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Archipelago

    South Pacific OceanNew Zealand and Cook Islands

    10°00′S 161°00′W

    Northern Cook Islands

    Part of Cook Islands

    The Northern Cook Islands is one of the two chains of atolls which make up the Cook Islands. Lying in a horizontal band between 9° and 13°30' south of the Equator, the chain consists of the atolls of Manihiki, Nassau, Penrhyn, Pukapuka, Rakahanga and Suwarrow, along with the submerged Tema Reef.

    Aerial photograph of Pukapuka Atoll in the Cook Islands, photographed from Air Rarotonga's Embraer Bandeirante Aircraft that infrequently services this remote atoll.
    Aerial photograph of Pukapuka Atoll in the Cook Islands, photographed from Air Rarotonga's Embraer Bandeirante Aircraft that infrequently services this remote atoll.

    EwanSmith / CC BY-SA 3.0

    Chart

    474 landforms

    Overview

    The Northern Cook Islands is one of the two chains of atolls which make up the Cook Islands. Lying in a horizontal band between 9° and 13°30' south of the Equator, the chain consists of the atolls of Manihiki, Nassau, Penrhyn, Pukapuka, Rakahanga and Suwarrow, along with the submerged Tema Reef.

    From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

    Census, cataloged

    • Major islands4
    • Minor islands55
    • Islets403
    • Rocks & skerries12

    Major islands

    4
    • Nassau

      Nassau

      Area
      1.2 km²
      High point
      20 m

      Nassau is an island in the northern group of the Cook Islands. It is approximately 1,246 kilometres (774 mi) north of the capital island of Rarotonga and 88 kilometres (55 mi) from Pukapuka coral atoll. Lacking an airstrip, it is accessible only by boat. It is named after a 19th-century whaling ship.

    • Suwarrow

      Area
      150 km²

      Suwarrow (also called Suvorov, Suvarou, or Suvarov) is an island in the northern group of the Cook Islands in the south Pacific Ocean. It is about 1,300 kilometres (810 mi) south of the equator and 930 kilometres (580 mi) north-northwest of the capital island of Rarotonga.

    • Penrhyn

      Area
      9.8 km²
      High point
      4 m

      Penrhyn (also called Tongareva, Māngarongaro, Hararanga, and Te Pitaka) is an atoll in the northern group of the Cook Islands in the south Pacific Ocean. The northernmost island in the group, it is located at 1,365 km (848 mi) north-north-east of the capital island of Rarotonga, 9 degrees south of the equator.

    • Pukapuka

      Area
      5 km²
      High point
      11 m

      Pukapuka, formerly Danger Island, is a coral atoll in the northern group of the Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the most remote islands of the Cook Islands, situated about 1,140 kilometres (708 miles) northwest of Rarotonga.

    Minor islands

    55

    • Aitutaki

      Area
      15.8 km²
      High point
      124 m

    • Manihiki

      Area
      4 km²
      High point
      4 m

    • Rakahanga

      Area
      4 km²
      High point
      1 m

    • Ngake

      Area
      2.4 km²
      High point
      26 m

    • Ruahara

      Area
      1.8 km²
      High point
      23 m

    • Mangarongaro

      Area
      1.8 km²
      High point
      23 m

    • Moananui

      Area
      1.6 km²
      High point
      20 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      1.6 km²
      High point
      5 m

    • Motu Ko

      Area
      1.6 km²
      High point
      15 m

    • Pukapuka Island

      Area
      1.4 km²
      High point
      18 m

    • Teutokono

      Area
      1.3 km²
      High point
      23 m

    • Tauhunu

      Area
      1.3 km²
      High point
      22 m

    • Patanga

      Area
      1.2 km²
      High point
      21 m

    • Tokerau

      Area
      0.73 km²
      High point
      20 m

    • Tetaha Kiraro

      Area
      0.65 km²
      High point
      21 m

    • Tepuka

      Area
      0.56 km²
      High point
      22 m

    • Motu Kotawa

      Area
      0.56 km²
      High point
      18 m

    • Kokerekere

      Area
      0.33 km²
      High point
      10 m

    • Matunga

      Area
      0.29 km²
      High point
      24 m

    • Ee

      Area
      0.28 km²
      High point
      10 m

    • Paravae / Hakamaru

      Area
      0.25 km²
      High point
      23 m

    • Porea

      Area
      0.25 km²
      High point
      24 m

    • Motu Oneone

      Area
      0.24 km²
      High point
      13 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.24 km²

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.22 km²

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.21 km²

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.21 km²

    • Motu Tou

      Area
      0.2 km²
      High point
      26 m

    • Motunui

      Area
      0.19 km²
      High point
      19 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.17 km²

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.17 km²

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.15 km²

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.14 km²

    • Atutahi

      Area
      0.14 km²
      High point
      23 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.14 km²

    • Anchorage Island

      Area
      0.14 km²
      High point
      20 m

    • Tuahua

      Area
      0.14 km²
      High point
      25 m

    • Paerangi

      Area
      0.14 km²
      High point
      21 m

    • Murihiti

      Area
      0.13 km²
      High point
      24 m

    • Whale Island

      Area
      0.13 km²
      High point
      2 m

    • Hohake Rahi

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      19 m

    • Angarei

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      9 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      7 m

    • Akitua

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      13 m

    • Turtle Island

      Area
      0.12 km²
      High point
      19 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.12 km²

    • Manu Island

      Area
      0.11 km²
      High point
      7 m

    • Nuitikainga

      Area
      0.11 km²
      High point
      19 m

    • Te Aua Loa

      Area
      0.11 km²
      High point
      3 m

    • Unnamed island

      Area
      0.1 km²

    • Ahuapapa

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Akaro

      Area
      —
      High point
      1 m

      size unknown

    • Fifinui

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • High Island

      Area
      —

      size unknown

    • Motu Hakamaru

      Area
      —
      High point
      22 m

      size unknown

    Rocks & skerries

    12

    On the chart above, at its closest zooms.

    Listing 59 of 474; the rest are on the chart.

    Figures

    Comparative heights

    Sea level50 m100 m150 m124 mAitutaki26 mNgake26 mMotu Tou25 mTuahua24 mMatunga24 mPorea24 mMurihiti23 mRuahara23 mMangarongaro23 mTeutokono23 mParavae / Hakamaru23 mAtutahi22 mTauhunu22 mTepuka
    High points by island, metres above sea level.

    Islands by area

    0.11101001,000Suwarrow: 150 km²SuwarrowAitutaki: 15.8 km²AitutakiPenrhyn: 9.8 km²PenrhynPukapuka: 5 km²PukapukaManihiki: 4 km²ManihikiRakahanga: 4 km²RakahangaNgake: 2.4 km²NgakeRuahara: 1.8 km²RuaharaMangarongaro: 1.8 km²MangarongaroMoananui: 1.6 km²MoananuiUnnamed island: 1.6 km²Unnamed islandMotu Ko: 1.6 km²Motu KoPukapuka: 1.4 km²PukapukaTeutokono: 1.3 km²TeutokonoTauhunu: 1.3 km²TauhunuNassau: 1.2 km²NassauPatanga: 1.2 km²PatangaTokerau: 0.73 km²TokerauTetaha Kiraro: 0.65 km²Tetaha KiraroTepuka: 0.56 km²TepukaMotu Kotawa: 0.56 km²Motu KotawaKokerekere: 0.33 km²KokerekereMatunga: 0.29 km²MatungaEe: 0.28 km²EeParavae / Hakamaru: 0.25 km²Paravae / HakamaruPorea: 0.25 km²PoreaMotu Oneone: 0.24 km²Motu OneoneUnnamed island: 0.24 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.22 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.21 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.21 km²Unnamed islandMotu Tou: 0.2 km²Motu TouMotunui: 0.19 km²MotunuiUnnamed island: 0.17 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.17 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.15 km²Unnamed islandUnnamed island: 0.14 km²Unnamed islandAtutahi: 0.14 km²AtutahiUnnamed island: 0.14 km²Unnamed islandAnchorage: 0.14 km²Anchorage
    km², log scale. 5 without a known area.
    Suwarrow150 km²
    Aitutaki15.8 km²
    Penrhyn9.8 km²
    Pukapuka5 km²
    Manihiki4 km²
    Rakahanga4 km²
    Ngake2.4 km²
    Ruahara1.8 km²
    Mangarongaro1.8 km²
    Moananui1.6 km²
    Unnamed island1.6 km²
    Motu Ko1.6 km²
    Pukapuka Island1.4 km²
    Teutokono1.3 km²
    Tauhunu1.3 km²
    Nassau1.2 km²
    Patanga1.2 km²
    Tokerau0.73 km²
    Tetaha Kiraro0.65 km²
    Tepuka0.56 km²
    Motu Kotawa0.56 km²
    Kokerekere0.33 km²
    Matunga0.29 km²
    Ee0.28 km²
    Paravae / Hakamaru0.25 km²
    Porea0.25 km²
    Motu Oneone0.24 km²
    Unnamed island0.24 km²
    Unnamed island0.22 km²
    Unnamed island0.21 km²
    Unnamed island0.21 km²
    Motu Tou0.2 km²
    Motunui0.19 km²
    Unnamed island0.17 km²
    Unnamed island0.17 km²
    Unnamed island0.15 km²
    Unnamed island0.14 km²
    Atutahi0.14 km²
    Unnamed island0.14 km²
    Anchorage Island0.14 km²
    Tuahua0.14 km²
    Paerangi0.14 km²
    Murihiti0.13 km²
    Whale Island0.13 km²
    Hohake Rahi0.12 km²
    Angarei0.12 km²
    Unnamed island0.12 km²
    Akitua0.12 km²
    Turtle Island0.12 km²
    Unnamed island0.12 km²
    Manu Island0.11 km²
    Nuitikainga0.11 km²
    Te Aua Loa0.11 km²
    Unnamed island0.1 km²

    Groups within

    5

    Sources

    Facts

    • Geometry, areas and high points: OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Copernicus GLO-30, via Talus.
    • Wikidata
    • Talus
    • Wikipedia

    Photographs