Avarua

Avarua district is the northern part of Rarotonga, the largest island of the Cook Islands, and one of the island's five districts. It is subdivided into 19 tapere (traditional sub-districts), and is the administrative capital of the country. Avarua township or central Avarua is the main central business district of Rarotonga and the location of government offices. The township hosts the Sir Geoffrey Henry National Culture Centre, which includes the National Library (Runanga Puka) and the Cook Islands National Museum, and the Cook Islands Library & Museum. == History ==

The Cook Islands were inhabited largely by indigenous Māori people till the late 19th century. Avarua was not the main centre of Rarotonga until missionaries of the London Missionary Society arrived in 1823 and set up their national headquarters there. Trading ships also based themselves there and from the middle of the 19th century it became the religious and commercial centre of the Cook Islands. The country became a British protectorate in 1888 and after the first British resident was appointed, Avarua became the administrative and educational centre of the islands. == Population ==

The 19 tapere are grouped into five census districts, as of 2021. The population of Avarua District was 5,120 in the 2021 census. == Transportation ==

Rarotonga International Airport in Avarua provides air links to New Zealand and Australia. It is connected via Ara Tapu, a coastal ring road encircling the island, and the inner Ara Metua, built in the 11th century, skirting the interior. Public buses traverse the ring road, both in clockwise and anti-clockwise directions. Avatiu Port is the main commercial port; cruise ships anchor outside the harbour. == Climate ==

Avarua has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) according to the Köppen climate classification with high temperatures and rainfall throughout the year. Although there are no true wet or dry seasons, there is a noticeably wetter stretch from December to April. {{Weather box |Jan high C = 28.8 |Feb high C = 29.1 |Mar high C = 29.1 |Apr high C = 28.3 |May high C = 26.4 |Jun high C = 25.3 |Jul high C = 24.6 |Aug high C = 24.9 |Sep high C = 25.6 |Oct high C = 26.3 |Nov high C = 27.2 |Dec high C = 28.0 |year high C= |Jan mean C = 25.9 |Feb mean C = 26.2 |Mar mean C = 26.2 |Apr mean C = 25.4 |May mean C = 23.7 |Jun mean C = 22.7 |Jul mean C = 22.0 |Aug mean C = 22.3 |Sep mean C = 22.7 |Oct mean C = 23.5 |Nov mean C = 24.4 |Dec mean C = 25.2 |year mean C= |Jan low C = 23.1 |Feb low C = 23.4 |Mar low C = 23.3 |Apr low C = 22.5 |May low C = 21.0 |Jun low C = 20.1 |Jul low C = 19.4 |Aug low C = 19.7 |Sep low C = 19.9 |Oct low C = 20.7 |Nov low C = 21.7 |Dec low C = 22.4 |year low C= |Jan rain mm = 256 |Feb rain mm = 229 |Mar rain mm = 219 |Apr rain mm = 246 |May rain mm = 199 |Jun rain mm = 128 |Jul rain mm = 112 |Aug rain mm = 141 |Sep rain mm = 138 |Oct rain mm = 121 |Nov rain mm = 171 |Dec rain mm = 246 |year rain mm= == Sister cities ==

On 7 June 2024, Prime Minister Mark Brown of the Cook Islands and Tou Travel Ariki, President of the House of Ariki, signed a sister city agreement between Avarua and Honolulu, Hawaii. ==Notes==