one of the southern Cook Islands, a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean. It is a coral atoll of two islets joined by a coral reef enclosing a large lagoon, with a total land area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 square km). Manuae, on the west, has a circumference of 3 miles (5 km), and Te Au Otu, 2.4 miles (3.9 km) to the east, is 2 miles (3.2 km) long and 1 mile (1.6 km) wide. Copra is exported. There is no permanent population on the island.