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
Cook Islands National Party Cook Islands National Party The Cook Islands National Party was a political party in the Cook Islands. The party was launched on 24 March 2003 by Teariki Heather, a Rarotonga businessman. Its policies included a shorter parliamentary term. In July 2003 the party sought a declaratory judgement from the High Court that the seats of MPs Norman George and Paora Teiti were vacant after it was learned that the two were being paid as government consultants. The court subsequently ruled that the consultancy work did not constitute holding a position in the public service, and both retained their seats. Heather