Rarotonga

Rarotonga Island from space, September 1994

A picture taken in Rarotonga.

Rarotonga is the most populous island in a group of islands known as the Cook Islands, with about 9,500 residents. The island is located +/- at [21°0′S 160°0′W] The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings, as well as the international airport, are located on the island. Because it is the most populous island, Cook Islanders may be referred to as Rarotongan, but they may in fact come from one of the other 15 islands in the group, such as Aitutaki or Mangaia. Rarotonga is also a very popular tourist destination with lots of resorts hotels and motels.

The island's chief town, Avarua, is also the administrative center for the Cook Islands.

Rarotonga Island stands 14750 feet (4500 meters) above the ocean floor. The island is 20 miles (32 km) in circumference. At a depth of 13000 feet (4000 meters), the volcano is nearly 31 miles (50 km) in diameter. The highest peak on the island above sea level is 2140 feet (658 meters).

The island is surrounded by a lagoon, which extends several hundred yards (meters) to the reef, which then slopes steeply to deep water. Agricultural terraces, flats, and swamps surround the central mountain area.

Trivia

Rarotonga only has two bus routes.Clockwise & Anti-Clockwise[link]. They also don't have bus stops, the bus drivers just drive round picking up anyone they see and dropping them off when the passengers want them to.
Rarotonga has a 3-Dollar bill in circulation [link].
The central peak of the Island is known as Te Rua Manga, 'the needle'.

External links

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