The British Commonwealth
    The Commonwealth of Nations is a free association of independent member nations and their dependencies. The political status of the member nations listed below is clarified and given legal substance in the Statute of Westminster drawn up in 1931, before the Commonwealth was founded by the United Kingdom and the Dominions. The original Dominions were Australia, Canada, Irish Free State, Newfoundland, New Zealand and South Africa. On 1st June 1994, South Africa rejoined the Commonwealth, having left in 1961. In 1995 Cameroon and Mozambique joined the commonwealth. There are currently (Mid 1999) 54 members. The Secretary-General is Emeka Anyakou (Nigeria).
 
Country Capital Status Joined Population
Antigua and Barbuda St. John's M       1981 64,500 (1997)
Australia Canberra M       1931 18,500,000 (1997)
The Bahamas Nassau M       1973 287,000 (1997)
Bangladesh Dhaka R       1972 125,000,000 (1997)
Barbados Bridgetown M       1966 265,000 (1997)
Belize Belmopen M       1981 228,000 (1997)
Botswana Gaborone R       1966 1,500,000 (1996)
Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan M*       1984 300,000 (1996)
Cameroon Yaounde R       1995 14,650,000 (1996)
Canada Ottawa M       1931 30,287,000 (1997)
Cyprus Nicosia R       1961 662,000 (1997)
Dominica Roseau R       1978 74,200 (1994)
Fiji Suva R       1970 783,800 (1995)
The Gambia Banjul R       1965 1,248,000 (1997)
Ghana Accra R       1957 18,000,000 (1996)
Grenada St. George's M       1974 95,950 (1993)
Guyana Georgetown R       1966 773,000 (1997)
India New Delhi R       1947 967,000,000 (1997)
Jamaica Kingston M       1962 2,500,000 (1996)
Kenya Nairobi R       1963 29,300,000 (1994)
Kiribati Tarawa R       1979 82,400 (1997)
Lesotho Maseru M*       1966 2,500,000 (1996)
Malawi Lilongwe R       1964 9,700,000 (1994)
Malaysia Kuala Lumpur M*       1957 21,000,000 (1997)
Maldives Male R       1982(S) 250,000 (1996)
Malta Valetta R       1964 367,000 (1994)
Mauritius Port Louis R       1968 1,110,000 (1993)
Mozambique Maputo R       1990 18,165,000 (1997)
Namibia Windhoek R       1990 1,727,000 (1997)
Nauru Nauru R       1968(S) 8,100 (1990)
New Zealand Wellington M       1931 3,653,000 (1997)
Nigeria Abuja R       1960 † 99,000,000 (1995)
Pakistan Islamabad R       1947* 131,500,000 (1994)
Papua New Guinea Port Moresby M       1975 4,497,000 (1997)
St Kitts and Nevis Basseterre M       1983 41,800 (1997)
St Lucia Castries M       1979 148,000 (1997)
St Vincent and the Grenadines Kingstown M       1979(S) 109,000 (1994)
Samoa Apia M*       1970 163,000 (1994)
Seychelles Victoria R       1976 77,300 (1997)
Sierra Leone Freetown R       1961 4,460,000 (1993)
Singapore Singapore R       1965 3,100,000 (1997)
Solomon Islands Honiara M       1978 411,000 (1997)
South Africa Pretoria R       1931** 40,440,000 (1997)
Sri Lanka Colombo R       1948 17,400,000 (1992)
Swaziland Mbabane M*       1968 1,030,000 (1997)
Tanzania Dodoma R       1961 28,000,000 (1996)
Tonga Nuku'Alofa M*       1970 102,000 (1998)
Trinidad and Tobago Port of Spain R       1962 1,276,000 (1997)
Tuvalu Funafuti M       1978(S) 10,000 (1996)
Uganda Kampala R       1962 20,000,000 (1997)
United Kingdom London M       1931 58,919,000 (1997)
Vanuatu Port Vila R       1980 176,000 (1997)
Zambia Lusaka R       1964 8,940,000 (1993)
Zimbabwe Harare R       1980# 11,423,000 (1997)
M = Monarchy under Queen Elizabeth, represented by Governor - General in all countries except the United Kingdom.
M* = Country with its own ruler. Brunei is a Sultanate.
R = Republic.
(S) = Special Member.
* = Pakistan left in 1972, rejoining in 1989.
** = South Africa left in 1961, rejoining in 1994.
† = Membership suspended in 1995. Nigeria was re-admitted in 1999.
# Membership suspended 2002
United Kingdom Overseas Territories
Anguilla
Bermuda
British Antarctic Territory
British Indian Ocean Territory
British Virgin Islands
Caymen Islands 		Falkland Island and Dependencies
(South Georgia, South Sandwich Islands)
Gibraltar
Monserrat
Pitcairn Islands Group
St Helena and Dependencies
(Ascension, Tristan de Cunha)
Turks and Caicos Islands.
Territories of Member Countries
Australia : Norfolk Island, Heard Island, McDonald Island, Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island, Asmore and Cartier Islands, Coral Sea Islands.    New Zealand : Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelan Islands.
The Channel Islands and the Isle of Man are dependent territories of the crown and do not form part of the United Kingdom. They have their own legislative assemblies and legal and administration systems.

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