The definition of a commonwealth is an independent country, community or state within a republic, including some states of the U.S. Pennsylvania is an example of a commonwealth. (archaic) The public good; commonweal. Used to refer to some US states, namely, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
What country is a commonwealth?
In addition to independent members, the Commonwealth also comprises dependent territories, which are formally governed by the United Kingdom, Australia, or New Zealand.
Membership and criteria.
| country | date of Commonwealth membership |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 1931 |
| Canada | 1931 |
| Australia | 1931 |
| New Zealand | 1931 |
What are the 5 commonwealth states?
In addition to Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, the United States has two other commonwealths, Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands, but they are of a different kind. They are not states, and have only a nonvoting representative in Congress.
What is the Commonwealth in Australia?
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federation of six states and two self-governing territories. The national government is the Australian Government, also referred to as the federal government or Commonwealth government.
Is USA a commonwealth country?
The term commonwealth is also still used beyond the US, notably in the Commonwealth of Nations – a 53 country intergovernmental group which includes countries such as Canada, Australia, South Africa, and India — where nearly all the countries share a history of being ruled by the British Empire as a territory or colony
What are the 7 Commonwealth countries?
The founding Commonwealth members were Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom. The Commonwealth Charter was adopted in 2012 – which committed members to the values of democracy, gender equality, sustainable development and international peace and security.
How many countries are in Commonwealth?
54 countries
The Commonwealth comprises 54 countries, across all inhabited continents. The members have a combined population of 2.4 billion people, almost a third of the world population, with 1.4 billion living in India, and 94% living in either Asia or Africa.
What are the 4 commonwealth states?
There are four states that refer to themselves as “commonwealths,” Massachusetts, Kentucky, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.
What makes a state a commonwealth?
Nowadays, a commonwealth has come to mean any government in which all people involved have a say, or a loose formation of nations with a shared loyalty. It is also the official designation of a few states including, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia and some U.S. territories.
What does it mean to be in the Commonwealth?
Definition of commonwealth
1 : a nation, state, or other political unit: such as. a : one founded on law and united by compact or tacit agreement of the people for the common good. b : one in which supreme authority is vested in the people.
Is Australia a Commonwealth country?
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.
Why is it called Commonwealth?
The term literally meant “common well-being”. In the 17th century, the definition of “commonwealth” expanded from its original sense of “public welfare” or “commonweal” to mean “a state in which the supreme power is vested in the people; a republic or democratic state”.
Is New Zealand in Commonwealth?
New Zealand is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, an organisation of 54 countries — most with a shared history as part of the former British Empire.
Is Canada a Commonwealth?
Today, the Commonwealth has at least one member on every continent in the world, including North America (Canada), South America (Guyana), and Oceania (Australia). The United Kingdom is, of course, part of the Commonwealth, as are a few Asian countries and the majority of southern African nations.
Is India a Commonwealth?
India is a founding member of the modern Commonwealth, and home to nearly 60% of Commonwealth citizens.
Which countries have left the Commonwealth?
No country has formally been expelled, but in November 1995, Commonwealth Heads of Government took the then unprecedented step of suspending the membership of one of its members – Nigeria.
What is the Commonwealth of Nations quizlet?
The Commonwealth of Nations is an intergovernmental organisation of 53 member states that were mostly territories of the former British Empire. Member states have no legal obligation to one another.
Does the Commonwealth still exist?
The modern Commonwealth
Since 1949 independent countries from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Pacific have joined the Commonwealth. Membership today is based on free and equal voluntary co-operation.
Is Philippines a Commonwealth country?
In 1946, the Commonwealth ended and the Philippines claimed full sovereignty as provided for in Article XVIII of the 1935 Constitution.
Commonwealth of the Philippines.
| Preceded by | Succeeded by |
|---|---|
| 1935: Insular Government of the Philippine Islands 1945: Second Philippine Republic | 1942: Philippine Executive Commission 1946: Third Philippine Republic |
Which country is the last member of Commonwealth?
The Commonwealth has welcomed its 54th family member after Maldives‘ application for re-admission was approved. The small island nation officially re-joined the Commonwealth on Saturday, February 1 2020.
Is Pennsylvania a commonwealth?
Four states in the nation — Kentucky, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Pennsylvania — use the designation commonwealth to define themselves. The distinction doesn’t mean they’re any different or enjoy any advantages over the other 46 states.
