This is a list of members of the Commonwealth Members by continent. As of 2005, there are 53 states that are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, 3 in Europe, 12 in North America, 1 in South America, 18 in Africa, 8 in Asia, and 11 in Australasia and Oceania; there are also five former members (some of which no longer exist), 1 in Europe, 1 in North America, and 3 in Africa. 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Commonwealth of Nations, usually known as the Commonwealth, is an association of 53 independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire. ... World map showing Europe Political map Europe is one of the seven continents of Earth which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiographic one, leading to various perspectives about Europes borders. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. ... World map showing the location of Asia. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Oceania. ... Oceania is a geographical, often geopolitical, region consisting of numerous lands—mostly islands but sometimes including Australia—in the Pacific Ocean and vicinity. ...

For each continent, the states are listed in order of joining the Commonwealth, shown in parentheses, together with dates of leaving and rejoining, and dates of suspension and readmission. In rhetoric, a parenthesis (plural: parentheses; from the Greek word παρενθεσις) is (according to the Oxford English Dictionary) An explanatory or qualifying word, clause, or sentence inserted into a passage with which it has not necessarily any grammatical connexion, and from which it is usually marked off by round or square...

Current members

Africa

•  Botswana (1966)
•  Cameroon (1995)
•  The Gambia (1965)
•  Ghana (1957)
•  Kenya (1963)
•  Lesotho (1966)
•  Malawi (1964)
•  Mauritius (1968)
•  Mozambique (1995)
•  Namibia (1990)
•  Nigeria (1960; suspended in 1995; readmitted in 1999)
•  Seychelles (1976)
•  Sierra Leone (1961)
•  South Africa (1931; left in 1961; rejoined in 1994)
•  Swaziland (1968)
•  Tanzania (1961)
•  Uganda (1962)
•  Zambia (1964)

Image File history File links Flag_of_Botswana. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Cameroon. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_The_Gambia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ghana. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Kenya. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Lesotho. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Malawi. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mauritius. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mozambique. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Namibia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Nigeria. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Seychelles. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sierra_Leone. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_South_Africa. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Swaziland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Tanzania. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Uganda. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Zambia. ...

Asia

•  Bangladesh (1972)
•  Brunei (1984)
•  India (1947)
•  Malaysia (1957)
•  Maldives (1982)
•  Pakistan (1947; left in 1972; rejoined 1989; suspended in 1999; readmitted in 2004)
•  Singapore (1965)
•  Sri Lanka (1948)

Image File history File links Flag_of_Bangladesh. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Brunei. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_India. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Malaysia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Maldives. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Pakistan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Singapore. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sri_Lanka. ...

Australia and Oceania

•  Australia (1931; ratified in 1942)
•  Fiji (1970; left in 1987; rejoined in 1997; suspended in 2000; readmitted in 2001)
•  Kiribati (1979)
•  Nauru (2000)
•  New Zealand (1931; ratified in 1947)
•  Papua New Guinea (1975)
•  Samoa (1970)
•  Solomon Islands (1978)
•  Tonga (1970)
•  Tuvalu (1978)
•  Vanuatu (1980)

Image File history File links Flag_of_Australia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Fiji. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Kiribati. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Nauru. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_New_Zealand. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Papua_New_Guinea. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Samoa. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Solomon_Islands. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Tonga. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Tuvalu. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Vanuatu. ...

Europe

•  Cyprus (1961)
•  Malta (1964)
•  United Kingdom (1931)

Image File history File links Flag_of_Cyprus. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Malta. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Kingdom. ...

North America

•  Antigua and Barbuda (1981)
•  The Bahamas (1973)
•  Barbados (1966)
•  Belize (1981)
•  Canada (1931)
•  Dominica (1978)
•  Grenada (1974)
•  Jamaica (1962)
•  Saint Kitts and Nevis (1983)
•  Saint Lucia (1979)
•  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1979)
•  Trinidad and Tobago (1962)

Image File history File links Flag_of_Antigua_and_Barbuda. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_Bahamas. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Barbados. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Belize. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Canada. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Dominica. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Grenada. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Jamaica. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Saint_Kitts_and_Nevis. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Saint_Lucia. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Saint_Vincent_and_the_Grenadines. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Trinidad_and_Tobago. ...

South America

•  Guyana (1966)

Image File history File links Flag_of_Guyana. ...

Former members

Europe

• Irish Free State (1931; left in 1949)

Image File history File links Flag_of_Ireland. ... The Irish Free State (Irish: Saorstát Éireann) (1922–1937) was the name of the state comprising the 26 of Irelands 32 counties that 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...

North America

• Newfoundland (joined in 1931; became a province of Canada in 1949)

Image File history File links Flag_of_Newfoundland. ... Motto: Quaerite Prime Regnum Dei (Latin: Seek ye first the kingdom of God) Official languages None Capital St. ... Province is a name for a subnational entity. ...

Africa

• Tanganyika (joined in 1961; merged with Zanzibar to form Tanzania in 1964)
• Zanzibar (joined in 1963; merged with Tanganyika to form Tanzania in 1964)
•  Zimbabwe (joined in 1980; suspended in 2002; left in 2003)

Image File history File links Flag_of_Tanganyika. ... Flag of Tanganyika Tanganyika was an East African republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, named after Lake Tanganyika, which formed its western border. ... Map of Zanzibars main island Zanzibar (IPA pronunciation: ), as used today, is the collective name for two East African islands off mainland Tanzania: Unguja (also called Zanzibar) and Pemba. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Zanzibar. ... Map of Zanzibars main island Zanzibar (IPA pronunciation: ), as used today, is the collective name for two East African islands off mainland Tanzania: Unguja (also called Zanzibar) and Pemba. ... Flag of Tanganyika Tanganyika was an East African republic within the Commonwealth of Nations, named after Lake Tanganyika, which formed its western border. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Zimbabwe. ...

Nations which did not join the Commonwealth on independence

Africa

• Egypt (independence in 1922)
• British Somaliland Protectorate (five days after independence in 1960 joined Italian Somaliland to form Somalia}
• Anglo-Egyptian Sudan (independence in 1956)

Image File history File links Flag_of_Egypt. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Somaliland. ... The British Somaliland Protectorate was a British protectorate in the north part of the Horn of Africa, and your mom later part of Somalia and presently the unrecognized Republic of Somaliland. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Sudan. ... Motto: Al-Nasr Lana (Arabic: Victory is Ours) Anthem: نحن جند للہ جند الوطن (Arabic: We Are the Army of God and of Our Land) Capital Khartoum Largest city Omdurman Official language(s) Arabic Government Authoritarian regime  - President Omar al-Bashir Independence From Egypt and the UK   - Date January 1, 1956  Area    - Total 2,505...

North America

• United States of America (independence in 1776)

Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_States. ...

Asia

• Bahrain (independence in 1971)
• Bhutan (independence of Bhutan recognised by India in 1949)
• Union of Burma (independence in 1948)
• Iraq (independence in 1932)
• Transjordan (on independence in 1946 became Jordan)
• Kuwait (independence in 1961)
• Oman (independence in 1971)
• Palestine (on independence subsequently became Israel in 1948)
• Qatar (independence in 1971)
• Federation of South Arabia (on independence in 1967 became People’s Republic of South Yemen, now part of Yemen)
• Trucial States (on independence in 1971 became the United Arab Emirates)

Image File history File links Flag_of_Bahrain. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Bhutan. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Myanmar. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Iraq. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Jordan. ... Motto: Arabic: الله، الوطن، الملك (Transliteration: Allah Al-Watan Al-Malek) (Translation: God, the Homeland, the King) Anthem: عاش المليك (Long Live the King) Capital Amman Largest city Amman Official language(s) Arabic Government Constitutional Monarchy King Abdullah II Independence From the League of Nations mandate administered by the United Kingdom  - 25 May 1946 Area... Image File history File links Flag_of_Kuwait. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Oman. ... Image File history File links Palestine-Mandate-Ensign-1927-1948. ... Palestine (Hebrew: Eretz Israel, Arabic: ‎ FilastÄ«n or FalastÄ«n) is one of many historical names for the region between the Mediterranean Sea and the banks of the Jordan River, plus various adjoining lands to the east and south. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Qatar. ... Image File history File links FSA_Flag. ... The Federation of South Arabia was an organization of colonies under British rule. ... National motto: ??? Official language Arabic Capital Aden Area 287,680 km² Population  - Total (1973)  - Density 1,590,275 5. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_the_United_Arab_Emirates. ... Motto: None Anthem: Ishy Bilady Capital Abu Dhabi Largest city Dubai Official language(s) Arabic Government Absolute monarchy  - President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahayan  - Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Establishment December 2, 1971  Area    - Total 83,600 km² (116th)   32,278 sq mi   - Water (%) negligible Population    - 2005 est. ...

See also

• List of members of the Commonwealth of Nations by name
• List of members of the Commonwealth of Nations by date joined

This is a list of Commonwealth Members by name. ... This is a list of members of the Commonwealth of Nations by date joined. ...

References

• Commonwealth Secretariat
• The Commonwealth - UK government site