The Cook Islands consists of 15 Islands scattered over some 2 million square kilometres of the Pacific Ocean. They lie virtually in the centre of the Polynesian Triangle of the South Pacific, flanked to the west by the kingdom of Tonga and the Samoans, and to the east by Tahiti and the island of French Polynesia. The Cook Islands are in the same time zone as Hawaii and are the same distance south of the equator as Hawaii is north, and lay on the Tropic of Capricorn (latitude 9 to 22 south degrees). Rarotonga is the largest of the islands and hosts the international airport and Avarua, the main township, has a good choice of restaurants, shops, hotels and banks.
The first settlers in the region were the Polynesians (about 800AD) during the Great Polynesian Migration, which began in 1500BC. The Cook Islands group English name was bestowed in honour of explorer Captain James Cook. While Cook did indeed discover some of the islands, Rarotonga was first sighted during the migrationary voyages of the Polynesian people around 800 AD. The first coral road was built in Rarotonga in the 11th Century by a chief named Toi, which lay inland and was named the "Ara Metua". A couple of centuries later the islands were invaded by a chief from Tahiti in conjunction with a chief from Samoa. The Spanish explored the area around 1595, so a lot happened before Cook made his voyages.
The ill-fated Captain William Bligh sighted Aitutaki in 1789 and mutineer Fletcher Christian, Rarotonga, on the same boat (The Bounty) shortly after the famous mutiny on April 28, 1789.
Rarotonga's official discovery is credited to Captain Philip Goodenough aboard the "Cumberland" in 1814 whilst seeking sandalwood. Cook is however credited with having discovered the islands of Manuae, Palmerston, Takutea, Mangaia and Aitu which resulted in naming the group after him. Today, the Cook Islands are a self-governing democracy.