Rarotonga - Wikiwand
Rarotonga is the largest and most populous of the Cook Islands. The island is volcanic, with an area of 67.39 km2 (26.02 sq mi), and is home to almost 75% of th...
www.wikiwand.comKingdom of Rarotonga gained independence in 1858, and later accepted a UK protectorate in 1888 upon its request, renamed the Cook Islands Federation in 1893; the island was annexed by New Zealand in 1900 after governance was ceded by chiefs. Volcanic in origin, the largest island has a rugged interior, with Te Manga peak as a notable feature, and it was visited by mutineers from HMS Bounty in 1789, preceding missionary activity that shaped local order. It remains the Cook Islands’ most populous island, noted for ariki leadership and widespread Christian conversion.