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Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations

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Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations

Current Commonwealth members (dark blue), current suspended members (green), former members (orange), and British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies (light blue)

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 Singapore Declaration issued in 1971.[1] 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.[2]

The symbol of this free association is Queen Elizabeth II who serves as the 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.[3]

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.[4] In 1949, the London Declaration was signed and marked the birth of the modern Commonwealth and the adoption of its present name.[5] The newest member is Rwanda, which joined on 29 November 2009.[6] 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 (but form part of current member states). 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.[7]

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 (Brunei, Lesotho, Malaysia, Swaziland, Tonga) 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.[8]

Note: The table can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically using the icon.

Country Joined Continent Population Notes
Antigua and Barbuda 1981-11-011 November 1981 North America 86,295
Australia 1931-12-1111 December 1931 Oceania 23,795,300 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 1939).[9] Removed final links with the British Parliament in 1986.
Bahamas 1973-07-1010 July 1973 North America 368,390
Bangladesh 1972-04-1818 April 1972[10] Asia 158,088,000 Declared independence from Pakistan in 1971.[11]
Barbados 1966-11-3030 November 1966 North America 285,000
Belize 1981-09-2121 September 1981 North America 358,899
Botswana 1966-09-3030 September 1966 Africa 2,024,904
Brunei 1984-01-011 January 1984 Asia 393,372
Cameroon 1995-11-1313 November 1995[12] Africa 21,143,237 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, 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 1931-12-1111 December 1931 North America 35,702,707 Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on 1 July 1867. Canada was the first among the several original Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931.[13] Incorporated another original Dominion, Newfoundland, on 31 March 1949.[14] Removed final links with the British Parliament in 1982.
Cyprus 1961-03-1313 March 1961[15] Europe 858,000 Gained independence from the United Kingdom on 16 August 1960.
Dominica 1978-11-033 November 1978 North America 71,293
Fiji 1970-10-1010 October 1970 Oceania 859,178 Left in 1987; rejoined in 1997; suspended on 6 June 2000;[16] suspension lifted on 20 December 2001;[17] again suspended on 8 December 2006 because of the 2006 Fijian coup d'état.[18][19]
Ghana 1957-03-066 March 1957 Africa 27,043,093
Grenada 1974-02-077 February 1974 North America 103,328
Guyana 1966-05-2626 May 1966 South America 746,900
India 1947-08-1515 August 1947 Asia 1,269,090,000 Incorporated former French India (Chandannagar from 2 May 1950 and Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahé from 1 November 1954), former 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 1962-08-066 August 1962 North America 2,717,991
Kenya 1963-12-1212 December 1963 Africa 46,749,000
Kiribati 1979-07-1212 July 1979 Oceania 106,461
Lesotho 1966-10-044 October 1966 Africa 2,120,000
Malawi 1964-07-066 July 1964 Africa 16,310,431
Malaysia 1957-08-3131 August 1957[20][21] 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 August 1965), North Borneo, and Sarawak.[22]
Maldives 1982-07-099 July 1982 Asia 341,256 Gained independence from the United Kingdom on 26 July 1965.[23] A special member from 9 July 1982 until 20 July 1985.[24]
Malta 1964-09-2121 September 1964 Europe 425,384
Mauritius 1968-03-1212 March 1968 Africa 1,261,208
Mozambique 1995-11-1313 November 1995[25] Africa 25,727,911 Gained independence from Portugal on 26 June 1975. The first country to be admitted to the Commonwealth without any former colonial or constitutional links with the United Kingdom.[26] However, British troops were present in the country during the World War I East Africa Campaign.
Namibia 1990-03-2121 March 1990 Africa 2,113,077 Gained independence from South Africa.[27] Includes Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands transferred by South Africa at midnight 28 February 1994.
Nauru 1968-11-01†1 November 1968 Oceania 10,084 Gained independence on 31 January 1968 from joint trusteeship of Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom. A special member from 1 November 1968 until 1 May 1999, when it became a full member,[28] before reverting to special status in January 2006.[29] A full member again since June 2011.[30]
New Zealand 1931-12-1111 December 1931 Oceania 4,572,100 Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on 26 September 1907. One of the original Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931, although the Statute was not adopted in New Zealand until 1947.[31] Removed final links with the British Parliament in 1986.
Nigeria 1960-10-011 October 1960 Africa 183,523,000 Incorporated the former British mandate/trust territory of Northern Cameroons on 31 May 1961. Suspended in 1995, suspension lifted in 1999.[32]
Pakistan 1947-08-1414 August 1947 Asia 189,388,000 Includes the city of Gwadar, transferred from Muscat and Oman on 8 September 1958. Included Bangladesh (then known as East Pakistan) until 1971.[11] Left Commonwealth in 1972, rejoined 1989; suspended in 1999, suspension lifted in 2004; again suspended in 2007,[33] suspension lifted in 2008.[34]
Papua New Guinea 1975-09-1616 September 1975 Oceania 7,398,500 Gained independence from Australia.
Rwanda 2009-11-2929 November 2009[6] Africa 10,966,891 Gained independence from Belgium on 1 July 1962. The second country (after Mozambique) to be admitted to the Commonwealth without any former colonial or constitutional links with the United Kingdom.[26] Unlike Mozambique, has adopted English as an official language since joining.
Saint Kitts and Nevis 1983-09-1919 September 1983 North America 55,000
Saint Lucia 1979-02-2222 February 1979 North America 185,000
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1979-10-2727 October 1979 North America 109,000 A special member from 27 October 1979 until 1 June 1985.
Samoa 1970-08-2828 August 1970 Oceania 187,820 Gained independence from New Zealand on 1 January 1962. Joined as Western Samoa, subsequently changing its name to Samoa on 4 July 1997.[35]
Seychelles 1976-06-2929 June 1976 Africa 89,949
Sierra Leone 1961-04-2727 April 1961 Africa 6,319,000
Singapore 1965-10-15†9 August 1966 (effective from 9 August 1965)[36] Asia 5,469,700 Gained independence from the United Kingdom and joined federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. Became independent on 9 August 1965.[37]
Solomon Islands 1978-07-077 July 1978 Oceania 581,344
South Africa 1931-12-1111 December 1931 Africa 54,956,900 Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on 31 May 1910. One of the original Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931. Left on 31 May 1961; rejoined 1 June 1994.[38]
Sri Lanka 1948-02-044 February 1948 Asia 20,675,000 Joined as the Dominion of Ceylon, subsequently changing its name in 1972. Became a republic in 1972 and served final ties with Britain.
Swaziland 1968-09-066 September 1968 Africa 1,119,375
Tanzania 1961-12-099 December 1961 Africa 47,421,786 Joined as Tanganyika and later Zanzibar, which subsequently merged to form Tanzania on 26 April 1964.[39]
Tonga 1970-06-044 June 1970 Oceania 103,252
Trinidad and Tobago 1962-08-3131 August 1962 North America 1,328,019
Tuvalu 1978-10-011 October 1978 Oceania 11,323 A special member from 1 October 1978 until 1 September 2000.[40]
Uganda 1962-10-099 October 1962 Africa 34,856,813
United Kingdom 1931-12-1111 December 1931 Europe 64,511,000 The Parliament of the United Kingdom enacted the Statute of Westminster 1931.
Vanuatu 1980-07-3030 July 1980 Oceania 264,652 Gained independence from joint rule of France and United Kingdom.
Zambia 1964-10-2424 October 1964 Africa 15,473,905

^ A. Unless otherwise noted, independence was gained from the United Kingdom on the date (shown in column 2) 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

Country Joined Continent Left Notes
The Gambia 1965-02-1818 February 1965 Africa 2013-10-33 October 2013 Withdrew on 3 October 2013 citing "neo-colonialism".[41][42]
Ireland 1931-12-1111 December 1931 Europe 1949-04-1818 April 1949 One of the original Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931.[14] Withdrew after passing the Republic of Ireland Act in 1949.[11]
Zimbabwe 1980-10-011 October 1980 Africa 2003-12-077 December 2003 Suspended on 19 March 2002.[17] Withdrew voluntarily on 7 December 2003.[43]

Dissolved members

Former country Joined Continent Dissolved Rejoined as part of Notes
Malaya 1957-08-3131 August 1957 Asia 1963-07-3131 July 1963[21] Malaysia Reformed as the Federation of Malaysia with Singapore (became a separate member in 1965), Sabah, and Sarawak.
Newfoundland 1931-12-1111 December 1931 North America 1934-02-1631 March 1949 Canada One of the original Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931. Government suspended on 16 February 1934, joined Canada on 31 March 1949.[14]
Tanganyika 1961-12-099 December 1961 Africa 1964-04-2626 April 1964 Tanzania The two countries merged to form Tanzania on 26 April 1964.[39]
Zanzibar 1963-12-1010 December 1963

Prospective members

Country Applied Continent Population Notes
Somaliland 2009[44] Africa 3,500,000 Somaliland is an unrecognised self-declared sovereign state internationally recognised as part of Somalia. It has applied to join the Commonwealth under observer status.[44] Its borders approximate to that of British Somaliland, which was a protectorate from 1884 to 1960.
South Sudan 2011[45] Africa 8,260,490 Gained independence from Britain as part of Sudan in 1956.
Sudan Africa 37,289,406 Sudan was a condominium of the United Kingdom and Egypt known as Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, but in practice the structure of the Condominium ensured full British control over the Sudan until its independence in 1956. Sudan has expressed an interest in joining the Commonwealth.
Suriname[46] South America 560,157 English colony of Willoughbyland from 1650 to 1667 and controlled by the British from 1799 to 1816. In 2012 Suriname expressed plans to join the Commonwealth[47] and the British government has made it a priority to provide guidance to Suriname in applying for Commonwealth membership.[48]

Other states which have expressed an interest in joining the Commonwealth over the years include Algeria, Cambodia, Madagascar, Palestine, Yemen.[49][50]

Other former British Colonies that have never been Commonwealth members

Country Independence granted Continent Current population Notes
Thirteen Colonies 1783 North America 319,000,000 Founded 1607–1733, declared independence in 1776 as the United States, recognised by Great Britain in 1783 after the American Revolutionary War. Consisted of most of the contiguous USA east of the Mississippi River, except Florida. First European colony in the Americas to declare and obtain independence, and nearly 150 years before the Statute of Westminster.
Weihaiwei 1930 Asia 600,000 Leased from the Chinese Empire in 1898, returned to the Republic of China in 1930. Also known as Port Edward. Now part of modern Weihai, Shandong in the People's Republic of China.
Burma 1948 Asia 61,000,000 Lower Burma annexed by Britain 1852, Upper Burma in 1886. Administered as part of British India until 1937. Independence granted in 1948, but chose to become a republic outside the Commonwealth, unlike neighbouring India and Pakistan. Also officially known as Myanmar.
Colony of Aden 1967 Asia 760,000 Administered from British India 1842–1937. Became the State of Aden in 1963, which, together with the former Protectorate of Aden, formed the Federation of South Arabia. However, was immediately wracked by civil war between Marxist NLF and Pan-Arabist FLOSY. After NLF's victory, became part of the independent People's Republic of South Yemen in 1967, outside the Commonwealth. The two Yemens, North and South, merged into one nation in 1990.
Hong Kong 1997 Asia 7,000,000 Hong Kong island annexed from China during the Opium Wars in 1842, Kowloon in 1860, and New Territories on Chinese Mainland leased for 99 years from 1898. Transferred back to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, becoming the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

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.[51]

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.[51]

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

Arab World

South and South East Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

Asterisks denote protectorates which were governed from a colony of the same name.

Oceania

Former British Mandates

Class A League of Nations 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 recognised 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:

Class B League of Nations mandates

The second group of mandates, or Class B mandates, were all former Schutzgebiete (German territories) 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 (United Kingdom), 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 (under a Resident) and French Cameroun (under a Commissioner until 27 August 1940, then under a Governor), on 13 December 1946 transformed into United Nations Trust Territories, again a British (successively under senior district officers officiating as Resident, a Special Resident and Commissioners) and a French Trust (under a Haut Commissaire)
  • Togoland was split into British Togoland (under an Administrator, a post filled by the colonial Governor of the British Gold Coast (present Ghana) except 30 September 1920–11 October 1923 Francis Walter Fillon Jackson) and French Togoland (under a Commissioner) (United Kingdom and France), 20 July 1922 separate Mandates, transformed on 13 December 1946 into United Nations trust territories, French Togo Associated Territory (under a Commissioner till 30 August 1956, then under a High Commissioner as Autonomous Republic of Togo) and British Togoland (as before; on 13 December 1956 it ceased to exist as it became part of Ghana)

Class C League of Nations 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:

United Nations mandates

British mandates acquired after 1945 (formation of the United Nations):

  • Libya
  • Eritrea – under British administration 1941 to 1951, transferred to Ethiopia. Became an independent state in 1993.

See also

References

  1. ^
  2. ^
  3. ^
  4. ^
  5. ^
  6. ^ a b
  7. ^
  8. ^
  9. ^
  10. ^
  11. ^ a b c
  12. ^
  13. ^
  14. ^ a b c
  15. ^
  16. ^
  17. ^ a b
  18. ^
  19. ^ Fiji suspended from the Commonwealth. Commonwealth Secretariat, 1 September 2009; retrieved 11 April 2011.
  20. ^ Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957
  21. ^ a b Malaysia Act 1963
  22. ^
  23. ^
  24. ^
  25. ^
  26. ^ a b
  27. ^ Chronology of Namibian Independence
  28. ^
  29. ^
  30. ^
  31. ^
  32. ^
  33. ^
  34. ^
  35. ^
  36. ^ Singapore Act 1966
  37. ^
  38. ^
  39. ^ a b
  40. ^
  41. ^
  42. ^
  43. ^
  44. ^ a b Somaliland on verge of observer status in the Commonwealth. Qaran News, 16 November 2009
  45. ^
  46. ^
  47. ^
  48. ^
  49. ^
  50. ^
  51. ^ a b The Statesman's Yearbook 1967–1968
  52. ^
  53. ^
  54. ^
  55. ^
  56. ^
  57. ^ Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs: THE DECLARATION OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL May 14, 1948: Retrieved 28 January 2013
  58. ^

External links

  • Commonwealth timeline
Members of the Commonwealth of Nations
Sovereign states
(Members)
Dependencies
of Members
Australia
New Zealand
United Kingdom
Source: Commonwealth Secretariat - Member States
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