THE COMMONWEALTH OF NATIONS

CONTENT

1. Meaning of the Commonwealth of Nations
2. The Origin of the Commonwealth of Nations
3. Aims and Objectives of the Commonwealth of Nations
4. Achievements of the Commonwealth of Nations

Meaning of the Commonwealth of Nations

Commonwealth is a voluntary association of independent states. Therefore, the Commonwealth of Nations means an association of former colonies of Britain. When most of the countries were gaining political independence, the British government was seeking ways of maintaining tradition which had existed between her and the former colonies for a long time.

The Origin of the Commonwealth of Nations

The origin of Commonwealth of Nations could be traced to 1907 when the representatives of government of these five countries; Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa met in London for the first time. It was then called British Commonwealth of Nations.

By 1920, the British government had to seek the opinions of the colonies before doing anything about the colonies. By 1926 the colonies were called dominions. It was agreed that they owed allegiance to the British government but could control their own affairs.