MISTAKES IN THE APPLICATION OF
BRITISH-STYLE ARMED FORCES RANK INSIGNIA
APPENDICES
APPENDIX I: THE COMMONWEALTH
The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of nations whose territory (with certain exceptions) was once under the British Crown. Generally these nations are characterised by the widespread use of the English language and similarities in their public institutions, such as government, the legal system, the armed forces, police, etc. Commonwealth nations account for nearly a third of the world's population. Current members are:
1. The Commonwealth Realms (meaning those countries whose head of state is that of the United Kingdom), which are (in order of population size): the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Jamaica, Solomon Islands, The Bahamas, Belize, Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Tuvalu.
Note that the monarch's role as head of state of each of these countries is distinct from that of head of state of another. For example, Queen of Canada and Queen of Australia are two different constitutional positions that happen to be filled by the same person. Except for the United Kingdom each of these countries has a Governor-General (appointed by the Queen after being nominated by the Prime Minister of the country concerned) who acts in the Queen's stead. (In Australia's case the Queen has seven distinct roles: she is the Queen of the nation and each of its six states. Each state has a Governor appointed by the Queen after being nominated by the relevant state's Premier.)2. Commonwealth monarchies that are not headed by the British monarch, which are (in order of population size): Malaysia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Brunei, Tonga.
3. Commonwealth republics, which are (in order of population size): India (which has more than half of the Commonwealth's total population), Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Ghana, Mozambique*, Sri Lanka, Cameroon*, Malawi, Zambia, Rwanda*, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Namibia, Botswana, Gambia, Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji, Mauritius, Cyprus**, Guyana, Malta, Maldives, Vanuatu, Samoa, Kiribati, Seychelles, Dominica, Nauru.
* Most of Cameroon's territory was French, Mozambique was Portuguese territory, and Rwanda was Belgian territory. So their public institutions, including the armed forces, have not inherited British traits as those of other member states have.
** Divided between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot states, Cypriot society is influenced largely by Greece (in the south) and Turkey (in the north) with less to show for the historical links with Britain that stretch back to Cyprus's conquest by Richard I in 1191.
Zimbabwe withdrew membership in 2003. It's very likely that readmission would occur in the event that Mr Mugabe ceases to hold office and democracy is restored.
The republic of Ireland withdrew membership in 1949.
The member nations of the League of Arab States (Arab League) are (in order of population size): Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, Morocco, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Tunisia, Somalia, Jordan, Libya, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Mauritania, Kuwait, Oman, Djibouti, Qatar, Comoros, Bahrain. Though not recognised universally as a nation, the Palestinian republic is also a member of the League.
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