Mangaia are permanently settled. Of the two remaining islands, Takutea is visited by parties from Atiu who make copra there, and Manuae is privately leased and is worked as a copra plantation. The Northern Group consists of seven islands, of which five —Penrhyn, Manihiki, Rakahanga, Pukapuka, and Palmerston —are continuously inhabited, and Suwarrow and Nassau, which are normally uninhabited except for a weather station on the former.

Rarotonga, the seat of the Administration, is 1,633 nautical miles from Auckland. Some idea of the dispersion of the Group can be derived from the following table

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Island. Miles From Rarotonga. General Direction From Raro tonga. Island. Miles From Rarotonga. General Direction From Rarotonga. Mangaia .. 110 E.S.E. Palmerston 270 N.W. Atiu 116 N.E. Suwarrow 513 N.N. W. Takutea .. 118 N.E. Manihiki 650 N. Manuae .. 124 N.N.E. Nassau .. 673 N.N.W. Aitutaki .. 140 N. Rakahanga 674 N, Mitiaro 142 N.E. Pukapuka 715 N.N.W. Mauke ' 150 E.N.E. Penrhyn .. 737 . N.