Avarua
Encyclopedia
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and district in the north of Rarotonga
Rarotonga
Rarotonga is the most populous island of the Cook Islands, with a population of 14,153 , out of the country's total population of 19,569.The Cook Islands' Parliament buildings and international airport are on Rarotonga...
Island, the national capital of the Cook Islands
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is a self-governing parliamentary democracy in the South Pacific Ocean in free association with New Zealand...
. It is equivalent to Te Au O Tonga, one of three vaka (traditional tribal areas of Rarotonga) and had its own local government
Local government
Local government refers collectively to administrative authorities over areas that are smaller than a state.The term is used to contrast with offices at nation-state level, which are referred to as the central government, national government, or federal government...
headed by a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
ess until its legal abolishment in February 2008.
The downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
area is located at sea level, below the towering peaks of Rarotonga (altitude
Altitude
Altitude or height is defined based on the context in which it is used . As a general definition, altitude is a distance measurement, usually in the vertical or "up" direction, between a reference datum and a point or object. The reference datum also often varies according to the context...
208 m). The town has several supermarkets, two banks, several restaurants and other shops specializing in the sale of black pearls and other handicrafts. The town's open air market is on Saturday, where you can find everything from brightly coloured pare'u (wrap around dresses), to flower garlands, fresh fish and tropical fruits. The town is served by Rarotonga International Airport
Rarotonga International Airport
Rarotonga International Airport is the Cook Islands' main international gateway, located in the town and district of Avarua, Rarotonga, three kilometers west of the downtown area on the northern coast....
(IATA Airport Code
IATA airport code
An IATA airport code, also known an IATA location identifier, IATA station code or simply a location identifier, is a three-letter code designating many airports around the world, defined by the International Air Transport Association...
: RAR). The population of Avarua District is 5,445 (census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2006), who mainly make their living from tourism, trade, fishing and agriculture. The one main road in Avarua is Ara Maire Nui, usually referred to as Marine Drive or Main Street, which turns into the island-circling ring road
Ring road
A ring road, orbital motorway, beltway, circumferential highway, or loop highway is a road that encircles a town or city...
Ara Tapu at both ends of town.
Avarua is subdivided in to 18 tapere
Tapere
A tapere or sub-district is a low level of traditional land subdivision on five of the Lower Cook Islands , comparable to the ahupua'a of the main Hawaiian Islands. Among the populated raised islands, only Mitiaro is not subdivided into tapere...
(out of 54 for Rarotonga), listed from west to east:
- Pokoinu
- Nikao (seat of Cook Islands parliament)
- Puapuautu
- Areanu
- Kaikaveka
- Atupa
- Avatiu (commercial port)
- Ruatonga
- Tutakimoa
- Tauae (inward from Tutakimoa, the only tapere without coast)
- Takuvaine (downtownDowntownDowntown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
Avarua, seat of Cook Islands government, with Avarua fishing harbour) - Ngatipa
- Vaikai
- Tapae-I-Uta
- Pue
- Punamaia
- Kiikii
- Tupapa
Census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
figures are not available on the tapere level, but only for so-called Census-Areas, also listed from west to east
- Nikao-Panama 1373 (tapere Pokoinu, Nikao, Puapuautu)
- Avatiu-Ruatonga 951 (tapere Areanu, Kaikaveka, Atupa, Avatiu, Ruatonga)
- Tutakimoa-Teotue 314 (tapere Tutakimoa)
- Takuvaine-Parekura 786 (tapere Tauae, Takuvaine)
- Tupapa-Maraerenga 531 (tapere Ngatipa, Vaikai)
- Pue-Matavera 1490 (tapere Tapae-I-Uta, Pue, Punamaia, Kiikii, Tupapa)