Commonwealth of Nations

Commonwealth of Nations
Flag Coat of arms
Dark Blue: Current member state Green: Suspended member state Orange: Former member states Light Blue: British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies
Headquarters	Marlborough House, London, United Kingdom
Leaders
• Head	Charles III
• Secretary-General	Patricia Scotland
• Chair-in-Office	Paul Kagame
History
• Balfour Declaration	19 November 1926
• Statute of Westminster	11 December 1931
• London Declaration	28 April 1949
Area
• Total	29,958,050 km²

The Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of Nations, is an imperialist intergovernmental organisation made up mostly of former British colonies. The organisation is used by the British to tie itself to its former colonies, and maintain the liberal world order, with 15 out of the 56 members still using the British monarch as head of state.

History

Foundation

In the 19th century Britain started reforming its most important colonies into dominions, allowing them to be semi-autonomous. From 1887 leaders of these dominions attended conferences with Britain with the 1926 Imperial Conference being attended by the leaders of Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, Newfoundland, New Zealand, and South Africa. At the 1926 conference the Balfour Declaration was made which declared that supposedly all members were "equal members of the community of the British Empire", thus beginning the reformation of the Empire into the Commonwealth.

Modern Commonwealth

In 1949 following the independence of India in 1947, a meeting was held in London where the London Declaration was made. Following independence India wanted to remove the monarch as head of state but remain in the commonwealth, this declaration allowed republics to remain in the commonwealth, and under British Imperialist control. Following this, as former British colonies declared their independence they joined the Commonwealth.

In 1961 South Africa left the Commonwealth due to its Apartheid laws, it would re-join again in 1994 following the official end of apartheid.

In 1972 Pakistan withdrew from the Commonwealth in protest at the Commonwealth's recognition, and acceptance of Bangladesh into the organisation. It would re-join in 1989.

In 1987 Fiji left following a coup, re-joining in 1997 before being suspended yet again in 2000 following another coup.

In 1995 Nigeria was suspended following the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa. It would be reinstated in 1999.

In 1999 Pakistan was suspended following a military coup.

In 2001 Fiji was reinstated following bourgeois elections before being suspended again in 2009 following another coup.

Suspension of Zimbabwe

In 2002 Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth and in 2003 withdrew, following its land reform act. This act redistributed land to subsistence farmers from the estates of wealthy white corporate farmers who had expropriated the land. Naturally this was treated as a threat by British Capitalism, and it expelled Zimbabwe from the organisation, ordering all members to cut ties with Zimbabwe. Following the expulsion the UK enforced harsh sanctions, backed by the US, which caused hyperinflation and economic chaos. British capitalism used Zimbabwe as an example for the rest of the Commonwealth of what would happen if they dared to defy the wishes of the Liberal World order.

21st Century

In 2004 Pakistan was reinstated before being suspended again in 2007 following a declared state of emergency and suspension of the constitution. It was reinstated once more in 2008.

In 2013 Gambia left followed by Maldives in 2016 but the former would re-join in 2018 and the latter in 2020.

In 2014 Fiji was reinstated.

Member States

Country	First Joined	Continent
Antigua and Barbuda	1 November 1981	Americas
Australia	19 November 1926	Oceania
Bahamas	10 July 1973	Americas
Bangladesh	18 April 1972	Asia
Barbados	30 November 1966	Americas
Belize	21 September 1981	Americas
Botswana	30 September 1966	Africa
Brunei	7 May 1984	Asia
Cameroon	1 November 1995	Africa
Canada	19 November 1926	Americas
Cyprus	13 March 1961	Asia
Dominica	3 November 1978	Americas
Eswatini	6 September 1968	Africa
Fiji	10 October 1970	Oceania
Gabon	25 June 2022	Africa
Gambia	18 February 1965	Africa
Ghana	6 March 1957	Africa
Grenada	7 February 1974	Americas
Guyana	26 May 1966	Americas
India	15 August 1947	Asia
Jamaica	6 August 1962	Americas
Kenya	12 December 1963	Africa
Kiribati	12 July 1979	Oceania
Lesotho	4 October 1966	Africa
Malawi	6 July 1964	Africa
Malaysia	31 August 1957	Asia
Maldives	9 July 1982	Asia
Malta	21 September 1964	Europe
Mauritius	12 March 1968	Africa
Mozambique	13 November 1995	Africa
Namibia	21 March 1990	Africa
Nauru	29 November 1968	Oceania
New Zealand	19 November 1926	Oceania
Nigeria	1 October 1960	Africa
Pakistan	14 August 1947	Asia
Papua New Guinea	16 September 1975	Oceania
Rwanda	29 November 2009	Africa
Saint Kitts and Nevis	19 September 1983	Americas
Saint Lucia	22 February 1979	Americas
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	27 October 1979	Americas
Samoa	28 August 1970	Oceania
Seychelles	28 June 1976	Africa
Sierra Leone	27 April 1961	Africa
Singapore	15 October 1965	Asia
Solomon Islands	7 July 1978	Oceania
South Africa	19 November 1926	Africa
Sri Lanka	4 February 1948	Asia
Tanzania	9 December 1961	Africa
Togo	25 June 2022	Africa
Tonga	4 June 1970	Oceania
Trinidad and Tobago	31 August 1962	Americas
Tuvalu	1 October 1978	Oceania
Uganda	9 October 1962	Africa
United Kingdom	19 November 1926	Europe
Vanuatu	30 July 1980	Oceania
Zambia	24 October 1964	Africa