European community : country strategy paper and national indicative programme for the period 2002-2007:

The purpose of the Country Strategy Paper (CSP) is to provide, on the basis of an analysis of the political, economic and social situation of the country, a response strategy for EC support under the 9th EDF. The Cook Islands is located at approximately 3,500 km north-east of New Zealand. The country consists of two groups of islands - 13 inhabited and two uninhabited - extending over 2 million km² of ocean. The North Cook Islands are atolls, the South Cook Islands are volcanic and comparatively fertile. The country has a land area of 237 km² and an Exclusive Economic Zone of 1,830,000 km². The GDP per capita in 1999 was € 3,282.