Commonwealth of Nations

The Commonwealth of Nations (formerly the British Commonwealth), also known as

simply the Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of 53 member states that
are mostly former territories of the British Empire. The Commonwealth operates by
intergovernmental consensus of the member states, organised through the Commonwealth
Secretariat and non-governmental organisations, organised through the Commonwealth
Foundation.

The Commonwealth dates back to the mid-20th century with the decolonisation of the British
Empire through increased self-governance of its territories. It was formally constituted by the
London Declaration in 1949, which established the member states as "free and equal". The
symbol of this free association is Queen Elizabeth II who is the Head of the Commonwealth,
and while there are over 31 republics and five monarchies who have a different monarch, the
Queen is the ceremonial head of state and reigning constitutional monarch of only 16
members of the Commonwealth, known as Commonwealth realms. The position of the crown
remains legally distinct from the position of monarch and the position of the Head of the
Commonwealth.

The Queen has since ceased to be the head of state or have any formal position in several
nations of the commonwealth including India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore.

Member states have no legal obligation to one another. Instead, they are united by language,
history, culture and their shared values of democracy, free speech, human rights, and the rule
of law. These values are enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter and promoted by the
quadrennial Commonwealth Games.

The Commonwealth covers more than 29,958,050 km2 (11,566,870 sq mi), equivalent to 20%
of the world's land area. It spans all six inhabited continents. With an estimated population of
2.419 billion people, nearly a third of the world population,[9] the Commonwealth in 2014
produced a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of $10.45 trillion, representing 14% of the
gross world product when measured nominally and 17% of the gross world product when
measured in purchasing power parity (PPP).

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.

Country Continent Population Notes

Antigua and
Caribbean 86,295
Barbuda

Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on

1 January 1901. Australia was one of the original
Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster
1931, although the statute was not adopted in
Australia until 1942 (with retroactive effect from
Australia Oceania 23,795,300 1939). The Australia Act 1986 established specifically,
only the State Premier could now advise the Queen
on appointment or removal of a State Governor.
Nonetheless, the Queen could still exercise any of her
powers with respect to the State if she was
"personally present" in the State..

Bahamas Caribbean 368,390

Bangladesh Asia 158,088,000 Declared independence from Pakistan in 1971.

Barbados Caribbean 285,000

North
Belize 358,899
America

Botswana Africa 2,024,904

Brunei Asia 393,372

Most of the country was the formerly French mandate

territory (later UN trust territory) of Cameroun and
gained independence from France on 1 January 1960,
Cameroon Africa 21,143,237 uniting with the much smaller former British
mandate/trust territory of Southern Cameroons on its
gaining independence from the United Kingdom on 1
October 1961.

Canada North 35,702,707 Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on

America 1 July 1867. Canada was the first among the several
original Dominions at the time of the Statute of
Westminster 1931. Incorporated another original
Country Continent Population Notes

Dominion, Newfoundland, on 31 March 1949. The

Canada Act 1982 formally ended the "request and
consent" provisions of the Statute of Westminster
1931 in relation to Canada, whereby the British
parliament had a general power to pass laws
extending to Canada at its own request.

Gained independence from the United Kingdom on 16

Cyprus Eurasia 858,000
August 1960.

Dominica Caribbean 71,293

Left in 1987; rejoined in 1997; suspended on 6 June

2000; suspension lifted on 20 December 2001; again
Fiji Oceania 859,178 suspended on 8 December 2006 because of the 2006
Fijian coup d'état. Suspension lifted on 26 September
2014.

Withdrew on 3 October 2013 citing "neo-colonialism".

Following the election of Adama Barrow as President
Gambia Africa 2,051,363 of Gambia in 2016, it submitted an application to re-
join the Commonwealth on 22 January 2018, and
rejoined on 8 February 2018.

Ghana Africa 27,043,093

Grenada Caribbean 103,328

South
Guyana 746,900
America

Incorporated former French India (Chandannagar

from 2 May 1950 and Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam
and Mahé from 1 November 1954), former
India Asia 1,269,090,000
Portuguese India (Goa, Daman and Diu from 19
December 1961 and Dadra and Nagar Haveli formally
from 1961) and Sikkim (from 16 May 1975).

Jamaica Caribbean 2,717,991

Kenya Africa 46,749,000

Kiribati Oceania 106,461

Lesotho Africa 2,120,000

Malawi Africa 16,310,431

Malaysia Asia 30,538,100 Joined as the Federation of Malaya in 1957; reformed

as Malaysia on 16 September 1963 with its federation
with Singapore (which became a separate state on 9
Country Continent Population Notes

August 1965), North Borneo, and Sarawak.

Malta Europe 425,384

Mauritius Africa 1,261,208

Gained independence from Portugal on 26 June 1975.

The first country to be admitted to the
Mozambique Africa 25,727,911
Commonwealth without any former colonial or
constitutional links with the United Kingdom.

Gained independence from South Africa. Includes

Namibia Africa 2,113,077 Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands transferred by
South Africa at midnight 28 February 1994.

Gained independence on 31 January 1968 from joint

trusteeship of Australia, New Zealand and United
Kingdom. A special member from 1 November 1968
Nauru Oceania 10,084
until 1 May 1999, when it became a full member,
before reverting to special status in January 2006. A
full member again since June 2011.

Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on

26 September 1907. One of the original Dominions at
the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931, although
New Zealand Oceania 4,572,100
the Statute was not adopted in New Zealand until
1947. Removed final links with the British Parliament
in 1986.

Incorporated the former British mandate/trust

Nigeria Africa 183,523,000 territory of Northern Cameroons on 31 May 1961.
Suspended in 1995, suspension lifted in 1999.

Includes the city of Gwadar, transferred from Muscat

and Oman on 8 September 1958. Included Bangladesh
(then known as East Pakistan) until 1971. Left
Pakistan Asia 189,388,000
Commonwealth in 1972, rejoined 1989; suspended in
1999, suspension lifted in 2004; again suspended in
2007, suspension lifted in 2008.

Papua New
Oceania 7,398,500 Gained independence from Australia.
Guinea

Gained independence from Belgium on 1 July 1962.

The second country (after Mozambique) to be
admitted to the Commonwealth without any former
Rwanda Africa 10,966,891
colonial or constitutional links with the United
Kingdom. Unlike Mozambique, has adopted English as
an official language since joining.
Country Continent Population Notes

Saint Kitts and

Caribbean 55,000
Nevis

Saint Lucia Caribbean 185,000

Saint Vincent A special member from 27 October 1979 until 1 June

Caribbean 109,000
and the Grenadines 1985.

Gained independence from New Zealand on 1 January

Samoa Oceania 187,820 1962. Joined as Western Samoa, subsequently
changing its name to Samoa on 4 July 1997.

Seychelles Africa 89,949

Sierra Leone Africa 6,319,000

Gained independence from the United Kingdom and

Singapore Asia 5,469,700 joined federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963.
Became independent on 9 August 1965.

Solomon
Oceania 581,344
Islands

Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on

31 May 1910. One of the original Dominions at the
South Africa Africa 54,956,900
time of the Statute of Westminster 1931. Left on 31
May 1961; rejoined 1 June 1994.

Joined as the Dominion of Ceylon, subsequently

Sri Lanka Asia 20,675,000 changing its name in 1972. Became a republic in 1972
and severed final ties with Britain.

Swaziland Africa 1,119,375

Joined as Tanganyika and later Zanzibar, which

Tanzania Africa 47,421,786 subsequently merged to form Tanzania on 26 April
1964.

Tonga Oceania 103,252

Trinidad and
Caribbean 1,328,019
Tobago

A special member from 1 October 1978 until 1

Tuvalu Oceania 11,323
September 2000.

Uganda Africa 34,856,813

United The Parliament of the United Kingdom enacted the

Europe 64,511,000
Kingdom Statute of Westminster 1931.

Vanuatu Oceania 264,652 Gained independence from joint rule of France and
Country Continent Population Notes

United Kingdom.

Zambia Africa 15,473,905