The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 53 independent and sovereign
states.
Most are former British colonies or dependencies of these colonies.
No one government in the Commonwealth exercises power over the others as is the case in a
political union.
Rather, the relationship is one of an international organisation through which countries with
diverse social, political, and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status and cooperate
within a framework of common values and goals as outlined in the Singapore Declaration issued
in 1971.
Such common values and goals include the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance,
the rule of law, individual liberty, egalitarianism, free trade, multilateralism, and world peace
which are carried out through multilateral projects and meetings which include the Commonwealth
Games held once every four years.
The symbol of this free association is Queen Elizabeth II who serves as the titular Head
of the Commonwealth.
This position, however, does not imbue her with any political or executive power over
any Commonwealth member states; the position is purely symbolic, and it is the Commonwealth
Secretary-General who is the chief executive of the Commonwealth.
The Commonwealth was first officially formed in 1931 when the Statute of Westminster gave
legal recognition to the sovereignty of dominions.
Known as the "British Commonwealth", the original members were the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia,
New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, and Newfoundland, although Australia and New Zealand did not
adopt the statute until 1942 and 1947 respectively.
In 1949, the London Declaration was signed and marked the birth of the modern Commonwealth
and the renaming to its present name.
The newest member is Rwanda, which joined on 29 November 2009.
The most recent departure was The Gambia, which severed its connection with the Commonwealth
on 3 October 2013.
Presently, of the states that are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, three are
in Europe, twelve in North America, one in South America, eighteen in Africa, eight in
Asia, and eleven in Oceania.
There are seven former members, four of which no longer exist as independent entities.
The members have a combined population of 2.2 billion people, almost a third of the
world population, of which 1.21 billion live in India, and 95% live in Asia and Africa
combined.
Currently sixteen of the member states are Commonwealth realms with the Head of the Commonwealth
also as their head of state, five others are monarchies with their own separate monarchs
and the rest are republics.
Current members All table information based on figures provided
by the Commonwealth of Nations Secretariat members list, most population figures are
based on 2007 estimates, unless otherwise noted.
Note: The table can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically using the icon.
^ A. Unless otherwise noted, independence was gained from the United Kingdom on the
date of joining the Commonwealth.^ B. Not a member of the Commonwealth Foundation.^
C. The population figure is based on 2004 estimates.^ D.
The population figure is based on 2005 estimates.^ E. Though Pakistan celebrates 14 August 1947
as its independence day, independence was officially granted at midnight, 15 August
1947.
Therefore, its date of joining the Commonwealth would be 15 August 1947.^ F. Commonwealth
realms, recognising Elizabeth II as their head of state since the day of their independence,
distinctly from her being the sovereign of United Kingdom.
Former members Dissolved members
Applicants for membership Other states which have expressed an interest
in joining the Commonwealth over the years include Algeria, Cambodia, Madagascar, Palestine,
Sudan, Yemen.
Former protectorates of the UK and other Commonwealth countries
A protectorate, in the British Empire, is a territory which is not formally annexed
but in which, by treaty, grant or other lawful means, the Crown has power and jurisdiction.
A protectorate differs from a "protected state".
A protected state is a territory under a ruler which enjoys Her Britannic Majesty's protection,
over whose foreign affairs she exercises control, but in respect of whose internal affairs she
does not exercise jurisdiction.
When the British took over Cephalonia in 1809, they proclaimed, "We present ourselves to
you, Inhabitants of Cephalonia, not as invaders, with views of conquest, but as allies who
hold forth to you the advantages of British protection."
When the British continued to occupy the Ionian Islands after the Napoleonic wars, they did
not formally annex the islands, but described them as a protectorate.
The islands were constituted by the Treaty of Paris in 1815 as the independent United
States of the Ionian Islands under British protection.
Similarly, Malta was a British protectorate between the capitulation of the French in
1800 and the Treaty of Paris of 1814.
Other British protectorates followed.
In 1894, Prime Minister William Ewart Gladstone's government officially announced that Uganda
was to become a British Protectorate, where Muslim and Christian strife had attracted
international attention.
The British administration installed carefully selected local kings under a programme of
indirect rule through the local oligarchy, creating a network of British-controlled civil
service.
Most British protectorates were overseen by a Commissioner or a High Commissioner, rather
than a Governor.
British law makes a distinction between a protectorate and protected state.
Constitutionally the two are of similar status where Britain provides controlled defence
and external relations.
However, a protectorate has an internal government established, while a protected state establishes
a form of local internal self-government based on the already existing one.
Persons connected with former British protectorates, protected states, mandated or trust territories
may remain British Protected Persons if they did not acquire the nationality of the country
at independence.
The last British protectorate proper was the Solomon Islands, which gained independence
in 1978; the last British protected state was Brunei, which gained full independence
in 1984.
Other cases include the following: Americas
Barbados Mosquito Coast
Arab World Aden Protectorate in Yemen
Sultanate of Egypt Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Persian Gulf Residency Bahrain
Kuwait Qatar
Trucial States, precursor of the UAE
British Somaliland South and South East Asia
Bhutan British North Borneo
Brunei Federation of Malaya
Federated Malay States Negeri Sembilan
Sungai Ujong Jelebu
Pahang Perak
Selangor
Unfederated Malay States Johor
Kedah Kelantan
Perlis Terengganu
Indian Princely States Maldives
Sikkim Kingdom of Sarawak
Sub-Saharan Africa Asterisks denote protectorates which were
governed from a colony of the same name.
Basutoland Bechuanaland Protectorate
British East Africa Protectorate Gambia Protectorate*
Kenya Protectorate* Barotseland Protectorate
Northern Rhodesia Northern Territories of the Gold Coast
Nyasaland Protectorate - known as British Central Africa until 1907
Northern Nigeria Protectorate Eastern Nigeria Protectorate
Western Nigeria Protectorate Sierra Leone Protectorate*
Swaziland Uganda Protectorate
Walvis Bay protectorate Zanzibar
Oceania British Solomon Islands
Cook Islands Gilbert and Ellice Islands
Niue Tokelau
Tonga Former British Mandates
Class A mandates
The first group, or Class A mandates, were territories formerly controlled by the Ottoman
Empire that were deemed to "... have reached a stage of development where their existence
as independent nations can be provisionally recognized subject to the rendering of administrative
advice and assistance by a Mandatory until such time as they are able to stand alone.
The wishes of these communities must be a principal consideration in the selection of
the Mandatory."
The Class A mandates were as follows: Palestine, from 29 September 1923 – 15 May
1948.
In April 1921, Transjordan provisionally became an autonomous area for 6 months but then continued
to be part of the Mandate until independence.
It eventually became the independent Hashemite Kingdom of Transjordan on 25 May 1946.
A plan for peacefully dividing the remainder of the Mandate failed.
The Mandate terminated at midnight between 14 and 15 May 1948.
On the evening of 14 May, the Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Palestine had declared
the establishment of the State of Israel.
Arab states attacked the following day, marking the start of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
Following the war, 75% of the area west of the Jordan River was controlled by the new
State of Israel.
Other parts, until 1967, formed the West Bank of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the
Egyptian-occupied Gaza Strip.
Small slivers of territory east and south of the Sea of Galilee were held by Syria.
Mesopotamia, not enacted and replaced by the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty
Class B mandates The second group of mandates, or Class B mandates,
were all former Schutzgebiete in West and Central Africa which were deemed to require
a greater level of control by the mandatory power: "...the Mandatory must be responsible
for the administration of the territory under conditions which will guarantee freedom of
conscience and religion."
The mandatory power was forbidden to construct military or naval bases within the mandates.
The Class B mandates were as follows: Tanganyika, from 20 July 1922 to 11 December
1946.
It became a United Nations Trust Territory on 11 December 1946, and was granted internal
self-rule on 1 May 1961.
On 9 December 1961, it became an independent Commonwealth realm, transforming into a republic
on the same day the next year.
On 26 April 1964, Tanganyika merged with the neighbouring island of Zanzibar to become
the modern nation of Tanzania.
Kamerun was split on 20 July 1922 into British Cameroons and French Cameroun, on 13 December
1946 transformed into United Nations Trust Territories, again a British and a French
Trust Togoland was split into British Togoland except
30 September 1920–11 October 1923 Francis Walter Fillon Jackson) and French Togoland,
20 July 1922 separate Mandates, transformed on 13 December 1946 into United Nations trust
territories, French Togo Associated Territory and British Togoland
Class C mandates A final group, the Class C mandates, including
South-West Africa and certain of the South Pacific Islands, were considered to be "best
administered under the laws of the Mandatory as integral portions of its territory"
The Class C mandates were former German possessions as follows:
former German New Guinea became the Territory of New Guinea from 17 December 1920 under
a Administrator; after Japanese/U.S. military commands from 8 December 1946 under UN mandate
as North East New Guinea, until it became part of present Papua New Guinea at independence
in 1975 Nauru, formerly part of German New Guinea
from 17 December 1920, 1 November 1947 made into a United Nations trust territory until
its 31 January 1968 independence as a Republic - all that time under an Administrator
former German Samoa 17 December 1920 a League of Nations mandate, renamed Western Samoa,
from 25 January 1947 a United Nations trust territory until its 1 January 1962 independence
South-West Africa from 1 October 1922 Walvisbaai's administration
was also assigned to South West Africa Mandate
See also
Commonwealth of Nations membership criteria List of countries by English-speaking population
List of countries where English is an official language
Prospective members of the Commonwealth of Nations
Representatives of the Commonwealth of Nations References
External links Commonwealth timeline
"Members".
Commonwealth Secretariat.
Retrieved 2008-02-15.
"Commonwealth of Nations".
Commonwealth of Nations.
Retrieved 2008-02-15.
"The Commonwealth".
Directgov.
Retrieved 2008-02-15.