Avarua (meaning "Two Harbours" in Cook Islands Māori) is a town and district in the north of the island of Rarotonga, and is the national capital of the Cook Islands.
Avarua | |
---|---|
Town | |
Coordinates: 21°12′25″S 159°46′15″W / 21.20694°S 159.77083°W | |
Country | Cook Islands |
Island | Rarotonga |
Area | |
• Total | 28 km2 (11 sq mi) |
Population (2016) | |
• Total | 4,906 |
Time zone | UTC-10:00 (CKT) |
Area code | +682 |
Climate | Af |
The town is served by Rarotonga International Airport (IATA Airport Code: RAR) and Avatiu Harbour.
The population of Avarua District is 4,906 (census of 2016).[1]
Sub-districts
The district of Avarua is subdivided into 19 tapere (traditional sub-districts) out of 54 for Rarotonga,[2] grouped into 6 Census Districts, listed from west to east. Census figures are not available on the tapere level, but only for the so-called Census Districts,[3] also listed from west to east:[4]
- Nikao-Panama (1,373 inhabitants), covering the taperes of:
- Pokoinu,
- Nikao (seat of Cook Islands parliament), and
- Puapuautu;
- Avatiu-Ruatonga (951 inhabitants), covering the taperes of:
- Areanu,
- Kaikaveka,
- Atupa,
- Avatiu (commercial port), and
- Ruatonga;
- Tutakimoa-Teotue (314 inhabitants), covering the tapere of:
- Tutakimoa;
- Takuvaine-Parekura (786 inhabitants), covering the taperes of:
- Tauae
- Takuvaine (downtown Avarua, seat of Cook Islands government, with Avarua fishing harbour)
- Tupapa-Maraerenga (531 inhabitants), covering the taperes of:
- Ngatipa, and
- Vaikai;
- Pue-Matavera (1,490 inhabitants), covering the taperes of:
- Tapae-I-Uta,
- Tapae
- Pue,
- Punamaia,
- Kiikii, and
- Tupapa.
Climate
Avarua has a tropical rainforest climate (Af) according to the Köppen climate classification with high temperatures and rainfall throughout the year.[5] Although there are no true wet or dry seasons, there is a noticeably wetter stretch from December to April.
Climate data for Avarua | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 28.8 (83.8) | 29.1 (84.4) | 29.1 (84.4) | 28.3 (82.9) | 26.4 (79.5) | 25.3 (77.5) | 24.6 (76.3) | 24.9 (76.8) | 25.6 (78.1) | 26.3 (79.3) | 27.2 (81.0) | 28.0 (82.4) | 27.0 (80.5) |
Daily mean °C (°F) | 25.9 (78.6) | 26.2 (79.2) | 26.2 (79.2) | 25.4 (77.7) | 23.7 (74.7) | 22.7 (72.9) | 22.0 (71.6) | 22.3 (72.1) | 22.7 (72.9) | 23.5 (74.3) | 24.4 (75.9) | 25.2 (77.4) | 24.2 (75.5) |
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 23.1 (73.6) | 23.4 (74.1) | 23.3 (73.9) | 22.5 (72.5) | 21.0 (69.8) | 20.1 (68.2) | 19.4 (66.9) | 19.7 (67.5) | 19.9 (67.8) | 20.7 (69.3) | 21.7 (71.1) | 22.4 (72.3) | 21.4 (70.6) |
Average rainfall mm (inches) | 256 (10.1) | 229 (9.0) | 219 (8.6) | 246 (9.7) | 199 (7.8) | 128 (5.0) | 112 (4.4) | 141 (5.6) | 138 (5.4) | 121 (4.8) | 171 (6.7) | 246 (9.7) | 2,206 (86.8) |
Source: Climate-Data.org[5] |
References
External links
- Media related to Avarua at Wikimedia Commons
- Photo of Government Radio Station Rarotonga c1950