Singapore is a member of the Commonwealth, having joined in October 1965 after gaining independence from Malaysia, not directly from Britain, and is an active participant, hosting the first Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in 1971 and regularly attending summits. The confusion might stem from its path to independence, briefly joining Malaysia in 1963 before becoming fully sovereign in 1965.
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.
Once a British colony and now a member of the Commonwealth, Singapore first joined the Federation of Malaysia on its formation in 1963 but seceded to become an independent state on August 9, 1965. Singapore has experienced remarkable economic growth and diversification since the 1960s.
The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 56 sovereign states, referred to as Commonwealth countries. Most of them were British colonies or dependencies of those colonies. Commonwealth of Nations. Current member states. Former member states.
On 9 August 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign state. The separation was the result of deep political and economic differences between the ruling parties of Singapore and Malaysia, which created communal tensions that resulted in racial riots in July and September 1964.
Racial and ethnic groups
Men of Chinese, Malay, and Indian ethnicities gather at a street corner in Singapore, circa 1900. Singaporeans with Chinese ancestry make up 75.5% of the citizen population of 3,660,700, Malays make up 15.1%, Indians 7.6%, and residents of "other" descent 1.8%, as of 2025.
One of the key factors contributing to Singapore's economic miracle was its strategic location, which made it an ideal hub for international trade and commerce. The country's main exports include electronics, chemicals and services. Singapore is the regional hub for wealth management.
Former British protectorates and mandates that did not become members of the Commonwealth are Egypt (independent in 1922), Iraq (1932), Transjordan (1946), Mandatory Palestine (part of which became the State of Israel in 1948), Sudan (1956), British Somaliland (which united with the former Italian Somaliland in 1960 to ...
On 26 September 1907 the country formally called itself a Dominion- a term only recently created to describe the self-governing settler colonies. In 1947 it was also the last of the Dominions to adopt the Statute of Westminster at which point it became independent of the British Parliament.
United States. The United States of America is a North American nation that is the world's most dominant economic and military power.
Temasek. Early Singapore was called Temasek, possibly a word deriving from "tasik" (Malay for lake or sea) and taken to mean Sea-town in Malay.
Percival favored a defense-in-depth approach, spreading his troops across the whole peninsula but this meant that the Japanese actually outnumbered the British at the landing grounds. They were able to quickly concentrate their forces and isolate individual British units which were then destroyed.
SG60 marks Singapore's 60th year of independence since 1965, a major milestone known as the diamond jubilee. The celebrations spotlight national pride, multicultural heritage, and forward-looking progress, with events taking place across the city from May through August 2025.
The issue of countries with constitutional structures not based on a shared Crown but that wanted to remain members of the Commonwealth, came to a head in 1948 with passage of the Republic of Ireland Act 1948, in which Ireland renounced the sovereignty of the Crown and thus left the Commonwealth.
For some time, the Games were without a host after the Australian state of Victoria withdrew, having initially been announced as the host in April 2022.
In 1949 India announced its intention to become a republic, which would have required its withdrawal from the Commonwealth under the existing rules, but at a meeting of Commonwealth heads of government in London in April 1949 it was agreed that India could continue its membership if it accepted the British crown as ...
Contributions to the Commonwealth Secretariat are determined according to each country's ability to pay.
Compared to other British colonies, the indigenous Maori of New Zealand were subjected to much better treatment by British settlers, and were even given seats in the colonial parliament in 1867. What made New Zealand's relations between White settlers and Maori natives uniquely tolerant?
Decades later, while listening to the speech of the new Māori monarch – 28-year-old Te Arikinui Nga wai hono i te po – Gibson said. “My granddaughters are looking at her, and my grandsons are watching her, they are all watching her and I know she is going to do well by all of our kids,” Gibson said.
In September 2014, Fiji was readmitted to the Commonwealth following the democratic election of Bainimarama. [xviii] Since rejoining the Commonwealth in 2014, Fiji has remained true to democratic principles and has been an active member of the Commonwealth and the CPA.
The United States is not part of the Commonwealth because it was independent long before the Commonwealth was created in 1931.
Brunei, a small island country located on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia, was the last country to gain full independence from Britain. Brunei was granted self-governing state status in 1959, but Britain continued to control its defence, foreign policy and internal security till 1984.
The richest country by GDP (PPP) per capita is often cited as Singapore, followed closely by Luxembourg, depending on the specific report and year, with Singapore leading in 2025 estimates with around $156,000-$157,000 per person, while Luxembourg is a strong contender just below that, highlighting small, finance-heavy economies as wealthiest per person.
Before we dive in, here's the lowdown: 16.7% of Singapore adults are millionaires That's more than double the US rate (8.8%) Singapore's median household income is high, but doesn't explain everything So, how do they do it?
Key Takeaways (At a Glance) The average salary in Singapore 2025 is estimated to be around SGD $6,282 per month. The median gross monthly income is approximately SGD $5,800, reflecting a 5.5% increase from 2024. IT, Finance, and Healthcare continue to be the highest-paying industries.