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
Elections in the Cook Islands Elections in the Cook Islands Elections in the Cook Islands gives information on election and election results in the Cook Islands. The Cook Islands elects on national level a legislature. The Parliament of the Cook Islands has 24 members, elected for a four-year term in single-seat constuencies. The Cook Islands have a two-party system, which means that there are two dominant political parties, with extreme difficulty for anybody to achieve electoral success under the banner of any other party. An election was held on 26 September 2006, after the opposition Cook Islands Party won a byelection in Matevera, leaving the