Territories of the United States. [5] The members have a combined population of 2.4 billion, almost a third of the Earth's population, of whom 1.21 billion live in India, and 95% live in Asia and Africa combined. I. Oxford University Press. The various American territories differ from the U.S. states and Indian reservations as they are not sovereign entities. 1101(a)(17))) shall apply to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. As the Queen of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of the Commonwealth although that role . ", "The Commonwealth: What's the point of it? Every two years, they meet at theCommonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. There are Commonwealth countries all over the world, including the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Known as the "British Commonwealth", the original and therefore earliest members were the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Irish Free State, and Newfoundland. While similar, a "commonwealth" has a slightly more developed relationship to the U.S. than a "territory" does. [69], The 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting agreed on the core criteria for Membership. The term "commonwealth" does not describe or provide for any specific political status or legal relationship when used by a state. Unlike the 50 states, U.S. territories do not have the same representation in Congress and do not have the same rights as states. Copyright 2023 Commonwealth Secretariat, Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), Commonwealth Observer Group arrives in Zimbabwe, Commonwealth Secretariat and Stimson Center extend groundbreaking climate assessment to Dominica and Mauritius, Blog: Why Im championing gender equality in ocean action, Fast Facts on the Commonwealth Secretary-General (PDF), Fast Facts on the Commonwealth and Elections (PDF), Fast Factson Gender Equality in the Commonwealth (PDF), Fast Factson the Commonwealth and CVE(PDF), Fast Facts on Climate Change in the Commonwealth (PDF), Fast Facts on the Commonwealth Cyber Programme (PDF), The Pacific nation of Nauru is the smallest Commonwealth member country with a population of about 10,000. The following is a list of sovereign states in the Americas. [4] In 1949, the London Declaration marked the birth of the modern Commonwealth and the adoption of its present name. The first Republican presidential debate on Wednesday, in Milwaukee and airing on Fox News, can illuminate substantive differences between the candidates. 1898. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com, five members of the United Nations Security Council, The Largest Countries In The World by Area. The Overseas Departments of France are fully incorporated parts of France. U.S. Territories and Commonwealths - InterExchange Cyprus has been a conflict flashpoint since 1974, when it became a divided island. Some of the associations members still have the British monarch as their symbolic head of state, while others have opted to become republics. In its charter, the group commits to "the development of free and democratic societies and the promotion of peace and prosperity to improve the lives of all peoples of the Commonwealth." [55] In political geography, Malta is considered a European country. For the U.S. states that designate themselves as commonwealths, see, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Specifically, CNRA 702(a) amended the Covenant to state that "the provisions of the 'immigration laws' (as defined in section 101(a)(17) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. Both countries are republics and members of the European Union. parliamentary republic with an executive presidency, Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence, 2007 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, Commonwealth of Nations membership criteria, List of countries and territories where English is an official language, List of countries by English-speaking population, List of current viceregal representatives of the Crown, "Singapore Declaration of Commonwealth Principles 1971", "The CommonwealthHistoryDominion Status", "The CommonwealthHistoryModern Commonwealth", "Barbados to become a parliamentary republic by November 30", "Barbados elects first ever president ahead of becoming republic", Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History, "Gabon set to join British Commonwealth this year: President", "Statement by Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma on The Gambia", "The Gambia presents formal application to re-join the Commonwealth", Federation of Malaya Independence Act 1957, "Maldives quits Commonwealth over alleged rights abuses", "Maldives becomes 54th member of Commonwealth family", "Rwanda becomes a member of the Commonwealth", "Nauru Accedes to Full Membership of the Commonwealth", "Pakistan suspended from the Commonwealth", "Rwanda's application for membership, Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative", "Tuvalu Accedes to Full Membership of the Commonwealth", "Seismic history of the Maltese Islands and considerations on seismic risk: Earthquakes in Malta", "Zimbabwe applies to rejoin Commonwealth 15 years after it left". ", "The Big Question: What is the Commonwealth's role, and is it relevant to global politics? The state university in Richmond is known as Virginia Commonwealth University; there is also a Virginia State University, located in Ettrick. Its initial members were the United Kingdom, Canada, the Irish Free State, Newfoundland, and the Union of South Africa. Originally, the countries that made up the Commonwealth included the United Kingdom, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, Australia, Newfoundland, and the Irish Free State. 56. independent countries make up the Commonwealth in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific. "Commonwealth" is a traditional English term used to describe a political community as having been founded for the common good. Commonwealth Countries - WorldAtlas deepening? The United States recognized the then-future independence of the Philippines in 1934 but called for a ten-year transitional period.[17]. [16], The Commonwealth of the Philippines was an insular area that used "Commonwealth" in its official name, "Commonwealth of the Philippine Islands", from November 15, 1935 until July 4, 1946. 52.52% of voters favored Puerto Rico's immediate admission to the Union and 47.48% voted against it, with a 54.72% turnout.[10]. This framing of the state as a commonwealth derives from the language of 17th-century thinkers like Thomas Hobbes and John Locke and refers to the goal of creating a political community for the common good. Rather, the Commonwealth is an international organization in which countries with diverse social, political, and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status, and cooperate within a framework of common values and goals, as outlined in the Singapore Declaration issued in 1971. The members have a combined population of 2.4 billion, almost a third of the Earth's population, of whom 1.21 billion live in India, and 95% live in Asia and Africa combined. Today 56 countries are members of the world's oldest political association. Dominica, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago are republics. It was later revised to include independent nations. Georgia withdrew from the organization in 2008, the same year that it was invaded by Russia. In 1776, Pennsylvania's first state constitution referred to it as both Commonwealth and State, a pattern of usage that was perpetuated in the constitutions of 1790, 1838, 1874, and 1968. All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions 2023 worldatlas.com. Commonwealth is a term used by four of the 50 states of the United States in their full official state names. There are four US states whose legal names include the term Commonwealth: Kentucky, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. ^ D. Geographically a part of Asia, considered a European country in political geography. Like their state counterparts, the use of the term commonwealth in the full titles of these territories does not affect their legal status. [1], List of sovereign states and dependent territories in the Americas, Dependent territories of sovereign states, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, The current government of Cuba was excluded from participation in the Organization under a decision adopted by the Eighth Meeting of Consultation in. Insular areas are, however, afforded limited representation in the House by a delegate who may vote in committee but not on the House floor. (2022) Average relative annual growth (%) (2022) Average absolute annual growth (2015) Date of last figure The Common Law in Colonial America. Joined as Swaziland, subsequently changing its name to Eswatini on 19 April 2018. Canada was a founder member in 1931 when its independence was recognised under the Statute of Westminster. In Virginia, the term state is sometimes used in an official manner, usually in a compound structure rather than as a standalone noun. Together, the members of the Commonwealth have an estimated population of 2.5 billion. Rather, a separate immigration system existed in the CNMI. Dominica has always been a republic since independence. New location draws on region's deep talent pool and innovative. The drafting of the Constitution of Puerto Rico by its residents was authorized by Congress in 1951, and the result approved in 1952. The name State of Massachusetts Bay was used in all acts and resolves up to 1780 and in the first draft of the constitution. Bangladesh, which was formerly East Pakistan, also boasts a large population of approximately 166 million. Southeast Asian Commonwealth members, Singapore and Malaysia, have seen rapid economic growth in the past few decades. [12] Prior to November 28, 2009, the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) did not apply in the CNMI. Most of them were British colonies or dependencies of those colonies. The first Head of the Commonwealth was King George VI but was taken over by Queen Elizabeth II . On September 28, 1786, the residents of Kentucky County began petitioning the Virginia legislature for permission to become a "free and independent state, to be known by the name of the Commonwealth of Kentucky". [13] On June 1, 1792, Kentucky County officially became a state. This page was last edited on 21 August 2023, at 01:40. It is also the least populous of the Commonwealth countries in the Americas, with a population of less than 407,000. Many if not most of the people who live in the Caribbean Commonwealth countries are of African descent, though there is also a large community of people in Trinidad and Tobago who are of South Asian origin. [15][c] One of Pennsylvania's two intermediate appellate courts is called the Commonwealth Court. Some supporters of Puerto Rico's independence have supported a kind of fusion status that would utilize the term commonwealth and grant the territory rights similar to those of a Free Associated State, including the right to manage their own international affairs while still maintaining a special relationship with the United States. The British Commonwealth was established in 1926 and is now known as the Commonwealth of Nations. Kentucky is the only state outside of the original Thirteen Colonies that uses commonwealth in its name. Some of the common goals for these nations include good governance, promoting human rights, advocating for global peace, promoting democracy, and many other things. The Americas are almost entirely located in the Western Hemisphere, with some of the north-west islands of Alaska entering the Eastern Hemisphere. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Small statesare especially vulnerable to issues such as climate change and developmental challenges. Besides the four aforementioned states, other states have also on occasion used the term commonwealth to refer to themselves: Two U.S. territories are also designated as commonwealths: Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands. The populations of the other Asian Commonwealth countries pale in comparison. Additionally, the official title of the elected local prosecutor in each of Virginia's political subdivisions is the Commonwealth's Attorney, as opposed to State's Attorney in other states or the more standard District Attorney. Coast Guard via Getty Images, Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images, According to the Massachusetts State Government, from the language of 17th-century thinkers like Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. Commonwealth is a term used by two unincorporated territories of the United States in their full official names, which are the Northern Mariana Islands, whose full name is Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Puerto Rico, which is named Commonwealth of Puerto Rico in English and Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico in Spanish, translating to "Free Associated State of Puerto Rico." The term was also used by the Philippines during most of its period under U.S. sovereignty, when it was officially called the Commonwealth of the Philippines. While most of the current U.S. states began as territories and then were granted statehood, these . As sovereign states, these islands have full right to conduct their own foreign relations, while the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico is part of the United States as a territory. Somaliland on verge of observer status in the Commonwealth. Despite tensions, the commonwealth's remaining members appear likely to stay put, reaping the benefits of economic integration with the regional superpower. Commonwealth countries - The Commonwealth It has, for example, been applied to both states and territories. Canada is the largest of all the Commonwealth countries and the second largest country in the world by area. ^ F. In geology, the Maltese Islands is located on the African Plate. [72][non-primary source needed] Former British dependencies are eligible to join the Commonwealth providing they agree and commit to the Commonwealth principles, these were laid out in the Singapore Declaration and reaffirmed in the Lusaka Declaration, the Langkawi Declaration and the Harare Declaration.[73][74][69]. The name Commonwealth of Virginia dates back to its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. The Republic of Ireland (as of 1949 according to the Commonwealth; 1936 according to the Irish government) and Zimbabwe (2003) are former members of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management, the Commonwealth of Learning and the Commonwealth Journalists Association have their HQs in Canada, and the Commonwealth Library Association in Jamaica. English Common Law in the Early American colonies. Africa is home to 19 Commonwealth countries. This is an alphabetical list of sovereign states and dependent territories in the Americas.It comprises three regions, Northern America (Canada and the United States), the Caribbean (cultural region of the English, French, Dutch, and Creole speaking countries located on the Caribbean Sea) and Latin America (nations that speak Spanish and Portuguese). [note 2] In contrast, each state has a sovereignty separate . Russia is unquestionably the most powerful member of the organization, a fact that even its allies resent. There is no equivalent provision as to the Commonwealth. What Are The Commonwealth Countries? - WorldAtlas The United States recognized the then-future independence of the Philippines in 1934 but called for a ten-year transitional period. As the Queen of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of the Commonwealth although that role does not give her any special powers. Guyana is the only English-speaking country in South America. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. This is evident in the names of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, the Virginia State Police, and the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. [2] Puerto Rico's political relationship with the U.S. has been a continuing source of debate in Puerto Rico, the United States Congress, and the United Nations. The three Commonwealth countries on the continents of North and South America are Canada, Belize, and Guyana. Despite the Spanish translation of the term "commonwealth", Puerto Rico's relationship with United States is not a Compact of Free Association (which is the case for the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands). Puerto Ricans have American citizenship and vote for a resident commissioner of Puerto Rico, with voice but without vote, in the United States House of Representatives. "South Sudan Launches Bid to Join Commonwealth", "South Sudan on Track to Join Commonwealth Nations", "Suriname plans to join the Commonwealth", "Suriname eying membership of Commonwealth", "Strengthening Guyana's participation in the Commonwealth and providing guidance to Suriname as it considers applying for membership", "Burundi Applies to Join Commonwealth to Bolster Angolophone Ties", "Zimbabwe applies to re-join Commonwealth, 15 years after leaving", "The future of the modern Commonwealth: Widening vs. [1] The four states Kentucky,[2] Massachusetts,[3] Pennsylvania,[4] and Virginia[5] are all in the Eastern United States, and prior to the formation of the United States in 1776 were British colonial possessions (although Kentucky did not exist as an independent polity under British rule, instead being a part of colonial Virginia). However, for both the Commonwealth and the States, constitutional convention effectively excludes the monarch from any personal exercise of governmental power. Territories of the United States - Wikipedia The combined GDP of Commonwealth countries in 2021 was US$13.1 trillion and is estimated to reach $19.5 trillion in 2027, almost doubling in ten years from $10.4 trillion in 2017. Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations - Wikipedia However, following the withdrawal of the UK from the European Union (a move that is known as Brexit), the two countries began having talks for the US join. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. In California, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, and New York, criminal charges are brought in the name of the People. As things stand, the United States is not a member of the Commonwealth although it eligible to join and has expressed interest in the past. 200km (120mi) south of the boundary between the African Plate and the Eurasian Plate. "Yes, we are small nations, we are not 100-200 million, but we have history, culture, we love, we want to be respected," Enomali Rahmon, who has led Tajikistan since 1994, told the assembled countries' leaders. Guam applied for commonwealth status in 1982, but Congress rejected the application application. The covenant was unilaterally amended by the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (CNRA) approved by the U.S. Congress on May 8, 2008, thus altering the CNMI's immigration system, making the Immigration and Nationality Act the applicable immigration law of CNMI. Commonwealth, also called Commonwealth of Nations, formerly (1931-49) British Commonwealth of Nations, a free association of sovereign states comprising the United Kingdom and a number of its former dependencies who have chosen to maintain ties of friendship and practical cooperation and who acknowledge the British monarch as symbolic head of . 33. of the world's 42 small states are Commonwealth members, each with a population of 1.5 million or less. In fact, the Royal Commonwealth Society came up with the idea of opening a branch in the US with the plan for making the US an associate member. The combined GDP of Commonwealth countries in 2021 was US$13.1 trillion and is estimated to reach $19.5 trillion in 2027, almost doubling in ten years from $10.4 trillion in 2017. Despite these countries having no legal obligation to one another, they do share a set of common goals. In addition, there is a good relationship between the President of the United States and the British Royal Family. In Massachusetts, the term State is occasionally used in an official manner, usually in a compound structure rather than as a standalone noun. The formal name in Spanish for Puerto Rico is Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico ("Free Associated State of Puerto Rico"). All these reasons have reaffirmed the need for the two countries to be closer allies through the Commonwealth. There are 54 Commonwealth countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe and the Pacific Gained independence from Sudan in 2011. Paul Reinsch. List of sovereign states and dependent territories in the Americas Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. However, this term does not affect laws or life in these states today . All Commonwealth members have an equal say regardless of size or wealth. The largest and most populous Commonwealth country in Africa is Nigeria, which has a population of roughly 212 million. Today, however, all members of the Commonwealth, including the UK, have equal standing. The government of Puerto Rico has held several referendums with the options of U.S. statehood, independence, and commonwealth; the commonwealth option won on multiple plebiscites held in 1967, 1993, and 1998. Puerto Rico has sports sovereignty, with its own national team at the Olympics and at other international competitions. List of members of the Commonwealth of Nations, Member states of the Commonwealth of Nations. There are thirteen Commonwealth member states in the Americas, all but Canada within the Caribbean region, and all but Belize and Guyana are islands. In all the other states, they are brought in the name of the State. Un. Half of the top 20 global emerging cities are in the Commonwealth: New Delhi, Mumbai, Nairobi, Kuala Lumpur, Bangalore, Johannesburg, Kolkata, Cape Town, Chennai and Dhaka. people live. The smallest Commonwealth state in Asia is the Maldives, an archipelago of tiny islands in the Indian Ocean, not too far from India and Sri Lanka. ^ B. It was re-stated by the 1930 conference and incorporated in the Statute of Westminster the following year (although Australia and New Zealand did not adopt the statute until 1942 and 1947, respectively). Regardless of state. Again, the term commonwealth here is used to emphasize the vision of a democratic and prosperous political community. 1001 Boylston Street, Boston, MA will be the LEGO Group's Americas. [70][71], Most Commonwealth member have constitutional links with the United Kingdom and the former British Empire. In addition, the US and the UK probably had little to gain from the US joining the Commonwealth. Commonwealth member states Mozambique and Rwanda are distinguished by the fact that unlike most Commonwealth countries, they were never British colonies. In contrast, the Seychelles, in which just 99,000 people live, is the smallest and least populous. "Commonwealth" is a traditional English term used to describe a political community as having been founded for the common good. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, "Constitution of the Commonwealth of Kentucky", "Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts", "Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania", "7 fam 1120 Acquisition of U.S.
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