Comprehensive travel insurance is recommended. There is one government hospital (on Rarotonga).
The politics of the Cook Islands, an associated state, takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democracy within a constitutional monarchy. The Queen of New Zealand, represented in the Cook Islands by the Queen's Representative, is the Head of State; the Chief Minister is the head of government and of a multi-party system.
The Cook Islands are a castaway's dream. Among the most beautiful of all the Polynesian Islands, the archipelago's 15 islands lie flung between French Polynesia and Samoa. Translucent turquoise lagoons, volcanic peaks, and dazzling palm-fringed beaches recall the dramatic beauty of Tahiti, but with a more affordable price tag.