The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 54 independent sovereign states (one of whose membership is currently suspended). Most are former British colonies, or dependencies of these colonies. No one government in the Commonwealth exercises power over the others, as in a political union. Rather, the relationship is one of an international organisation through which countries with diverse social, political, and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status, and co-operate within a framework of common values and goals, as outlined in the Singapore Declaration.[1] These include the promotion of democracy, human rights, good governance, the rule of law, individual liberty, egalitarianism, free trade, multilateralism, and world peace, and are carried out through multilateral projects and meetings, as well as the quadrennial Commonwealth Games.[2] The symbol of this free association is Queen Elizabeth II, known for this purpose as Head of the Commonwealth. This position, however, does not imbue her with any political or executive power over any Commonwealth member states; the position is purely symbolic, and it is the Commonwealth Secretary-General who is the chief executive of the organisation.[3]
The Commonwealth was first officially formed in 1931 when the Statute of Westminster gave legal recognition to the independence of dominions. Known as the "British Commonwealth", the first members were the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, the Irish Free State and Dominion of Newfoundland, although Australia and New Zealand did not adopt the statute until 1942 and 1947 respectively.[4] In 1949, the London Declaration was signed and marked the birth of the modern Commonwealth and the renaming to its present name.[5] The most recent member is Rwanda, which joined on 29 November 2009.[6]
Presently, of the states that are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, three are in Europe, twelve in North America, one in South America, nineteen in Africa, eight in Asia, and eleven in Oceania(including one suspended member, Fiji). There are six former members, four of which no longer exist as independent entities (but form part of current member states). The members have a combined population of 2.2 billion people, almost a third of the world population, of which 1.21 billion live in India and 95% live in Asia and Africa combined.[7]
Currently sixteen of the member states are Commonwealth realms with the Head of the Commonwealth also as their head of state, five others are monarchies with their own separate monarchs (Brunei,Lesotho, Malaysia, Swaziland, Tonga) and the rest are republics.
Current members
All table information based on figures provided by the Commonwealth of Nations Secretariat members list, most population figures are based on 2007 estimates, unless otherwise noted.[8]
Note: The table can be sorted alphabetically or chronologically using the 
icon.
| Country | Joined | Continent | Population | Notes[A] |
| 1 November 1981 | North America | 88,000 | ||
| 11 December 1931 | Oceania | 22,073,000 | Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on 1 January 1901. Australia was one of the original Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931, although the statute was not adopted in Australia until 1942 (with retrospective effect from 1939).[9] Removed final links with the British Parliament in 1986 | |
| 10 July 1973 | North America | 342,000 | ||
| 18 April 1972[10] | Asia | 162,221,000 | ||
| 30 November 1966 | North America | 279,000 | ||
| 21 September 1981 | North America | 322,130 | ||
| 30 September 1966 | Africa | 1,950,000 | ||
| 1 January 1984 | Asia | 400,000 | ||
| 13 November 1995[12] | Africa | 19,522,000 | Most of the country was the formerly French mandate territory (later UN trust territory) of Camerounand gained independence from France on 1 January 1960, uniting with the much smaller former British mandate/trust territory of Southern Cameroons on its gaining independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1961. | |
| 11 December 1931 | North America | 34,053,000 [13] | Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on 1 July 1867. Canada was the first among the several original Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931.[14] Incorporated another original Dominion, Newfoundland, on 31 March 1949.[15] Removed the remaining ties to the British Parliament in 1982 | |
| 13 March 1961[16] | Europe | 803,200 [17] | Gained independence from the United Kingdom on 18 August 1960. | |
| 3 November 1978 | North America | [C]79,000 | ||
| 18 February 1965 | Africa | 1,717,000 | ||
| 6 March 1957 | Africa | 23,837,000 | ||
| 7 February 1974 | North America | 103,000 | ||
| 26 May 1966 | South America | 761,000 | ||
| 15 August 1947 | Asia | 1,210,193,422 | Incorporated former French India (Chandannagar from 2 May 1950 and Pondichéry, Karikal, Yanaonand Mahé from 1 November 1954), former Portuguese India (Goa, Daman and Diu from 19 December 1961 and Dadra and Nagar Haveli formally from 1961) and Sikkim (from 16 May 1975). | |
| 6 August 1962 | North America | 2,721,000 | ||
| 12 December 1963 | Africa | 39,856,000 | ||
| 12 July 1979 | Oceania | [D]99,000 | ||
| 4 October 1966 | Africa | 2,000,000 | ||
| 6 July 1964 | Africa | 15,884,000 | ||
| Asia | 28,356,000 | Joined as the Federation of Malaya in 1957; reformed as Malaysia on 16 September 1963 with its federation with Singapore (which became a separate state on 9 August 1965), Sabah, andSarawak.[20] | ||
| 9 July 1982 | Asia | 329,000 | Gained independence from the United Kingdom on 26 July 1965.[21] A special member from 9 July 1982 until 20 July 1985.[22] | |
| 21 September 1964 | Europe | 412,668 | ||
| 12 March 1968 | Africa | 1,285,000 | ||
| 13 November 1995[23] | Africa | 22,892,000 | Gained independence from Portugal on 26 June 1975. The first country to be admitted to the Commonwealth without any former colonial or constitutional links with the United Kingdom.[24] | |
| 21 March 1990 | Africa | 2,131,000 | Gained independence from South Africa.[25] Includes Walvis Bay and the Penguin Islands transferred by South Africa at midnight 28 February 1994. | |
| 1 November 1968 | Oceania | 14,000 | Gained independence on 31 January 1968 from joint trusteeship of Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom. A special member from 1 November 1968 until 1 May 1999, when it became a full member,[26] before reverting back to special status in January 2006.[27] A full member again since June 2011.[28] | |
| 11 December 1931 | Oceania | 4,317,972 | Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on 26 September 1907. One of the original Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931, although the Statute was not adopted in New Zealand until 1947.[29] Removed final links to the British Parliament in 1986 | |
| 1 October 1960 | Africa | 154,796,000 | Incorporated the former British mandate/trust territory of Northern Cameroons on 31 May 1961. Suspended in 1995, suspension lifted in 1999.[30] | |
| 15 August 1947[E] | Asia | 168,052,000 | Includes the city of Gwadar, transferred from Muscat and Oman on 8 September 1958. IncludedBangladesh (then known as East Pakistan) until 1971.[11] Left Commonwealth in 1972, rejoined 1989; suspended in 1999, suspension lifted in 2004; again suspended in 2007,[31] suspension lifted in 2008.[32] | |
| 16 September 1975 | Oceania | 6,737,000 | Gained independence from Australia. | |
| 29 November 2009[6] | Africa | 9,998,000 | Gained independence from Belgium on 1 July 1962. The second country (after Mozambique) to be admitted to the Commonwealth without any former colonial or constitutional links with the United Kingdom.[24] | |
| 19 September 1983 | North America | 52,000 | ||
| 22 February 1979 | North America | 171,000 | ||
| 27 October 1979 | North America | [C]119,000 | A special member from 27 October 1979 until 1 June 1985. | |
| 28 August 1970 | Oceania | 185,000 | Gained independence from New Zealand on 1 January 1962. Joined as Western Samoa, subsequently changing its name to Samoa on 4 July 1997.[33] | |
| 29 June 1976 | Africa | 84,000 | ||
| 27 April 1961 | Africa | 5,695,000 | ||
| 9 August 1966 (effective from 9 August 1965)[34] | Asia | 4,986,000 | Gained independence from the United Kingdom and joined federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963. Became independent on 9 August 1965.[35] | |
| 7 July 1978 | Oceania | 913,000 | ||
| 11 December 1931 | Africa | 49,423,000 | Granted nominal independence (Dominion status) on 31 May 1910. One of the original Dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931. Left on 31 May 1961, rejoined on 1 June 1994.[36] | |
| 4 February 1948 | Asia | 20,743,000 | Joined as the Dominion of Ceylon, subsequently changing its name in 1972. | |
| 6 September 1968 | Africa | 1,182,000 | ||
| 26 April 1964 | Africa | 43,729,000 | Merger of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.[37] | |
| 4 June 1970 | Oceania | 102,000 | ||
| 31 August 1962 | North America | 1,335,000 | ||
| 1 October 1978 | Oceania | 12,000 | A special member from 1 October 1978 until 1 September 2000.[38] | |
| 9 October 1962 | Africa | 32,816,000 | ||
| 11 December 1931 | Europe | 61,609,500 | The Parliament of the United Kingdom enacted the Statute of Westminster 1931. | |
| 30 July 1980 | Oceania | 241,000 | Gained independence from joint rule of France and United Kingdom. | |
| 24 October 1964 | Africa | 12,935,000 |
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