The Commonwe alth of Nations is an association of independent states that includes Great Britain and many of its former dominions, colonies and protectorates. The countries included in this union do not have political power over each other. It began in 1887, in 1926 the Balfour Declaration was adopted, and the status of the Commonwe alth was fixed on December 11, 1931 (by the Statute of Westminster). After that, the Commonwe alth resembled a kind of union of countries united with Great Britain by a personal union.
How it all began
The foundation was laid back in the 19th century, and in the early thirties of the 20th century, a statute was adopted defining the rights of a member state of the organization. According to a 1931 document, the British monarch is the head of every country that has recognized the Statute of Westminster and is part of the British Commonwe alth of Nations.
At the same time, the document established the legal status of the dominions, and also put into effect the decisions of the conferences of 1926 and 1930. As a result, the dominions were recognized as virtually independent states, completely equal with Britain, the laws of England also could not apply to them without their consent.
BIn 1947, the situation changed: with the transformation of India into a republican country and the ensuing refusal to recognize the British monarch as head of state, the foundations of unification had to be radically revised. The name has changed, as well as the goals of the organization - humanitarian missions, educational projects, etc. have become priorities
Currently, the Commonwe alth countries (53 in number) demonstrate a different approach to government. Of these, only 16 are Commonwe alth realms that recognize Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain as head of state.
States included in the union
The path to the situation in the 21st century was long. States joined and left the union, suspended and resumed membership (especially illustrative here is the example of Fiji, whose membership was suspended by the union due to problems with democracy in the country).
However, the process is still going on, shaping and reshaping the modern Commonwe alth of Nations. The list of countries is given according to the information on the official website:
- Antigua and Barbuda;
- Bangladesh;
- Botswana;
- Canada;
- Fiji (reinstated as a full member on 26 September 2014);
- Guyana;
- Kenya;
- Malawi;
- M alta;
- Namibia;
- Nigeria;
- Rwanda;
- Seychelles;
- Solomon Islands;
- Saint Kitts and Nevis;
- Tonga;
- Uganda;
- Vanuatu;
- Australia;
- Barbados;
- Brunei;
- Cyprus;
- Ghana;
- India;
- Kiribati;
- Malaysia;
- Mauritius;
- Nauru;
- Pakistan;
- Saint Lucia;
- Sierra Leone;
- South Africa;
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;
- Trinidad and Tobago;
- UK;
- Zambia;
- Bahamas;
- Belize;
- Cameroon;
- Dominica;
- Grenada;
- Jamaica;
- Lesotho;
- Maldives;
- Mozambique;
- New Zealand;
- Papua New Guinea;
- Samoa;
- Singapore;
- Sri Lanka;
- Swaziland;
- Tuvalu;
- Tanzania.
Commonwe alth countries are united not only by treaties and acts, but also culturally and linguistically: in 11 countries, English is one of the official languages, and in the other 11 - the only official language.
Commonwe alth Government
As stated on the official website, this is a voluntary association of countries with common values. Queen Elizabeth II formally heads the British Commonwe alth of Nations (the list of member countries of this organization is one of the largest in the world), while the current administrative leadership is carried out by the Secretariat.
According to the form of government within the union, the distribution is as follows: 32 states are republics, 5 are national monarchies, and 16 recognize the head of the British queen, represented in each country by the governor general. However, she does notno formal functions or responsibilities.
Business
The list of Commonwe alth nations is impressive - states are divided into four different categories, according to the World Bank classification (the ranking is updated annually, reflecting the gross national income per capita for the previous year). Of these, 11 are high-income, 14 are upper-middle, 18 are lower-middle, and 10 are low-GNI.
The countries of the union are leading in many industries around the world: examples include mining of precious stones and metals, information technology, tourism.
Formation of the Commonwe alth
The first countries to join the association were Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa. They joined the Commonwe alth of Nations in 1931. Pakistan and India joined the union in 1947. Sri Lanka - in 1948. Together they form a list of states - the oldest members of the association.
Ghana joined in 1957.
In the sixties, the British Commonwe alth of Nations received a new replenishment: Nigeria (1960), Sierra Leone and Tanzania (1961), Uganda (1962), Kenya (1963), joined the union, Zambia (1964). Followed by Guyana, Botswana and Lesotho (1966), Swaziland (1968)
Bangladesh joined in 1972, Papua New Guinea in 1975
And finally, Namibia (1990), Mozambique and Cameroon (1995), Rwanda (2009) completes the list of countries
Population
By populationThe Commonwe alth of Nations has 2.2 billion people. India is expected to lead with 1236.7 million. Pakistan, Nigeria and Bangladesh, which are approximately on the same level, are far behind it - 179.2 million, 168.8 million and 154.7 million, respectively. In fourth place, oddly enough, is the United Kingdom (all numbers and data are taken from the official website of the Commonwe alth) - its population, according to the latest data, is 62.8 million people.
Great area Canada is inhabited by only 34.8 million, and mainland Australia belongs to 23.1 million people.
He alth care and longevity
But in the field of he alth and well-being, everything is quite expected - the highest average life expectancy in Australia and Singapore (82 years), Canada and New Zealand (81 years), the UK, Cyprus and M alta (80 years). In last place is Sierra Leone - only 45 years old (according to 2012).
The same country leads in terms of mortality of children and newborns, as well as mothers (according to data for 2010-2012). Moreover, Sierra Leone is a state with one of the highest birth rates in the Commonwe alth.
Mozambique and Rwanda
For decades, various acts have been adopted and other documents have been drawn up that regulate the actions of the association, what is possible and what is impossible in it. There is no single document, like a constitution. The basis for entry is the connection with the UK - the road to membership in the Commonwe alth is open to former colonies,protectorates and dominions. There were, however, two exceptions to this rule: Mozambique, a former colony of Portugal, and Rwanda, a former colony of Belgium and Germany.
The first one is one of the poorest countries in the world. Mozambique is a member of the Commonwe alth of Nations "not by right, but by grace." He got into the composition after all the neighbors-members of the association made a request to join Mozambique (this is one of the theories).
The backstory is as follows: after gaining independence in 1975, major reforms were carried out, and most of the Portuguese settlers were expelled. A civil war began, accompanied by serious casu alties among the population and the migration of a large number of refugees.
The war ended only in 1992 - no wonder the country was in decline. Membership in the Commonwe alth is generally beneficial for the state - this statement is true for Rwanda, which also managed to survive hard times (including the genocide).
Role and goals in relation to its members
Today, the countries of the British Commonwe alth of Nations conduct their activities in two directions - the dissemination of the principles and norms of democracy and the promotion of development. It is the second largest international union after the UN. English plays a very important unifying role, especially since now this language has become one of the ways of business communication.
The UK and other developed countries are undertakingUnion, various humanitarian missions, provide support in the economic and other areas. Although formally all member countries of the Commonwe alth are independent, such assistance contributes to the influence of those who provide it to those who need it.
The role of the UK within the union
Throughout history, from the formation of the union and beyond, the role and attitude of the UK towards this union has changed. In the first half of the 20th century, it was referred to only as the British Empire. Over time, the priorities of politicians shifted towards the European Union, which looked very promising. However, in light of recent trends in the EU, the idea of strengthening and developing ties may look all the more attractive, given how extensive the list of states that forms the Commonwe alth of Nations.
In support of this course, the behavior of the UK towards Australia can also be interpreted. In this country, supporters of the republican form of government are in a very strong position, and talk of leaving the Commonwe alth is heard regularly.
Visits to Australia by members of the British royal family, as well as the wedding in 2011 of Prince William and Kate Middleton, played a role in raising the prestige of the Windsor dynasty. According to British diplomats in 2011, these visits negated the possibility of Australia becoming a republic in the near future.
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William's visits and royal wedding have fueled Australian interest, but officials also said Australian society will look to move out in the futurefrom the power of the queen, even if this power is only symbolic.
The British Foreign Office said in a statement that demographic changes in the country are leading to a reduction in the number of citizens who somehow feel their connection with England. At the same time, a large percentage of the population believes that the creation of a republic is an integral stage in the formation of a state.
Some other Commonwe alth countries, however, support the idea of closer cooperation. Similar proposals have already been made, but did not receive majority support due to fears of British imperial ambitions.
Probability of integration is still low - too different level of development does not contribute to the complementarity of products produced, rather, countries at a lower level compete because they produce the same or similar products. Nevertheless, they benefit from the support of the more developed. A serious disadvantage of the Commonwe alth, however, is that it does not have strong mechanisms for influencing its members - the only option is to suspend membership in the organization.
