NationMaster - Encyclopedia: British dominion

This is a page about Dominions of the British Empire/Commonwealth. For other meanings, please see Dominion (disambiguation). Dominion has several meanings: A Dominion is a political unit in the British Commonwealth. ...

A Dominion is a wholly self-governing or virtually self-governing state of the British Empire or British Commonwealth, particularly one which reached that stage of constitutional development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Prior to attaining Dominion status these states have always been a Crown colony, under direct rule from Britain and/or a self-governing colony, or they have been formed from groups of such colonies. (Note however, that the phrase Her Majesty's dominions (small d) is a legal and constitutional term used to refer to all the realms and territories of the Sovereign, whether independent or not.) This article discusses states as sovereign political entities. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of independent sovereign states, most of which were once governed by the United Kingdom and are its former colonies. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... (19th century - 20th century - 21st century - more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901–2000 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar (1900–1999 in the... A United Kingdom overseas territory (formerly known as a dependent territory or earlier as a crown colony) is a territory that is under the sovereignty and formal control of the United Kingdom but is not part of the United Kingdom proper (Great Britain and Northern Ireland). ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and a member of the British Commonwealth and European Union. ... A self-governing colony is a colony with an elected legislature, in which politicians are able to make most decisions without reference to the colonial power with formal or nominal control of the colony. ...

The term "Dominion" is now mostly used only in a historical sense. Many of the distinctive characteristics which once pertained only to Dominions are now shared by other states in the Commonwealth, whether they are republics, self-governing colonies or Crown colonies. Even in a historical sense the differences between self-governing colonies and Dominions have often been formal rather than substantial. Nonetheless Dominion remains a correct term for an independent country where the British monarch is represented by a Governor-General as head of state. In a broad definition a republic is a state or country that is led by people that dont found their power status on any principle beyond the control of the people living in that state or country. ... Governor-General (or Governor General) is a term used both historically and currently to designate the appointed representative of a head of state or their government for a particular territory, historically in a colonial context, but no longer necessarily in that form. ...

Historical development

The short-lived Dominion of New England (1686-89) was not a Dominion in the later, generally-accepted sense of the word. It had an unpopular and autocratic president, appointed by London, Sir Edmund Andros. The Dominion of New England did not have the independence from Britain that the later Dominions were given. The Dominion of New England was the name of a short-lived administrative union of English colonies in the New England region of North America. ... Events The League of Augsburg is founded. ... Events Louis XIV of France passed the Code Noir, allowing the full use of slaves in the French colonies. ... Autocracy is a form of government where unlimited power is held by a single individual. ... President is a title held by many leaders of organizations, companies, universities, and countries. ... Sir Edmund Andros (December 6, 1637 - February 24, 1714), an early American colonial governor, was the son of Amice Andros, Seigneur of Sausmarez. ...

All the colonies of British North America became self-governing between 1848 and 1855 (except the colony of Vancouver Island). Nova Scotia was the first colony to achieve responsible government in January-February 1848 through the efforts of Joseph Howe, followed by the Province of Canada later that year. They were followed by Prince Edward Island in 1851, New Zealand in 1852, New Brunswick and the Cape Colony in 1854, and Newfoundland in 1855 under Philip Francis Little. However, none of these colonies was referred to as a dominion. British North America originally comprised all British colonies and territories on the North American continent, from Georgia to Labrador and Ruperts Land. ... A self-governing colony is a colony with an elected legislature, in which politicians are able to make most decisions without reference to the colonial power with formal or nominal control of the colony. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Events January 23 - The first bridge over the Mississippi River opens in what is now Minneapolis, Minnesota, a crossing made today by the Father Louis Hennepin Bridge. ... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (One defends and the other conquers) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Lieutenant Governor Myra A. Freeman Premier John Hamm (PC) Area 55,284 km² (12th) - Land 53,338 km² - Water 1,946 km² (3. ... Responsible government is a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. ... 1848 is a leap year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ... Joseph Howe (December 13, 1804 - June 1, 1873) was born the son of John Howe and Mary Edes at Halifax, Nova Scotia. ... Note: for information about Canadas present-day provinces, see Provinces of Canada. ... This article is about a Canadian province. ... Events January 23 - The flip of a coin determines whether a new city in Oregon is named after Boston, Massachusetts, or Portland, Maine, with Portland winning. ... For alternative meanings, see New Zealand (disambiguation). ... 1852 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... This article is about the Canadian province; for the city in New Jersey, see New Brunswick, New Jersey. ... Map of European presence in 1652 The Cape Colony was a part of South Africa under British occupation during the 19th century. ... Events January 13 - The accordion is patented by Anthony Faas. ... Motto: Quaerite Primum Regnum Dei (Seek ye first the kingdom of God) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital St. ... Events January 23 - The first bridge over the Mississippi River opens in what is now Minneapolis, Minnesota, a crossing made today by the Father Louis Hennepin Bridge. ... Philip Francis Little (Early 1820s - October 22, 1897) was the Premier of Newfoundland between 1855 and 1858. ...

The modern usage of the term Dominion first occurs in connection with the creation of the Dominion of Canada, a term preferred by the Colonial Office instead of the term "kingdom" favored by some Fathers of Confederation. Canada, which did not include Newfoundland at the time, was called a "Dominion" upon the confederation of the Province of Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in 1867. Canadians wanted to call their nation the Kingdom of Canada. However, Americans, especially the yellow press in New York, railed against the idea of a monarchy in North America. Since the United States had recently demonstrated its military prowess in the American Civil War and still harboured resentment at what it perceived to be British favoritism towards the Southern cause, the British took these complaints very seriously. To calm the Americans, the British government successfully resorted to a diplomatic ruse. It explained to Americans that their fears had no foundation because Canada was to become a dominion rather than a kingdom. It then told the Canadians that Dominion meant the same as kingdom. Canada is the second largest and the northern-most country in the world, occupying most of the North American land mass. ... The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British colonies. ... Canadian Confederation, or the Confederation of Canada, was the process that ultimately brought together a union among the provinces, colonies and territories of British North America to form a Dominion of the British Empire, which today is a federal nation state simply known as Canada. ... Canada is a sovereign state in northern North America, the northern-most country in the world, and the second largest in total area. ... Canadian Confederation, or the Confederation of Canada, was the process that ultimately brought together a union among the provinces, colonies and territories of British North America to form a Dominion of the British Empire, which today is a federal nation state simply known as Canada. ... Note: for information about Canadas present-day provinces, see Provinces of Canada. ... This article is about the Canadian province; for the city in New Jersey, see New Brunswick, New Jersey. ... Motto: Munit Haec et Altera Vincit (One defends and the other conquers) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital Halifax Largest city Halifax Lieutenant Governor Myra A. Freeman Premier John Hamm (PC) Area 55,284 km² (12th) - Land 53,338 km² - Water 1,946 km² (3. ... 1867 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... A nation is an imagined community of people created by a national ideology, to which certain norms and behavior are usually attributed. ... For related meanings see also Monarch (disambiguation) A monarchy, (from the Greek monos, one, and archein, to rule) is a form of government that has a monarch as Head of State. ... Yellow journalism is a type of journalism in which sensationalism triumphs over factual reporting. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th) - Land 122,409 km² - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... For related meanings see also Monarch (disambiguation) A monarchy, (from the Greek monos, one, and archein, to rule) is a form of government that has a monarch as Head of State. ... The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America¹, the States, or (archaically) Columbia — is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... The American Civil War was fought in the United States from 1861 until 1865 between the United States – forces coming mostly from the 23 northern states of the Union – and the newly-formed Confederate States of America, which consisted of 11 southern states that had declared their secession. ...

As Canada was the first and archetypical Dominion of the Empire, all additional colonies that achieved this status were also eventually called dominions. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland and South Africa (prior to becoming a republic and leaving the Commonwealth in 1961), with their large populations of European descent, were sometimes collectively referred to as the "White Dominions". Today Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom are sometimes referred to collectively as the White Commonwealth. 1961 (As MAD Magazine pointed out on its first cover for the year) was the first upside-down year - i. ... Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of independent sovereign states, most of which were once governed by the United Kingdom as part of the British Empire, and are its former colonies. ...

Although the term dominion has rarely been used in Australia, it achieved Dominion status with the federation of its six self-governing colonies as the Commonwealth of Australia, in 1901. New Zealand, which chose not to take part in Australian Federation, first became a Dominion in 1907; the newly-created Union of South Africa in 1910; and the Irish Free State (later Éire) in 1922. All retained the British monarch as head of state, represented locally by a governor-general appointed in consultation with the Dominion government. The Irish Free State, led by W.T. Cosgrave was the first Dominion to appoint a non-British, non-aristocratic Governor-General, when Timothy Michael Healy took the position in 1922. In 1930, the Australian PM, James Scullin, reinforced the right of the overseas Dominions to appoint native-born Governors-General, when he appointed Sir Isaac Isaacs, against the wishes of the opposition and officials in London. Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is the sixth-largest country in the world, the only one to occupy an entire continent, and the largest in the region of Australasia/ Oceania. ... A federation (from the Latin fœdus, covenant) is a state comprised of a number of self-governing regions (often themselves referred to as states) united by a central (federal) government. ... 1901 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... For alternative meanings, see New Zealand (disambiguation). ... 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The Republic of South Africa (pronunciation) is a large republic in Southern Africa. ... 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) was (1922–1937) the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties which were separated from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland under the Irish Free State Agreement (or Anglo-Irish Treaty) signed by British and Irish... Map of Éire Éire (pronounced AIR uh, in the Irish language, translated as Ireland) is the name given in Article 4 of the 1937 Irish constitution to the 26-county Irish state, created under the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, which was known between 1922 and 1937 as the Irish Free... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... A head of state or chief of state is the chief public representative of a nation-state, federation or commonwealth, whose role generally includes personifying the continuity and legitimacy of the state and exercising the political powers, functions and duties granted to the head of state in the countrys... Governor-General (or Governor General) is a term used both historically and currently to designate the appointed representative of a head of state or their government for a particular territory, historically in a colonial context, but no longer necessarily in that form. ... William Thomas Cosgrave, (June 6, 1880 - November 16, 1965) served as the first President of the Executive Council of the Irish Free State from 1922 to 1932. ... Timothy Michael Healy, KC (17 May 1855–26 March 1931) was one of the most brilliant and most controversial of Irish politicians, with a career that spanned the period from Charles Stewart Parnells leadership of the Irish Parliamentary Party in the 1880s to the foundation of the Irish Free... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... Rt Hon James Scullin James Henry Scullin (September 18, 1876 - January 28, 1953), Australian politician and ninth Prime Minister of Australia, was born in the small town of Trawalla, in western Victoria, the son of a railway worker of Irish descent. ... Sir Isaac Isaacs Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs (6 August 1855 - 12 February 1948) Australian judge and politician, was the ninth Governor-General of Australia, the first Jew, and the first Australian to occupy that post. ...

Newfoundland became an independent dominion on September 26, 1907 by royal proclamation. Full independence was granted by the United Kingdom Parliament with the Statute of Westminster in December 1931, however, Newfoundland "requested the United Kingdom not to have sections 2 to 6 confirming Dominion status apply automatically to it until the Newfoundland Legislature first approved the Statute, approval which the Legislature subsequently never gave." In any event, the Letters Patent of 1934 suspended self-government and instituted a "Commission of Government" which continued until the colony became a province of Canada in 1949. It is the view of some constitutional lawyers that although Newfoundland chose not to exercise all of the functions of a dominion like Canada, its status as a dominion was suspended in 1934, rather than "revoked" or "abolished". Prior to 1931, it was referred to as a colony of the United Kingdom, as for example, in the 1927 reference to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council to delineate the Quebec-Labrador boundary. Motto: Quaerite Primum Regnum Dei (Seek ye first the kingdom of God) Other Canadian provinces and territories Capital St. ... 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and a member of the British Commonwealth and European Union. ... The Statute of Westminster 1931 was the enactment of the United Kingdom Parliament (December 11, 1931) which established the legislative equal status of the self-governing dominions of the British Empire and United Kingdom. ... 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1949 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom. ...

Later members of the Commonwealth gained independence, not under the Statute of Westminster but by their own respective independence acts. When British decolonization in Africa began it was hoped the dominion model would again be followed. Ghana, the first new nation was created as a Dominion in 1957, but declared itself a republic three years later. The other British possessions in Africa also agitated for republic status, and upon independence they seldom remained Dominions. Nigeria became a Dominion in 1960 and a republic in 1963, Tanganyika a Dominion in 1961 and a republic in 1962, Uganda a Dominion in 1962 and republic in 1963, Kenya a Dominion in 1963 and a republic in 1964, Malawi a Dominion in 1964 and republic in 1966. Only Gambia (five years), Sierra Leone (ten years), and Mauritius (24 years) stayed Dominions longer than three years. The Republic of Ghana is a nation of Africa, specifically West Africa within Sub-Saharan Africa. ... 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Federal Republic of Nigeria is a country in West Africa. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Events January-February January 11 - The Whisky A Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, the first disco in the USA, is opened. ... Tanganyika was an East African republic within the British Commonwealth, named after Lake Tanganyika, which formed its western border. ... 1961 (As MAD Magazine pointed out on its first cover for the year) was the first upside-down year - i. ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Republic of Uganda is a country in east central Africa. ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Events January-February January 11 - The Whisky A Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, the first disco in the USA, is opened. ... Kenya (pronounced either as KEN-ya or as KEEN-ya, the former being more common and thought to be correct) is a country of eastern Africa, bordering Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and the Indian Ocean. ... Events January-February January 11 - The Whisky A Go-Go night club in Los Angeles, the first disco in the USA, is opened. ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... -1... The Republic of the Gambia is a nation in West Africa. ... The Republic of Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. ... The Republic of Mauritius is an island country in the southwest Indian Ocean, about 900 km east of Madagascar. ...

The United Kingdom and its component parts never aspired to the title of Dominion, remaining anomalies within the network of free and independent equal members of the Empire and Commonwealth. However the idea has on occasions been floated by some in Northern Ireland as an alternative to a United Ireland if they felt uncomfortable within the United Kingdom. Northern Ireland is an administrative region and one of four parts of the United Kingdom. ... A United Ireland is the common demand of Irish nationalists, envisaging that the island of Ireland be united as a political entity. ...

Foreign relations

Initially the Foreign Office of the United Kingdom conducted the foreign relations of the Dominions. A Dominions section was created within the Colonial Office for this purpose in 1907. Canada set up its own Department of External Affairs in June 1909, but diplomatic relations with other governments continued to operate through the governors-general, through Dominion high commissioners in London (first appointed by Canada in 1880; Australia followed only in 1910) and through British legations abroad. Britain deemed her declaration of war against Germany in August 1914 to extend without the need for consultation to all territories of the Empire, occasioning some displeasure in Canadian official circles and contributing to a brief anti-British insurrection by Afrikaner militants in South Africa later that year. A Canadian War Mission in Washington, D.C., dealt with supply matters from February 1918 to March 1921. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and a member of the British Commonwealth and European Union. ... 1907 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1909 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... 1880 was a leap year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1910 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Federal Republic of Germany ( German: Bundesrepublik Deutschland) is one of the worlds leading industrialised countries, located in the heart of Europe. ... 1914 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... Afrikaners (sometimes known as Boers) are white South Africans, predominantly of Calvinist German, French Huguenot, Friesian and Walloons descent who speak Afrikaans. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... 1918 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... 1921 was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ...

Although the Dominions had had no formal voice in declaring war, each became a separate signatory of the June 1919 peace Treaty of Versailles, which had been negotiated by a British-led united Empire delegation. In September 1922 Dominion reluctance to support British military action against Turkey influenced Britain's decision to seek a compromise settlement. Diplomatic autonomy soon followed, with the U.S.-Canadian Halibut Fisheries Agreement (March 1923) marking the first international treaty negotiated and concluded entirely independently by a Dominion. The Dominions section of the Colonial Office was upgraded in June 1926 to a separate Dominions Office. However initially the same person was appointed as the Secretary of State for the Colonies. 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Woodrow Wilson with the American Peace Commissioners The Treaty of Versailles of 1919 is the peace treaty created as a result of the six-month-long Paris Peace Conference of 1919 which put an official end to World War I. The ceremonial signing of the treaty with Germany occurred June... 1922 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... The Republic of Turkey is a country located in Southwest Asia with a small part of its territory (3%) in southeastern Europe. ... 1923 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British colonies. ... 1926 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Secretary of State for the Colonies or Colonial Secretary was the British Cabinet official in charge of managing the various British colonies. ...

The principle of Dominion equality with Britain and independence in foreign relations was formally ratified by the Balfour Declaration adopted at the Imperial Conference of November 1926. Canada's first permanent diplomatic mission to a foreign country opened in Washington, DC in 1927. In 1928 Canada obtained the appointment of a British high commissioner in Ottawa, separating the administrative and diplomatic functions of the governor-general and ending the latter's anomalous role as the representative of the British government in relations between the two countries. The Dominions Office was given a separate secretary of state in June 1930, though this was entirely for domestic political reasons given the need to relieve the burden on one ill minister whilst moving another away from unemployment policy. The Balfour Declaration was enshrined in the Statute of Westminster 1931 when it was adopted by the British Parliament and subsequently ratified by the Dominion legislatures. The Balfour Declaration of 1926 is a statement of the October-November 1926 Imperial Conference of British Empire leaders in London. ... Imperial Conferences were gatherings of British Empire government leaders in London in 1887, 1897, 1902, 1907, 1911, 1921, 1923, 1926, 1930 and 1937. ... 1926 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... Events January 7 - First transatlantic telephone call - New York City to London January 9 - Military rebellion crushed in Lisbon January 14 - Paul Doumer elected president of France January 19 - Britain sends troops to China February 12 - First British troops lad on Shanghai February 14 - Earthquake in Yugoslavia - 700 dead February... 1928 was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... A High Commissioner is a person serving in a special executive capacity. ... 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ... The Statute of Westminster 1931 was the enactment of the United Kingdom Parliament (December 11, 1931) which established the legislative equal status of the self-governing dominions of the British Empire and United Kingdom. ...

Britain's declaration of hostilities against Germany in September 1939 tested the issue. Most took the view that the declaration did not commit the Dominions. Éire chose to remain neutral. At the other extreme, the conservative Australian government of the day, led by Robert Menzies, took the view that it was legally bound by the UK declaration of war — which had also been the view at the outbreak of World War I — although this was contentious within Australia. Between these two extremes, New Zealand declared that as Britain was or would be at war, so it was too. Canada issued its own declaration of war after a recall of Parliament, as did South Africa after a delay of several weeks . Éire, which had negotiated the removal of British forces from its territory the year before, chose to remain neutral throughout the war. There were soon signs of growing independence from the other Dominions: Australia opened a diplomatic mission in the US in 1940 and Canada's mission in Washington gained Embassy status in 1943). 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Rt Hon Robert Menzies Sir Robert Gordon Menzies (20 December 1894 – 14 May 1978), Australian politician, was the twelfth and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia. ... A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one nation state present in another nation state to represent the sending state in the receiving State. ... 1943 is a common year starting on Friday. ...

From Dominions to Commonwealth realms

World War II, which fatally undermined Britain's already weakened commercial and financial leadership and heightened the importance of the United States as a source of military assistance, further loosened the political ties between Britain and the Dominions. Australian Prime Minister John Curtin's unprecedented action (February 1942) in successfully demanding the recall for home service of Australian troops earmarked for the defence of British-held Burma demonstrated that Dominion governments might no longer subordinate their own national interests to British strategic perspectives. To ensure that Australia had full legal power to act independently, particularly in relation to defence, Australia formally adopted the Statute of Westminster in October 1942 and backdated the adoption to the start of the war in September 1939. Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (60,000 ft) into the air. ... The United States of America — also referred to as the United States, the U.S.A., the U.S., America¹, the States, or (archaically) Columbia — is a federal republic of 50 states located primarily in central North America (with the exception of two states: Alaska and Hawaii). ... Rt Hon John Curtin John Curtin (January 8, 1885 – July 5, 1945), Australian politician and 14th Prime Minister of Australia, led Australia through the darkest period of its history: when the Australian mainland came under direct military threat during the Japanese advance in World War II. Many Australians regard him... 1942 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Union of Myanmar, also known as Burma, is a country in Southeast Asia. ... 1939 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The Dominions Office merged with the India Office as the Commonwealth Relations Office upon the independence of India and Pakistan in August 1947, and the term Dominion fell out of general use as India's adoption of republican status in January, 1950 signalled the end of the former dependencies' common constitutional connection to the British crown (although Ireland had already dropped its oath of allegiance to the King in 1937): henceforth continuing willing members of what was subsequently styled the Commonwealth agreed to accept the British monarch as head of that association of independent states. Éire had formally ceased to be a member seven months on the declaration that it was to be described officially as the Republic of Ireland. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is the United Kingdom government department responsible for promoting the interests of the United Kingdom abroad. ... The Republic of India is the second most populous country in the world, with a population of more than one billion, and is the seventh largest country by geographical area. ... The Islamic Republic of Pakistan (پاکستان in Urdu), or Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia. ... 1947 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Events January January 5 - US Senator Estes Kefauver introduces a resolution calling for examination of organized crime in the USA January 6 - The United Kingdom recognizes the Peoples Republic of China. ... 1937 was a common year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... Flag of the Commonwealth of Nations The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of independent sovereign states, most of which were once governed by the United Kingdom and are its former colonies. ... Map of Éire Éire (pronounced AIR uh, in the Irish language, translated as Ireland) is the name given in Article 4 of the 1937 Irish constitution to the 26-county Irish state, created under the 1921 Anglo-Irish Treaty, which was known between 1922 and 1937 as the Irish Free... The Republic of Ireland ( Irish: Poblacht na hÉireann) is the official description of an independent state which covers approximately five-sixths of the island of Ireland, off the coast of north-west Europe. ...

Recently, when referring to a nation that has the British Monarch as its head of state the term Commonwealth realm has come into common usage instead of Dominion to differentiate the Commonwealth nations that continue to recognize the Crown (Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Jamaica, etc.) from those which do not (India, Pakistan, South Africa, etc.). The term Dominion is still to be found in the Canadian constitution where the term is mentioned four times, most notably the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick shall form and be One Dominion under the Name of Canada. However, the Canadian government does not use it. The term "realm" does not appear in the Canadian constitution. Present-day usage prefers the term realm because it includes the United Kingdom as well, emphasising that they are equal to and not subordinate to the United Kingdom. A head of state or chief of state is the chief public representative of a nation-state, federation or commonwealth, whose role generally includes personifying the continuity and legitimacy of the state and exercising the political powers, functions and duties granted to the head of state in the countrys... A Commonwealth Realm is any one of the 16 sovereign states that recognize Queen Elizabeth II as their Queen and head of state. ... The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada. ...

For example, in a move that emphasised the independence of the separate realms, after the accession of Queen Elizabeth II in 1952, she was proclaimed not just as Queen of the U.K., but also Queen of Canada, Queen of Australia, Queen of New Zealand, and of all her other "realms and territories" etc. Elizabeth II in an official portrait as Queen of Canada (on the occasion of her Golden Jubilee in 2002, wearing the Sovereigns badges of the Order of Canada and the Order of Military Merit) Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary) (born 21 April 1926), styled HM The... 1952 was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Canada is a constitutional monarchy and a Commonwealth Realm with Queen Elizabeth II as its reigning monarch and head of state. ... Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, in 1952 and 2002 The title Queen of Australia has existed since 1973, when the Parliament of Australia passed the Royal Style and Titles Act (1973). ... Queen Elizabeth IIs personal flag for New Zealand The British Monarch serves as New Zealands Head of State, currently Queen Elizabeth II. However, the monarch is given the title Queen of New Zealand and is legally considered a distinct monarch from the monarch of the United Kingdom. ...

The Queen now functions as the independent monarch of sixteen different countries, and any changes to the laws governing the succession to the Crown must be approved by all of these nations' parliaments.

Phasing-out of the term in Canada

The phrase Dominion of Canada was used as the nation's formal political name, and some still read the BNA Act passage as specifying this phrase, rather than Canada alone, as the name. The passage specifies one Dominion under the name of Canada.

(References in later acts, such as the Statute of Westminster, to the "Dominion of Canada" with a capital D do not clarify the point because in British legislative style all nouns were formerly capitalized. Indeed, in the original text of the British North America Act, 1867, One and Name were also capitalized) A noun, or noun substantive, is a word or phrase that refers to a person, place, thing, event, substance or quality. ... For any word written in a language with two cases, such as those using the Latin, Greek, Cyrillic, or Armenian alphabet, capitalization is the writing of that word with its first letter in majuscules (uppercase) and the remaining letters in minuscules (lowercase). ...

Starting in the 1950s, the federal government began to phase out the use of "Dominion" which had been used largely as a synonym of "federal" or "national", such as "Dominion building" for a post office, "Dominion-provincial relations" and so on. The last major change was renaming the national holiday from Dominion Day to Canada Day in 1982. Official bilingualism also contributed to the demise of the word "dominion" as it has no acceptable equivalent in French. Events and trends Technology United States tests the first fusion bomb. ... Canada Day in Ottawa. ... 1982 is a number and represents a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar Events January-February January 6 - William Bonin is convicted of being the freeway killer. January 8 - AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions January 11 - Mark Thatcher, son of the British...

Arguments continue over the meaning of sections 2 and 3 of the original British North America Act - shall form and be One Dominion under the Name of Canada; and on and after that Day those Three Provinces shall form and be One Dominion under that Name accordingly. Unless it is otherwise expressed or implied, the Name Canada shall be taken to mean Canada as constituted under this Act. The government takes the position that the country's official name is simply Canada and always has been. The Constitution Act, 1982 changed nothing in this wording. While the term may be found in older official documents, it is rarely used anymore to distinguish the federal government from the provinces. Apart from the Canadian Monarchist League and the Royal Canadian Legion, the term is rarely used by national organizations. The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada. ... 1982 is a number and represents a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar Events January-February January 6 - William Bonin is convicted of being the freeway killer. January 8 - AT&T agrees to divest itself of twenty-two subdivisions January 11 - Mark Thatcher, son of the British... The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian veterans organization founded in 1925 with more than 400,000 members worldwide. ...

Historical development GA_googleFillSlot("encyclopedia_square");

Foreign relations

From Dominions to Commonwealth realms

Phasing-out of the term in Canada

See also

Historical development