Who Owns the Cook Islands? The Political Status of the Cook Islands

Last Updated: 15 June, 2025

Is the Cook Islands a Country?

With a lot of ties to New Zealand between both cultures being called “Māori” and much of the Cook Islands population living in New Zealand, there’s a lot of confusion over what exactly the Cook Islands is! Aside from being a string of beautiful tropical islands and atolls in the South Pacific, the Cook Islands is a country.

Not like your typical country, however, it is self-governing in free association with New Zealand. But what exactly does that mean? We address the question of who owns the Cook Islands in this guide.

Fast Facts About the Cook Islands

Location: South Pacific, west of French Polynesia and east of Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Niue.
Population: 15,000 in the Cook Islands, 80,550 in New Zealand
Language: Cook Islands Māori
Landmass: 240 km² (93 mi²)
Currency: New Zealand Dollar
Time Zone: UTC/GMT-10

For more information about the Cook Islands, see Who are the People of the Cook Islands? and How to Plan a Trip to Rarotonga & the Cook Islands.

Who Owns the Cook Islands? The Political Status of the Cook Islands

What is “Self-Governing in Free Association”?

The Cook Islands is a country in free association within the Realm of New Zealand, but what exactly does that mean?

In short, New Zealand carries out the Cook Islands’ defence and foreign affairs on their behalf if requested by the Cook Islands. In the meantime, the Cook Islands handles its own foreign affairs.

The two nations also coordinate on the “expansion of commercial, economic and investment relations between the private sectors”, “encourage frequent contacts at the political, official, commercial and community levels” and more. The details on how the Governments of the Cook Islands and New Zealand cooperate are outlined further in the Joint Centenary Declaration 2001.

Additionally, being part of the Realm of New Zealand means that Cook Islands nationals are automatically granted New Zealand citizenship and share New Zealand’s head of state, Queen Elizabeth II.

The Cook Islands has been operating as a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand since 4 August 1965.

The Cook Islands Parliament

The Cook Islands has a parliamentary style of government similar to that of New Zealand and England. The Parliament is made up of 24 members, known as “Members of Parliament” (MPs), who are directly elected by universal suffrage from single-seat constituencies.

Members are elected for a limited term and serve a maximum of four years in office. The Cook Islands Parliament meets in Avarua, the capital of the Cook Islands, on Rarotonga. The Cook Islands has two main political parties and some smaller parties.

A notable aspect of the Cook Islands Parliament worth mentioning is the “House of Ariki”, which functions similarly to the “House of Lords” in England. Ariki means “high chief”, which historically was used to lead various clans across the Cook Islands. Their role today, however, is that they may submit questions concerning the “welfare of the people” on which they make recommendations.

So, Who Owns the Cook Islands?

With its own government and the ability to request assistance from New Zealand, rather than being controlled by New Zealand, the Cook Islands is an independent country.

In terms of physical ownership, most freehold land in the Cook Islands is owned by hundreds of Cook Islands families. When a parent landowner dies, their children are entitled to the land. Rights to land can sometimes be exchanged for fixed-term leases of usually 60 years, particularly on Rarotonga.

Is Rarotonga a Country?

Finally, to clear up any confusion about whether Rarotonga is a country. No, Rarotonga is not a country, but rather one of the 15 islands that comprise the Cook Islands. Rarotonga is often mistaken for being a country, as it is by far the most populated and developed of the Cook Islands.

Learn more about visiting Rarotonga in The Complete Travel Guide to Rarotonga, as well as about the other islands in What are the 15 Islands in the Cook Islands?

More About Who Owns the Cook Islands

That’s it for our complete guide on who owns the Cook Islands and whether the Cook Islands is a country. It’s a great place to start learning about this fascinating island nation, but a bad place to stop! Take a look at the following guides for more Cook Islands wisdom:

Finally, if you’re visiting the Cook Islands, don’t miss our comprehensive guide, The Best Cook Islands Travel Guide.

Sources:

The information in this guide has been compiled from our extensive research, travel and experiences across the Cook Islands and the South Pacific, accumulated over more than a decade of numerous visits to each destination. Additional sources for this guide include the following:

Cook Islands Tourism Corporation (General travel advice - Updated [2025])
Cook Islands Tourism Industry Council (Tourism trade association - Updated [2025])
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (Visa and immigration advice - Updated [2025])
Ministry of Finance & Economic Management (Border restrictions advice - Updated [2025])
Ministry of Agriculture (Biosecurity advice - Updated [2025])
Cook Islands Meteorological Service (Weather forecast and warnings - Updated [2025])
Cook Islands Statistics Office (Statistics and travel data - Updated [2025])
Ministry of Transport (Transport operators and licenses - Updated [2025])
SPTO (Pacific tourism advice - Updated [2025])
Safe Travel (New Zealand travel advisory for the Cook Islands - Updated [2025])
Smart Traveller (Australia travel advisory for the Cook Islands - Updated [2025])

At Cook Islands Pocket Guide, we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure accurate and quality content.

About the Author

Robin C.

This article was reviewed and published by Robin, the co-founder of Cook Islands Pocket Guide. He has lived, worked and travelled across 16 different countries before settling in the South Pacific, so he knows a thing or two about planning the perfect trip in this corner of the world. Robin works and consults regularly with Cook Islands Tourism Corporation, a local government body representing the tourism industry. Robin is also the co-founder of several other South Pacific travel guides and is a regular host of webinars with the South Pacific Tourism Organisation.

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