28 Facts About Commonwealth Nations

1.

Commonwealth Nations is king of 15 member states, known as the Commonwealth realms, while 36 other members are republics, and five others have different monarchs.

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2.

The Commonwealth Nations Charter defines their shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, as promoted by the quadrennial Commonwealth Nations Games.

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3.

Former British protectorates and mandates that did not become members of the Commonwealth Nations are Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan, Palestine, Sudan, British Somaliland, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates .

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4.

Postwar Commonwealth Nations was given a fresh mission by Queen Elizabeth II in her Christmas Day 1953 broadcast, in which she envisioned the Commonwealth Nations as "an entirely new conception – built on the highest qualities of the Spirit of Man: friendship, loyalty, and the desire for freedom and peace".

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5.

Under the London Declaration, India agreed that, when it became a republic in January 1950, it would remain in the Commonwealth and accept the British Sovereign as a "symbol of the free association of its independent member nations and as such the Head of the Commonwealth".

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6.

Term 'New Commonwealth Nations' gained usage in the UK to refer to recently decolonised countries, predominantly non-white and developing.

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7.

However, at their meeting in April 2018, Commonwealth Nations leaders agreed that Prince Charles should succeed his mother Elizabeth II as head after her death.

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8.

Commonwealth Nations Secretariat, established in 1965, is the main intergovernmental agency of the Commonwealth Nations, facilitating consultation and co-operation among member governments and countries.

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9.

Closer association amongst Commonwealth Nations countries is reflected in the diplomatic protocols of the Commonwealth Nations countries.

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10.

The first member to be admitted without having any constitutional link to the British Empire or a Commonwealth Nations member was Mozambique in 1995 following its first democratic elections and South Africa's re-admission in 1994.

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11.

In 2009, Rwanda became the second Commonwealth Nations member admitted not to have any such constitutional links.

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12.

Commonwealth Nations membership was held to have lapsed until 1997, after discriminatory provisions in the republican constitution were repealed and reapplication for membership made.

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13.

Now, the majority of the Commonwealth Nations members, including all those from Africa, are republics or have their own native monarch.

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14.

Commonwealth Nations's objectives were first outlined in the 1971 Singapore Declaration, which committed the Commonwealth Nations to the institution of world peace; promotion of representative democracy and individual liberty; the pursuit of equality and opposition to racism; the fight against poverty, ignorance, and disease; and free trade.

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15.

In recent years, the Commonwealth Nations has been accused of not being vocal enough on its core values.

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16.

The Commonwealth Nations is not a private club of the governments or the secretariat.

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17.

Result of the effort was that a new Charter of the Commonwealth Nations was signed by Queen Elizabeth on 11 March 2013 at Marlborough House, which opposes "all forms of discrimination, whether rooted in gender, race, colour, creed, political belief or other grounds".

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18.

Commonwealth Nations Local Government Forum is a global local government organisation, bringing together local authorities, their national associations and the ministries responsible for local government in the member countries of the Commonwealth Nations.

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19.

Many Commonwealth nations possess traditions and customs that are elements of a shared Commonwealth culture.

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20.

Canada does maintain small enthusiastic communities in all the more traditional Commonwealth Nations sports, having reached the World Cup in each of them, and is the homeplace of the Commonwealth Nations Games, hosting the inaugural edition in Hamilton in 1930.

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21.

The Games include standard multi-sports disciplines like athletics, swimming, gymnastics, and cycling, but includes sports popular in the Commonwealth Nations that are distinct to the Games such as netball, squash and lawn bowls.

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22.

Prizes are awarded for the best book and best first book in the Commonwealth Nations; there are regional prizes for the best book and best first book in each of four regions.

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23.

From 1950 on, a significant number of writers from the countries of the Commonwealth Nations began gaining international recognition, including some who migrated to the United Kingdom.

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24.

Many other Commonwealth Nations writers have achieved an international reputation for works in English, including Nigerian novelist Chinua Achebe, and playwright Wole Soyinka.

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25.

The Commonwealth Nations requires its members to be functioning democracies that respect human rights and the rule of law.

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26.

Commonwealth Nations has adopted a number of symbols that represent the association of its members.

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27.

Support for the Commonwealth Nations was twice as high in developing countries as in developed countries; it was lowest in the United Kingdom.

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28.

The Commonwealth Nations has published the Anthem, performed by the Commonwealth Nations Youth Orchestra, with and without an introductory narrative.

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