A
Tapere or Sub-District is a low level of traditional land subdivision on five of the Lower
Cook Islands (
Rarotonga,
Mangaia,
Aitutaki,
Atiu, and
Mauke), comparable to the
ahupua'a of the main
Hawaiian Islands. Among the populated raised islands, only
Mitiaro is not subdivided into tapere. The remaining southern Cook Islands,
Manuae,
Palmerston and
Takutea are
atolls and/or uninhabited, and therefore not subject to this type of traditional subdivision. The atolls of the northern Cook Islands are subdivided into
motu (populated atoll islets), instead.