Avarua

Avarua is a district and township on the northern coast of Rarotonga, the largest island of the Cook Islands, a territory in free association with New Zealand, and it serves as the country's capital. It became the islands' religious and commercial center after London Missionary Society missionaries established their headquarters there in 1823, and it grew into the administrative center after Britain appointed its first resident agent in 1888. Today Avarua is Rarotonga's main business district, hosting the country's main airport and harbor along with its National Library and National Museum, and its district recorded 5,120 residents at the 2021 census.