|
The Cook Islands magical tranquility is matched only
by the people themselves. The hospitality is warm
and spontaneous, the dancing exuberant, the mood relaxed.
Cook Islanders share a genuine care for others and
although now Christian, the old culture lives on with
song, dance and an easy pace of life uncomplicated
by the turmoil of the outside world.
|
|
Location
The Cook Islands consist of 15 islands scattered over some
2 million square kilometers of the Pacific Ocean. They lie
virtually in the center of the Polynesian Triangle of the
South Pacific, flanked to the west by the Kingdom of Tonga
and the Samoas and to the east by Tahiti and the islands
of French Polynesia.
The Cook Islands are in the same time zone as Hawaii and
are the same distance South of the equator as Hawaii is
north.
 |
Culture
Cook Islanders have retained much of their own culture.
Although displays of the Cook Islands past are exhibited
in the local museum, Cook Islands culture is not confined
to restored sites and museum walls. Polynesian identity
can be observed in dance and drama at various events
throughout the year. Cook Islands Maori is the local
language, but everyone also speaks English. |
|
