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What is asbestos? Asbestos is a naturally occurring rock fibre that can be harmful to humans. Consequently, asbestos is now banned from most modern products, but remains a serious legacy issue in the Pacific from its past widespread use in the building materials.

The Cook Islands is made up of 15 islands spread out over an exclusive economic zone of approximately two million square kilometres (750,000 square miles) in the Southern Pacific Ocean. Two of these islands are uninhabited. Total land area is just under 240 square kilometres with Rarotonga the center of Government and commerce representing just over 28 percent of the total.