Disputes - international:
about 7,000 Congolese refugees fleeing internal civil conflicts
since the mid-1990s still reside in the Democratic Republic of the
Congo; the location of the boundary in the broad Congo River with
the Democratic Republic of the Congo is indefinite except in the
Pool Malebo/Stanley Pool area
Refugees and internally displaced persons:
refugees (country of origin): 53,834 (Democratic Republic of Congo)
IDPs: 60,000 (multiple civil wars since 1992; most IDPs are ethnic
Lari) (2005)
This page was last updated on 19 December, 2006
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@Cook Islands
Introduction Cook Islands
Background:
Named after Captain COOK, who sighted them in 1770, the islands
became a British protectorate in 1888. By 1900, administrative
control was transferred to New Zealand; in 1965 residents chose
self-government in free association with New Zealand. The emigration
of skilled workers to New Zealand and government deficits are
continuing problems.
Geography Cook Islands
Location:
Oceania, group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about
one-half of the way from Hawaii to New Zealand
Geographic coordinates:
21 14 S, 159 46 W