Difference between revisions of "Commonwealth of Nations"
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==Membership== | ==Membership== | ||
The current membership of the Commonwealth includes: | The current membership of the Commonwealth includes: | ||
| − | Antigua | + | {| |
| − | [[Australia]] | + | |- valign="top" |
| − | The Bahamas | + | | |
| − | Bangladesh | + | * [[Antigua and Barbuda]] |
| − | Barbados | + | * [[Australia]] |
| − | Belize | + | * [[The Bahamas]] |
| − | Botswana | + | * [[Bangladesh]] |
| − | Brunei Darussalam | + | * [[Barbados]] |
| − | Cameroon | + | * [[Belize]] |
| − | [[Canada]] | + | * [[Botswana]] |
| − | Cyprus | + | * [[Brunei Darussalam]] |
| − | Dominica | + | * [[Cameroon]] |
| − | Fiji | + | * [[Canada]] |
| − | The Gambia | + | * [[Cyprus]] |
| − | Ghana | + | * [[Dominica]] |
| − | Grenada | + | * [[Fiji]]* |
| − | Guyana | + | * [[The Gambia]] |
| − | India | + | | |
| − | Jamaica | + | * [[Ghana]] |
| − | Kenya | + | * [[Grenada]] |
| − | Kiribati | + | * [[Guyana]] |
| − | Lesotho | + | * [[India]] |
| − | Malawi | + | * [[Jamaica]] |
| − | Malaysia | + | * [[Kenya]] |
| − | Maldives | + | * [[Kiribati]] |
| − | Malta | + | * [[Lesotho]] |
| − | Mauritius | + | * [[Malawi]] |
| − | Mozambique | + | * [[Malaysia]] |
| − | Namibia | + | * [[Maldives]] |
| − | Nauru | + | * [[Malta]] |
| − | [[New Zealand]] | + | * [[Mauritius]] |
| − | Nigeria | + | * [[Mozambique]] |
| − | Pakistan | + | | |
| − | Papua New Guinea | + | * [[Namibia]] |
| − | St Kitts and Nevis | + | * [[Nauru]] |
| − | St Lucia | + | * [[New Zealand]] |
| − | St Vincent and the Grenadines | + | * [[Nigeria]] |
| − | Samoa | + | * [[Pakistan]]* |
| − | Seychelles | + | * [[Papua New Guinea]] |
| − | Sierra Leone | + | * [[St Kitts and Nevis]] |
| − | Singapore | + | * [[St Lucia]] |
| − | Solomon Islands | + | * [[St Vincent and the Grenadines]] |
| − | [[South Africa]] | + | * [[Samoa]] |
| − | Sri Lanka | + | * [[Seychelles]] |
| − | Swaziland | + | * [[Sierra Leone]] |
| − | Tanzania | + | * [[Singapore]] |
| − | Tonga | + | * [[Solomon Islands]] |
| − | Trinidad | + | | |
| − | Tuvalu | + | * [[South Africa]] |
| − | Uganda | + | * [[Sri Lanka]] |
| − | [[United Kingdom]] | + | * [[Swaziland]] |
| − | Vanuatu | + | * [[Tanzania]] |
| − | Zambia | + | * [[Tonga]] |
| − | + | * [[Trinidad and Tobago]] | |
| − | <sub>* Fiji’s military regime was suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth on 8th | + | * [[Tuvalu]] |
| + | * [[Uganda]] | ||
| + | * [[United Kingdom]] | ||
| + | * [[Vanuatu]] | ||
| + | * [[Zambia]] | ||
| + | |} | ||
| + | <sub>* Fiji’s military regime was suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth on 8th December 2006. Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth on 22nd November 2007</sub> | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
Revision as of 01:51, December 12, 2007
The Commonwealth of Nations is a free association of 53 mostly former British 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.[1]
1971 Declaration of Commonwealth Principles.
- International peace and security;
- Democracy;
- Liberty of the individual and equal rights for all;
- The importance of eradicating poverty, ignorance and disease;
- It opposes all forms of racial discrimination.
The activities of the Commonwealth as a whole are coordinated by the Commonwealth Secretariat, the main intergovernmental authority of the Commonwealth and is tasked to facilitate communication between member states.
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) allows these nations to discuss common issues and to improve bi-lateral relations between member states. Synonymous with the Commonwealth is the Commonwealth Games, an event held every 4 years and similar in nature to the Olympics.
History
The Commonwealth was formerly known as the British Commonwealth and before that the British Empire. The evolution of its title has been indicative of the status of its members and the function of the organisation. From a colonial empire to a modern collective of free states, the Commonwealth has mirrored the major political changes of the 20th Century.
Membership
The current membership of the Commonwealth includes:
* Fiji’s military regime was suspended from the Councils of the Commonwealth on 8th December 2006. Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth on 22nd November 2007