What is the Commonwealth and what countries are part of it?

With the organisation playing such an important role in the UK, some may want to learn more about it.

If you're interested in finding out more about the Commonwealth, look no further.

What is the Commonwealth and why was it founded?

Happy #CommonwealthDay to all those celebrating across the Commonwealth!

Today 56 member countries will come together to honour their unity, diversity and shared values.

Visit our website to see the highlights and resources 👉: https://t.co/ki73D2UuSH

— The Commonwealth (@commonwealthsec) March 11, 2024

The Commonwealth of Nations, more commonly known as the Commonwealth, is an international body of 56 nations.

The member nations of the Commonwealth are overwhelmingly former territories and colonies of the British Empire.

The head of the Commonwealth is King Charles III who is also the head of state of 15 of the member nations.

The modern Commonwealth of Nations was constituted by the London Declaration in 1949 which established members as "free and equal".

According to the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the organisation was formed "to maintain an association between countries that had once been part of the British colonies."

What countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations?

The Commonwealth states that the following countries are members of the international body:

Africa

• Botswana
• Cameroon
• Gabon
• Gambia
• Ghana
• Kenya
• Kingdom of Eswatini
• Lesotho
• Malawi
• Mauritius
• Mozambique
• Namibia
• Nigeria
• Rwanda
• Seychelles
• Sierra Leone
• South Africa
• Togo
• Uganda
• United Republic of Tanzania
• Zambia

Asia

• Brunei Darussalam
• Bangladesh
• India
• Malaysia
• Maldives
• Pakistan
• Singapore
• Sri Lanka

The flags of the Commonwealth countries are flying in Parliament Square to celebrate #CommonwealthDay

🇦🇬 🇦🇺 🇧🇸 🇧🇩 🇧🇧 🇧🇿 🇧🇼 🇧🇳 🇨🇲 🇨🇦 🇨🇾 🇩🇲 🇸🇿 🇫🇯 🇬🇦 🇬🇲 🇬🇭 🇬🇩 🇬🇾 🇮🇳 🇯🇲 🇰🇪 🇰🇮 🇱🇸 🇲🇼 🇲🇾 🇲🇻 🇲🇹 🇲🇺 🇲🇿 🇳🇦 🇳🇷 🇳🇿 🇳🇬 🇵🇰 🇵🇬 🇷🇼 🇰🇳 🇱🇨 🇻🇨 🇼🇸 🇸🇨 🇸🇱 🇸🇬 🇸🇧 🇿🇦 🇱🇰 🇹🇬 🇹🇴 🇹🇹 🇹🇻 🇺🇬 🇬🇧 🇹🇿 🇻🇺 🇿🇲 pic.twitter.com/So4wLXz9kw

— Westminster Abbey (@wabbey) March 11, 2024

Caribbean and the Americas

• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bahamas
• Barbados
• Belize
• Canada
• Dominica
• Grenada
• Guyana
• Jamaica
• Saint Lucia
• St Kitts and Nevis
• St Vincent and The Grenadines
• Trinidad and Tobago

Europe

• Cyprus
• Malta
• United Kingdom

Pacific

• Australia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Nauru 
• New Zealand
• Papua New Guinea
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

You can find out more about each member nation on the Commonwealth of Nations website.