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| | [[Image:Commonwealth.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Emblem of the Commonwealth of Nations]] | | [[Image:Commonwealth.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Emblem of the Commonwealth of Nations]] |
| − | The '''Commonwealth of Nations''', also known as te '''British Commonwealth''', is a free association of 53 mostly former [[British]] crown dependencies and colonies. The '''Commonwealth''', as it is commonly known, brings together countries on every continent and encompasses nearly 2 billion citizens. The Commonwealth does not have a constitution; instead it is governed by a set of core beliefs, espoused by declarations or statements made at meetings of the Commonwealth. These fundamental beliefs are encapsulated by the 1st major Commonwealth statement in 1971.[http://www.thecommonwealth.org/Internal/20723/32987/singapore_declaration_of_commonwealth_principles/] | + | The '''Commonwealth of Nations''', also known as the '''British Commonwealth''', is a free association of 53 mostly former [[British]] crown dependencies and colonies. The '''Commonwealth''', as it is commonly known, brings together countries on every continent and encompasses nearly 2 billion citizens. The Commonwealth does not have a constitution; instead it is governed by a set of core beliefs, espoused by declarations or statements made at meetings of the Commonwealth. These fundamental beliefs are encapsulated by the 1st major Commonwealth statement in 1971.[http://www.thecommonwealth.org/Internal/20723/32987/singapore_declaration_of_commonwealth_principles/] |
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| | '''1971 Declaration of Commonwealth Principles:''' | | '''1971 Declaration of Commonwealth Principles:''' |
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| | * [[Cyprus]] | | * [[Cyprus]] |
| | * [[Dominica]] | | * [[Dominica]] |
| − | * [[Fiji]]* | + | * [[Fiji]]<sup>1</sup> |
| | * [[The Gambia]] | | * [[The Gambia]] |
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| | * [[Malta]] | | * [[Malta]] |
| | * [[Mauritius]] | | * [[Mauritius]] |
| − | * [[Mozambique]] | + | * [[Mozambique]]<sup>2</sup> |
| | | | | | |
| | * [[Namibia]] | | * [[Namibia]] |
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| | * [[New Zealand]] | | * [[New Zealand]] |
| | * [[Nigeria]] | | * [[Nigeria]] |
| − | * [[Pakistan]]* | + | * [[Pakistan]] |
| | * [[Papua New Guinea]] | | * [[Papua New Guinea]] |
| | * [[Saint Kitts and Nevis]] | | * [[Saint Kitts and Nevis]] |
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| | * [[Zambia]] | | * [[Zambia]] |
| | |} | | |} |
| − | <sub>* Fiji’s military regime was suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth on 8 December 2006. Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth on 22 November 2007</sub> | + | <sub><sup>1</sup> Fiji’s military regime was suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth on December 8, 2006. Pakistan was suspended from November 22, 2007 to May 22, 2008.</sub><br> |
| | + | <sub><sup>2</sup> Mozambique is the only current member of the Commonwealth that was not originally part of the British Empire; it had been a Portuguese colony until it gained its independence in 1975.</sub> |
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| | ==Commonwealth Family== | | ==Commonwealth Family== |