The transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997 ended the territory's status as a part of the Commonwealth through the United Kingdom. Non-sovereign states or regions are not permitted to become members of the Commonwealth. The government of the People's Republic of China has not pursued membership.
The United States “once fell under the rule of the British Empire,” too. Why isn't it part of the Commonwealth? One word can answer that question: War. The United States is one of a small number of countries that went to battle against the monarchy for independence, and as a result calls itself a republic.
India's shift to republicanism in 1949 influenced the Commonwealth of Nations' decision to include republic states. Nowadays both independent and republic states can maintain membership to the Commonwealth. Ireland and Zimbabwe are the only republic states to have withdrawn from the Commonwealth entirely.
Participation in the Games is limited to member states of the Commonwealth of Nations and their territories. Although there are 56 members of the Commonwealth of Nations, 72 teams currently participate in the Commonwealth Games as a number of dependent territories compete under their own flags.
The Commonwealth is a group of 54 nations that were once part of the British Empire. The US became independent from the UK in 1776, after 13 American colonies broke away and declared themselves a republic, refusing to recognise the British monarch as their head of state.
When India and Pakistan were granted independence in 1947, they became members of the Commonwealth.
Pakistan originally joined the Commonwealth in 1947 as a founding member. However, in 1972 Pakistan left the organisation due to political tensions with other members, notably over the issue of Bangladesh's independence.
Fiji suspended from the councils of the Commonwealth
Following the overthrow of the elected government, Fiji Islands suspended from the councils of the Commonwealth pending the restoration of democracy and the rule of law.
Commonwealth member countries benefit from being part of a mutually supportive community of independent and sovereign states, aided by more than 80 Commonwealth organisations. The Commonwealth Secretariat, established in 1965, supports Commonwealth member countries to achieve development, democracy and peace.
Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, 1900: Original Public Record Copy (1900). The Australian Constitution does not contemplate any state or territory leaving Australia. The only legal path to secession would be by a national referendum.
Australia is a founding member of the modern Commonwealth and has been an active participant in Commonwealth organisations, programs and meetings for over 60 years.
Until 1949, Britain and Australia shared a common nationality code. The final constitutional ties between the United Kingdom and Australia ended in 1986 with the passing of the Australia Act 1986.
Hong Kong competed at the Commonwealth and British Empire Games as a British colony or dependent territory from 1934 to 1994. The abbreviation for Hong Kong was HKG. In 1997, the United Kingdom handed Hong Kong over to the People's Republic of China, meaning it could no longer participate.
Singapore joined the Commonwealth in October 1965 after gaining independence, and regularly participates in the biennial Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings (CHOGM). In 1971, Singapore hosted the first CHOGM, which produced a seminal document known as the Singapore Declaration of Commonwealth Principles.
Fiji was suspended from the Commonwealth in 1987, after a race-based military coup that overthrew the country's first democratically-elected government led by an ethnic Indian. The island nation was re-admitted to the Commonwealth 10 years later after democracy was restored.
In later years, under the presidency of Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe dominated Commonwealth affairs, creating acrimonious splits in the organisation. Zimbabwe was suspended in 2002 for breaching the Harare Declaration. In 2003, when the Commonwealth refused to lift the suspension, Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth.
Fiji Islands' membership lapsed in 1987, after a military coup imposed a constitution contrary to Commonwealth principles, and returned to membership in October 1997, when it had embarked on constitutional reform.
As a general rule, Commonwealth nations opt to be in the group because of close political and historic ties with the United Kingdom. Both Australia and large parts of Canada were formerly under the control of the British Empire and their remains similarities in culture, society and language that bind the nations.
Its treatment as a member ended on 18 April 1949 when Irish legislation that the Commonwealth chose to regard as having caused Ireland to become a republic became law. It is the only country whose membership terminated without any declaration withdrawing from the organisation.
At a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government in London in April 1949, it was decided that India could maintain membership if it accepted the British crown as only “the symbol of the free association” of Commonwealth members.
World War II had severely damaged the British Empire in terms of economy. To cut their losses they were forced to relinquish many of their colonies.
Thus, the British Commonwealth became the Commonwealth of Nations in 1949. Over time, membership has expanded. Today, the Commonwealth includes fifty-four countries, largely in Asia and Africa, including nearly all of the world's English speaking countries.
A Commonwealth of Republics
Ireland left never to return and Zimbabwe left and is now seeking to re-join. Other countries looking to join the commonwealth include South Sudan, Suriname, Burundi and the as-yet-unrecognized Somaliland. The combined population of the Commonwealth's member states is 2.4bn.