__NOTOC__ The Cook Islands Federation was created in 1891, after the

Kingdom of Rarotonga The Kingdom of Rarotonga (), named after the island of Rarotonga, was an independent kingdom established in the present-day Cook Islands in 1858. In 1888 it became a protectorate of the United Kingdom at its own request. In 1893 the name was c ...

was given the island of

Aitutaki Aitutaki, also traditionally known as Araura and Utataki, is the second most-populated island in the Cook Islands, after Rarotonga. It is an "almost atoll", with fifteen islets in a lagoon adjacent to the main island. Total land area is , and the ...

. It lasted until 1901, when it was given to New Zealand.

Geography

The Cook Islands Federation was made up of the islands of the southern group of the Cook Islands -

Rarotonga Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of , and is home to almost 75% of the country's population, with 10,898 of a total population of 15,040. The Parliament of the Cook Islands, Coo ...

Mangaia Mangaia (traditionally known as A'ua'u Enua, which means ''terraced'') is the most southerly of the Cook Islands and the second largest, after Rarotonga. It is a roughly circular island, with an area of , from Rarotonga. Originally heavily popul ...

, and Aitutaki - and the

Nga-Pu-Toru Ngaputoru () is the generic name give to the islands of Atiu, Mauke, Mitiaro and Takutea in the Cook Islands archipelago. In the Cook Islands Māori language, the term means "the (''nga'') roots (''pu'') three (''toru'')", or in English "the three r ...

Atiu Ātiu, also known as ʻEnuamanu (meaning ''land of the birds''), is an island of the Cook Islands archipelago, lying in the central-southern Pacific Ocean. Part of the Nga-pu-Toru, it is northeast of Rarotonga. The population of the island has ...

Mauke Mauke (Ma'uke also Akatokamanava) is an island of the Cook Islands archipelago, lying in the central-southern Pacific Ocean. Part of the Nga-pu-Toru, it is northeast of Rarotonga. Geography Mauke is a raised coral atoll, with a central volcan ...

, and

Mitiaro Mitiʻāro, the fourth island in the Cook Islands group, is of volcano, volcanic origin. Standing in water deep it is across at its widest point. Geography Mitiaro, also known as Nukuroa, is part of the Nga-Pu-Toru island group formerly, a vol ...

Law

The laws of the Cook Islands Federation were made by the local parliament, however, they had to receive approval from a

Resident Resident may refer to: People and functions * Resident minister, a representative of a government in a foreign country * Resident (medicine), a stage of postgraduate medical training * Resident (pharmacy), a stage of postgraduate pharmaceut ...

from Britain. In 1894, the Parliament pronounced a declaration on land, detailing Māori custom on land tenure, and stating that those customs could only be changed by each island's respective council. In 1899, the Parliament of Cook Islands ruled that the high court of the Cook Islands Federation could not give any punishment worse than those outlined by the Criminal Code Act of 1893, and The Summary Jurisdiction Act of 1894, which were both laws of New Zealand, and that both acts of New Zealand were to be adopted entirely.

Penal colonies

In 1892, the island of

Takutea Takutea is a small uninhabited island in the Cook Islands, north-west of Atiu. Administratively, the island is considered part of Atiu, the closest island. It is owned equally by all inhabitants of Atiu and not allocated to one specific villag ...

was set up as a penal colony, but in 1899 its use ceased, and the island of Manuae was used instead.

Sources

Rarotonga, Kingdom of States and territories established in 1893 Former federations States and territories disestablished in 1901 1893 establishments in the British Empire Former British colonies and protectorates in Oceania 1893 in Oceania Former colonies in Oceania {{CookIslands-stub

Geography

Law

Penal colonies

See also

Sources