The Cook Islands are in the South Pacific Ocean, north-east of New Zealand, between French Polynesia and American Samoa. There are fifteen major islands, spread over 2.2 million square kilometres of ocean, divided into two distinct groups: the Southern Cook Islands, and the Northern Cook Islands of coral atolls.Cook Islanders are Polynesians who are believed to be closely related to both the New Zealand Maori and the Maohi of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is thought that the Cook Islanders migrated from the Society Islands circa 500AD. As tribal society grew the land was divided amoungst six different tribes, each of which was headed by a tribal king or high chief (Ariki) and to this present day every Cook Islander belongs to one of the six family clans.
The Spanish Captain, Alvaro de Mendana is thought to be the first European to sight the Cooks when he sailed by Pukapuka in 1595. Portuguese-Spaniard, Pedro Fernandez de Quiros made the first recorded European landing in the islands when he set foot on Rakahanga in 1606, calling it Gente Hermosa (Beautiful People). British navigator Captain James Cook arrived in 1773 and 1777and named the islands the Hervey Islands; the name "Cook Islands", in honour of Cook, appeared on a Russian naval chart published in the 1820s.
The first recorded landing on Rarotonga by Europeans was in 1814, but trouble broke out between the sailors and the Islanders and many were killed on both sides. In 1821 the first missionaries arrived and Rev John Williams landed on Aitutaki, followed by Papeiha, a Christian convert from Raiatea in 1823. Christianity quickly took root in the culture but the hierarchy of Ariki still managed to remained intact.
In 1888 the Cook Island's requested annexation by the British, as French expansionism had become a threat, then in 1901 all the islands had been annexed by New Zealand and eventually became self-governing in August, 1965. Strong ties still remain between the two countries, and all Cook Islanders hold New Zealand citizenship.
Renowned as a friendly outgoing people, Cook Islanders retain a strong sense of their heritage and traditional ways. They have a huge talent for and love of music and song, and are famous throughout the Pacific for their dancing.
