5 curiosities about the Cook Islands and Niue, declared independent from the US

The president of the United States, Joe Biden announced that it will establish diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands and Niueboth autonomous nations, located in the Pacific Ocean, and in “free association” with New Zealand.

Bidenannounced this Monday that his country has officially recognized the Islands as “sovereign and independent States.” Cook and Niueand that diplomatic relations with both.

The measure will help maintain a “free and open Indo-Pacific region”said the president, who added that the agreements to recognize the two nations will also contribute to “stopping illegal fishing, addressing climate change in a vulnerable region and boosting economic growth.”

1. The cooperation of USA with the Cook Islands dates back to World War II (1939-1945)when the US army built landing strips on Penrhyn Atoll and Aitutaki, as part of the war against Japan.

2. The change in status of the two islands, as stated, has to do with the new global bid between the US and Chinasince the Asian giant considers these waters as its zone of influence.

3. Together, the Cook Islands and Niue They have less than 20,000 inhabitants – half that of the Buenos Aires neighborhood of San Cristóbal, for example – but they constitute a expanding economic zone in the South Pacific.

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4. Both are self-governing nations in “free association” with New Zealand, meaning their foreign and defense policies are linked to varying degrees to Wellington. Additionally, islanders from both countries have New Zealand nationality.

5. Cook Islands is an archipelago with 15 volcanic islands and coral atolls that are scattered over a 236 km2 portion of the South Pacific Ocean. It has a population of about 17,000 inhabitants and its economy is focused on tourism, driven by paradisiacal beaches and volcanic mountains. They are named after Captain Cook, who explored them in 1773. For his part, Niue, now one of the smallest countries in the worldis home to about 2,000 people, but has about 20,000 citizens living abroad, almost all of them in New Zealand.