The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 countries which were part of the British Empire before they became independent. Charles III is the head of state of 15 member states, known as the Commonwealth realms, while 36 other members are republics and 5 others have different monarchs.
The Commonwealth had its origins in the British Empire but its latest members, Rwanda and Mozambique, were never part of the Empire.
The word ‘commonwealth’ comes from ‘common weal’, a 16th-century term for the common well-being.
The first British ‘Commonwealth’ was the term given to Cromwell’s government of England after the execution of Charles I in 1649.
In the 18th century, the British Empire covered 20% of the world and contained one quarter of the world’s population
Lord Roseberry in 1884 was the first to call the British Empire a ‘commonwealth of nations’ during a visit to Australia.
The Commonwealth had its origins in the British Empire but its latest members, Rwanda and Mozambique, were never part of the Empire.
The word ‘commonwealth’ comes from ‘common weal’, a 16th-century term for the common well-being.
The first British ‘Commonwealth’ was the term given to Cromwell’s government of England after the execution of Charles I in 1649.
In the 18th century, the British Empire covered 20% of the world and contained one quarter of the world’s population
Lord Roseberry in 1884 was the first to call the British Empire a ‘commonwealth of nations’ during a visit to Australia.
The British Empire had been growing rapidly for centuries, but it was in the 19th and early 20th centuries that it reached its peak. This was due to a number of factors, including the Industrial Revolution, which gave Britain a technological and economic edge over other European powers, and the Scramble for Africa, which saw Britain and other European powers colonize large parts of Africa.
The "Census of the British Empire" revealed on March 24, 1906 that Britain ruled 23% of the world's population.
On September 29, 1923, the British Empire reached its maximum extent, covering over 13.7 million square miles (35.5 million square kilometers) and containing a population of over 460 million people. This represented over a quarter of the world's land surface and a fifth of its population.
Originally, it was called the British Commonwealth of Nations, which was founded in 1926 when the British Empire began to break-up.
The Commonwealth Games began as the British Empire Games in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930.
The "Census of the British Empire" revealed on March 24, 1906 that Britain ruled 23% of the world's population.
On September 29, 1923, the British Empire reached its maximum extent, covering over 13.7 million square miles (35.5 million square kilometers) and containing a population of over 460 million people. This represented over a quarter of the world's land surface and a fifth of its population.
Originally, it was called the British Commonwealth of Nations, which was founded in 1926 when the British Empire began to break-up.
The Commonwealth Games began as the British Empire Games in Hamilton, Canada, in 1930.
The British Empire began to decline after World War II. Though Britain still maintains overseas territories, the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997 marked the final end of Britain's empire.
The total population of all the 56 countries of the Commonwealth is about 2.419 billion. This is almost a third of the population of the whole world.
These 56 countries cover an area of 11.6 million square miles., which is about 21 % of the total land area of the world.
Tuvalu is the smallest member, with only 11,000 people.
Sources Daily Express, Wikipedia
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