History of the Cook Islands History of the Cook Islands The Cook Islands are named after Captain James Cook, who visited the islands in 1773 and 1777. The Cook Islands became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, the islands were annexed as British territory. In 1901, the islands were included within the boundaries of the Colony of New Zealand. The Cook Islands contain 15 islands in the group spread over a vast area in the South Pacific. The majority of islands are low coral atolls in the Northern Group, with Rarotonga, a volcanic island in the Southern Group, as the main administration and government
Flag of the Austral Islands of the Austral Islands"). The remaining 2/3 is horizontally divided into five bands with the colors yellow, red, white, green and blue. Flag of the Austral Islands The Flag of the Austral Islands is the flag of the Austral Islands of French Polynesia in the Pacific Ocean administered by France. The flag has a ratio of 2:3 and is divided into three vertical stripes: red, white and red, with the proportions 1:3:1. In the white central stripe is a blue emblem surrounded by five stars representing the five high islands that constitute the Austral Islands: Rurutu, Tubuai, Rimatara, Rivavae and