Coat of arms of the Cook Islands

The central element of the Cook Islands coat of arms is a blue shield , in the center of which is a ring of 15 white stars symbolizing the 15 islands of the archipelago. To the right of the shield is a white tern (or cocoa in the Maori language of the Cook Islands ), symbolizing the sky and purity. In her beak she holds a cross symbolizing the Christian faith . To the left of the shield is a flying fish (or maroro ), symbolizing the wealth of the ocean. The fish holds a Rarotong club as a sign of the wealth of the Cook Islands traditions.

Coat of arms of the Cook Islands
Details
Approved by	1980
Shield holders	White tern (or cocoa) and flying fish (or maroro)

The shield is crowned with a headdress (or pare-kura ) of arika (the supreme leader of the Cook Islands), symbolizing the importance of traditions. On a gold ribbon under the shield is the name of the country - “Cook Islands”. Coconut palm leaves are also shown under the shield, showing soil fertility.

The Cook Islands Coat of Arms was created by Peter Beade , a professor at the University of Auckland , and adopted in 1980 .