Rarotonga

Rarotonga, largest island in the southern group of the Cook Islands, in the South Pacific Ocean about 2,100 miles (3,400 km) northeast of New Zealand. The island is volcanic in origin and has a rugged interior rising to 2,139 feet (652 metres) at Te Manga. Surrounding its mountainous core is a plain, an ancient raised fringing coral reef covered with sediment. The island itself is fringed by a coral reef.

The island was inhabited by Polynesian people around 800 ce and bears marks of a long period of habitation, including marae, or temple platforms, in the valley traversed by Tupapa Stream. The Ara Metua, an ancient pathway, circles the island inland from a paved coastal road. Rarotonga was visited in 1789 by mutineers from the British ship HMS Bounty and was the base from which John Williams of the London Missionary Society (who arrived in 1823) sought to Christianize the islands.

Avarua is the seat of administration for the Cook Islands and the location of a major port. Absence of a suitable lagoon once forced oceangoing ships to lie off the reef and move cargoes ashore via lighters. However, the harbour at Avatiu, to the west of Avarua, has been dredged, and sizable vessels now tie up at the wharf there. Rarotonga’s economy is based on citrus fruits, pineapples, coconuts, bananas, and light industry. The tourist industry is a major component of the economy, receiving international tourists at Rarotonga airport. The island has a hospital, Tereora College (a secondary school), and the Cook Islands Tertiary Training Institute, which provides education for careers in trades, technology, and nursing. Area 25.9 square miles (67.1 square km). Pop. (2006) 10,226; (2011) 10,572.