Festivities are already underway as the Cook Islands gears up for its Constitution Day celebrations this Thursday.
August 4th will mark 46 years since the Cook Islands gained self government.
The head of the Culture Ministry, Sonny Williams, says the annual celebration has taken on more of a cultural flavour.
"Other events are programmed through town like the float parade Friday will go through town, we had an international night, they had a performance in one of the villages. Every day's got its own different programmes but Thursday will be like the formal national ceremony for flag raising and so forth."
Sonny Williams says they're already starting to plan the 50th anniversary in 2015.
