What is the Commonwealth of Nationals?
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally known as the Commonwealth is an association of 53 member states, nearly all of them former territories of the British Empire. It was formed on December 11, 1931.
The chief institutions of the organisation are the Commonwealth Secretariat, which focuses on intergovernmental aspects, and the Commonwealth Foundation, which focuses on non-governmental relations between member states. Objectives of the Commonwealth
1. To promote world peace; 2. The promotion of democracy 3. Opposition to racism 4. To fight against poverty, ignorance, and disease
Why was the Commonwealth of Nations formed?
Most of the countries in the Commonwealth were once governed by Britain as part of the British Empire. After they became independent many became part of a family where they could work together and help each other.
Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa were the first countries to join Britain in the Commonwealth of Nations. Ghana was the first of many African countries to join. The human symbol of this free association is Queen Elizabeth II. She is also the Head of the Commonwealth.
The Queen is the head of state of 16 member states, known as the Commonwealth realms, while 32 other members are republics and five others have different monarchs.
Where is it office located?
Headquarters of the Commonwealth of Nations is Marlborough House. It is located in London.
The Commonwealth Secretariat is the main intergovernmental agency and central institution of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is responsible for 1. facilitating co-operation between members; 2. organising meetings, including the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM). 3. assisting and advising on policy development; and providing assistance to countries in implementing the decisions and policies of the Commonwealth. Please note that the current Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations is Patricia Scotland. Kamalesh Sharma is the former Secretary-General.
The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting is a biennial (every two years) meeting of the heads of government from all Commonwealth nations. Every two years the meeting is held in a different member state and is chaired by that nation's respective Prime Minister or President.
Members of the Commonwealth
Asian Countries
1. Bangladesh
2. Brunei Darussalam
3. India
4. Malaysia
5. Pakistan
6. Singapore
7. Sri Lanka
African Countries
1. Botswana
2. Cameroon
3. The Gambia
4. Ghana
5. Kenya
6. Lesotho
7. Malawi
8. Mauritius
9. Mozambique
10. Namibia
11. Nigeria
12. Rwanda
13. Seychelles
14. Sierra Leone
15. South Africa
16. Swaziland
17. Uganda
18. United Republic of Tanzania
19. Zambia
American Countries
1. Antigua and Barbuda
2. The Bahamas
3. Barbados
4. Belize
5. Canada
6. Dominica
7. Grenada
8. Guyana
9. Jamaica
10. Saint Kitts and Nevis
11. Saint Lucia
12. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
13. Trinidad and Tobago
European Countries
1. Cyprus
2. Malta
3. United Kingdom
Pacific Countries
1. Australia
2. Fiji Islands
3. Kiribati
4. Nauru
5. New Zealand
6. Papua New Guinea
7. Samoa
8. Solomon Islands
9. Tonga
10. Tuvalu
11. Vanuatu
Total -53 countries
Regular Activities of Commonwealth
1. Commonwealth Day
This is the annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations, often held on the second Monday in March.
Commonwealth Day was celebrated on Monday, 11 March, 2019. 2. Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games are an international multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930, and has taken place every four years since then.
The most recent Commonwealth Games were held in Gold Coast from 4 to 15 April 2018. The next Commonwealth Games are to be held in Birmingham from 27 July to 7 August 2022.
How does St. Kitts-Nevis benefits from the Commonwealth? Citizens of St. Kitts-Nevis are to:
1. get commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships (Education)
2. compete with the best in sports around the world (Commonwealth Games)
Video lesson on the Commonwealth of Nations
*Please note that some of the information in the video is a little outdated. All the up-to-date information is in the article above. For example, the video says that there are 54 countries in the Commonwealth. The correct information is 53.
Click here to do quiz on the topic.
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