Category:Commonwealth countries

(sourced from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations in 2023)

The Commonwealth of Nations, simply referred to as the Commonwealth including on this wiki, is a political association of 56 member states, the vast majority of which are former territories of the British Empire.

The chief institutions of the organisation are the Commonwealth Secretariat, which focuses on intergovernmental aspects, and the Commonwealth Foundation, which focuses on non-governmental relations among member states. Numerous organisations are associated with and operate within the Commonwealth.

The head of the Commonwealth is Charles III. (It was Queen Elizabeth II until her death in 2022.) He is king of 15 member states, known as the Commonwealth realms, while 36 other members are republics, and five others have different monarchs.

Member states have no legal obligations to one another but are connected through their use of the English language and historical ties. Citizenship of a Commonwealth nation affords benefits in some member countries, particularly in the United Kingdom. The Commonwealth Charter defines their shared values of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law, as promoted by the quadrennial Commonwealth Games.