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The Cook Islands History Guide
 The Cook Islands HomePage Cook Islands Map ; Rarotonga Map ; Aitutaki Map ; Atiu Map ; Northern Atolls Cook Islands Accommodation Guide ; Cook Islands Travel Guide ; Cook Islands Tourist Information ; Cook Islands Pictures south pacific pictures ; fiji islands hotel pictures ; samoa islands hotel pictures ; tahiti islands hotel pictures ; tonga islands hotel pictures ; hawaii accommodation pictures ; |
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Cook Islands History Guide The Cook Islands was first settled about 500AD by a migration of Polynesians that left from western French Polynesia. There are no written accounts of pre-Christian history, so most of what we know now comes through the words and actions of traditional dances and through examining the archaeological marae (spiritual meeting places) that lay in ruins around the islands. In 1595, Pukapuka in the northern group was sighted by Alvarano de Mendana of Spain. There were no further sittings by Europeans until 1773, when Captain Cook, on his second Pacific voyage, sighted Manuae and named it Hervey's Island. In 1824, some time after Cook's death, the islands were named the Cook Islands in his honour. Following the explorers came the missionaries and blackbirders bringing with them Christianity and diseases. Within time the Maoris were clothed, their ancient religious beliefs abolished and traditions abandoned. Kava drinking was forbidden, and today is one of the few South Pacific Islands where it is still not consumed. In 1888, the ariki (high chief) on Rarotonga pronounced the islands a British protectorate. For 14 years, the islands were administered from New Zealand but in 1901 the Cooks became annexed to New Zealand and the power of the ariki was removed. In 1965, the islands were declared independent in the form of internal self-governance in association with New Zealand. New Zealand still looks after foreign relations and defence and Cook Islanders remain New Zealand citizens. Book your Holiday with the Specialists  Cook Islands Holidays & Hotels
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Thank you for visiting our website and we hope you have found it inspiring and useful. south pacific pictures cook islands pictures ; fiji pictures ; samoa pictures ; tahiti pictures ; tonga pictures ; hawaii pictures For a comprehensive hotel guide with information and pictures: south pacific hotels cook islands hotels ; fiji hotels ; samoa hotels ; tahiti hotels ; tonga hotels ; hawaii hotels For more detailed maps showing towns and villages please visit: south pacific maps : cook island maps ; fiji maps ; samoa maps ; tahiti maps ; tonga maps ; hawaii maps ; This Accommodation Guide is brought to you by South Pacific Pictures, the photographic division of Pacific Travel Guides. This leading independent travel publisher is based in Fiji and aims to provide unbiased travel information to help potential holiday-makers plan their trip to the South Pacific. We do not sell individual hotels, tours or packages - we simply provide an overview to help you make the decision and provide links for you to make further enquiries and bookings. All the pictures in this website have been taken by us and try to show a true representation of our destinations. No picture has been staged - all were taken as presented. Our small team of researchers travel around the south pacific on a regular basis to update our guides and to ensure their accuracy. Please feel free to contribute your own travel experiences to pass on to fellow travellers. If you haven't been able to find what you're looking for in our website, you might want to try the following specialist websites:  South Pacific Travel Guides - comprehensive travel guide for the islands Fiji Travel ; Cook Islands Travel ; Samoa Travel ; Tonga Travel ; Tahiti Travel Hawaii Travel ; Oahu Travel ; Kauai Travel ; Maui Travel ; Big Island Hawaii Travel South Pacific Resorts Search - listings of all resorts in the South Pacific Beautiful Pacific Holidays - South Pacific Islands - travel agent based in the south pacific offering bookings South Pacific Travel Resources - selection of accredited website links Last Updated by  Pacific Travel Guides PO Box 10146, Nadi Airport, Fiji Contact Us |
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