Commonwealth
The word “commonwealth” broadly means a political community or state founded for the common good. Today, it most frequently refers to the Commonwealth of Nations, an international association of 60 independent member states, or is used as a specific title for certain states and regions.
Home to roughly 2.7 billion people the members share historical ties to the British Empire which is currently Headed by British King Charles III who is a head of the organization working to promote, share goals like democracy, peace and development across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Pacific.
Headed by the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth nations are: Bangladesh, Brunei, Cyprus, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka in Asia.
Botswana, Egypt, Eswatini (Swaziland), Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, SomaliaSouth Africa Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe in Africa.
African nation Togo was never colonized by British but joined the group.
African nation Mozambique was never colonized by British empire but even joined the Commonwealth.
African nation Rwanda was historically colonized by Germany and Belgium but joined Commonwealth.
French colonized but joined Commonwealth Group are Cameroon, Gabon are of Africa.
Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Dominica, Grenada, Grenadines, Guyana, Nevis, Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago, USA in Americas and Caribbean.
Australia, Fiji, Jamaica, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu,
Samoa was colonized by New Zealand but joined Commonwealth.
Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait Palestine, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Yemen in Middle East.
Talking about Malta, it is an island nation in the central Mediterranean Sea lies in Southern Europe.
Only Ireland permanently withdrew from the Commonwealth, doing so in 1949 upon declaring itself a republic. Several other nations left temporarily or withdrew due to political disputes before eventually rejoining.
Ireland is the only country that formally left in 1949 and has never rejoined. However, there are few countries that had left the group but rejoined again.
Among them, South Africa withdrew in 1961 but rejoined in 1994. Likewise, Pakistan left the group in 1972 but rejoined in 1989. Fiji left in 1987 but rejoined in 1997. The Gambia left in 2013 and rejoined in 2018. Maldives withdrew in 2016 and rejoined in 2020. Zimbabwe left in 2003 but rejoined again in the same year too.
The Commonwealth, officially known as the Commonwealth of Nations, is an intergovernmental organization composed of 54 member countries. It is a voluntary association of sovereign states, most of which are former territories of the British Empire. The Commonwealth spans six continents and represents about one-third of the world’s population.
The Commonwealth was established with the signing of the Statute of Westminster in 1931, which granted self-governing dominions within the British Empire full legal equality with the United Kingdom. Over time, the organization evolved into an independent intergovernmental association, officially adopting the name “Commonwealth of Nations” in 1949.
The Commonwealth serves as a platform for member countries to collaborate on political, economic, social, and cultural issues of mutual interest. It promotes democratic principles, human rights, good governance, sustainable development, and the rule of law. The organization operates on the basis of consensus and shared values, with the British monarch as the symbolic Head of the Commonwealth.
CHOGM stands for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. It is a biennial summit held by the member countries of the Commonwealth. CHOGM serves as a platform for collaboration and partnership among Commonwealth member countries. It provides an opportunity for leaders to address global challenges, share best practices, and strengthen ties within the Commonwealth community.
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic partnership of 27 European countries. Formed by the Maastricht Treaty on November 1, 1993, it covers 450 million people. It features a single internal market, a shared currency (the euro) used by most members, and free movement of people and goods.
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden,
The United Kingdom is the only sovereign country that has officially left the European Union. It formally exited on January 31, 2020, following a process commonly known as Brexit. The United Kingdom is not part of the European Union because it left the bloc on January 31, 2020, following a public vote known as Brexit. In a June 2016 referendum, about 51.9% of voters chose to leave the EU, ending 47 years of membership that began in 1973
The headquarters is in Brussels, Belgium, the EU focuses mainly on keeping peace around the EU states with building free trade and sharing laws across Europe.
Though the EU has its own currency named euro (€), only 21 member-states among 27 use euro currency.
Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Sweden do not use euro but instead they use their own currency called koruna, krone, forint, zloty, leu and krona respectively.
To be continued……..
