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For other uses, see Commonwealth (disambiguation).

The English noun commonwealth dates from the fifteenth century. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The original phrase "common-wealth" or "the common weal" comes from the old meaning of "wealth," which is "well-being". The term literally meant "common well-being". Thus commonwealth originally meant a state or nation-state governed for the common good as opposed to an authoritarian state governed for the benefit of a given class of owners. The word was a calque on the Latin phrase res publica meaning "public affairs" or "the state", from which the English word republic arises. In Linguistics, a calque (kælk or loan translation is a Word or Phrase borrowed from another Language by Literal, word-for-word Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. This article is about the Latin phrase For the historical state see Roman Republic; for the dialogue by Cicero see De re publica; for the former Estonian A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its

Today the term is more general and means a political community.

The type of community indicated by the term commonwealth varies. For instance, in different contexts it might indicate:

When capitalized, "Commonwealth" normally refers to the 53 member Commonwealth of Nations — formerly the "British Commonwealth" — a loose confederation of nations formerly members of the British Empire (with one exception: Mozambique, which was a Portuguese possession). Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal" A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is A confederation is a group of empowered states or communities usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution The British Empire was the largest empire in history and for over a century was the foremost global power. Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique (Moçambique or República de Moçambique, ʁɛ'publikɐ d musɐ̃'bik is a country in southeastern Africa The Portuguese Empire was the earliest and longest lived of the modern European colonial empires spanning almost six centuries from the capture of Ceuta The Commonwealth's membership includes both republics and monarchies and the (appointed, not hereditary) head of the Commonwealth of Nations is Queen Elizabeth II. For the ship see RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Context States headed by Elizabeth II She also reigns as monarch directly in a number of states, known as Commonwealth Realms, notably the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Jamaica and New Zealand. A Commonwealth realm is any one of 16 sovereign states within the Commonwealth of Nations that each have Elizabeth II as their respective Monarch The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Jamaica (ˈdʒəˈmeɪkə} is an Island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length and as much as in width situated in the Caribbean Sea. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The Commonwealth of Nations is sometimes referred to as the New Commonwealth in a British context.

Contents

Commonwealth of Independent States

The Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) is a loose alliance or confederation consisting of 11 of the 15 former Soviet Republics, with the exception of Turkmenistan, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. A military alliance is an agreement between two or more military factions related to Wartime planning commitments or contingencies such agreements can be both The post-Soviet states, also commonly known as former Soviet republics, are the 15 independent nations that split off from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Its creation signaled the dissolution of the Soviet Union, its purpose being to "allow a civilized divorce" between the Soviet Republics. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Republics of the Soviet Union were according to the Article 76 of the 1977 Soviet Constitution, Sovereign Soviet Socialist states that had united with other The CIS has developed as a forum by which the member-states can co-operate in economics, defense and foreign policy. Economics is the social science that studies the production distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Defence Foreign Policy is a bimonthly American Magazine founded in 1970 by Samuel P

National

Australia

The term also served when six Australian colonies federated to form the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. This article is about a type of political territory For other uses see Colony (disambiguation. The federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of New South Wales, Queensland, South For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Year 1901 ( MCMI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting The Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act created a federal system, in which power is divided between the federal, or national, government and the States — the evolved status of the colonies. The Constitution of Australia is the law under which the Australian Commonwealth Government operates The Commonwealth of Australia is made up of 8 states and territories controlled under a federal system of government The Constitution stipulated that Australia was a constitutional monarchy, where the Head of State is the British (or, since 1973, Australian) monarch, who is represented at the federal level by a Governor-General, and at the state level by six Governors, one for each state. A constitutional monarchy, or a limited monarchy, is a form of Constitutional Government, wherein either an elected or hereditary Monarch is Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state The Parliament of Australia was derived from the British, Canadian and American systems to form a uniquely Australian system. The Parliament of Australia or Commonwealth Parliament is the legislative branch of government of Australia. It is largely based on the British Westminster System, adopting many of its practices and precedents, but with a similar structure — House of Representatives, and Senate — to the U. The Westminster system is a democratic Parliamentary system of Government modelled after the British government (the Parliament of the United The House of Representatives is one of the two houses (chambers of the Parliament of Australia; it is the Lower house, the Upper house being the Senate The Senate is the upper of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia. S. Congress. In an Australian context, the term "Commonwealth" (capitalised) thus refers to the federal government and "Commonwealth of Australia" is the official name of the country. This article describes the federal government of Australia See Australian governments for other jurisdictions

Dominica

The small Caribbean republic of Dominica has used the official style Commonwealth of Dominica since 1970

Countries that formerly used the style Commonwealth

Great Britain

The Commonwealth of England was the official name of the political unit (de facto military rule in the name of parliamentary supremacy) that replaced the kingdoms of Scotland and England (after the English Civil War) under the rule of Oliver Cromwell and his son and successor Richard from 1649 to 1660. The Caribbean (ˌkærəˡbiən kæ'rəbiən Cariben|Caraïben or Caraïben; Caraïbe or more commonly Antilles; Caribe is a Region consisting The Commonwealth of Dominica, commonly known as Dominica, is an Island nation in the Caribbean Sea. Year 1970 ( MCMLXX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link shows full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Commonwealth of England was the Republican government which ruled first England (including Wales) and then Ireland and Scotland The Kingdom of Scotland ( Gaelic: Rìoghachd na h-Alba, Scots: Kinrick o Scotland) was a State in northwest Europe The Kingdom of England was a State (927-1707 located in Western Europe dating from the ninth or tenth century to the early eighteenth century when it was legally The English Civil War (1642-1651 was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists. Oliver Cromwell (25 April 1599 Old Style &ndash 3 September 1658 Old Style) was an English military and political leader best known Richard Cromwell ( 4 October 1626 &ndash 12 July 1712) was the third son of Oliver Cromwell, and the second Lord Protector It formed the first republic in the English-speaking world, though this quickly evolved into a de facto monarchy. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its The word Anglosphere describes a concept of a group of Anglophone ( English -speaking nations which share historical political and cultural characteristics rooted The Cromwellian Commonwealth is sometimes referred to as the Old Commonwealth in a British context.

Former Labour MP Tony Benn introduced a Commonwealth of Britain Bill several times, which would abolish the monarchy and establish a British republic. Anthony "Tony" Neil Wedgwood Benn (born 3 April 1925 formerly 2nd Viscount Stansgate, is a British Socialist Politician. The Commonwealth of Britain Bill was a Bill first introduced in 1991 by Tony Benn, then a Labour Member of Parliament in the House of Commons It has never reached a second reading.

Iceland

The Icelandic Commonwealth or the Icelandic Free State (Icelandic: Þjóðveldið) was the state existing in Iceland between the establishment of the Althing in 930 and the pledge of fealty to the Norwegian king in 1262. The Icelandic Commonwealth or the Icelandic Free State (Þjóðveldið was the state existing in Iceland between the establishment of the Althing in The Icelandic Commonwealth or the Icelandic Free State (Þjóðveldið was the state existing in Iceland between the establishment of the Althing in The Alþingi, Anglicized variously as Althing or Althingi, is the national Parliament —literally “(the all- thing ”—of It was initially established by a public consisting largely of recent immigrants from Norway who had fled the unification of that country under King Harald Fairhair. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional A king is a male Monarch, or a Head of state, who may or may not depending on the style of government of a nation exercise monarchal powers over a territory usually Harald Fairhair or Harald Finehair ( Old Norse: Haraldr hárfagri, Norwegian: Harald Hårfagre) (c

Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Commonwealth of Poland

Main article: Rzeczpospolita

Republic is still an alternative translation of the traditional name of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Rzeczpospolita ( pronounced) is a Polish word for " Republic " or " Commonwealth " a Calque translation of the The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic Wincenty Kadłubek (Vincent Kadlubo, 1160–1223) used for the first time the original Latin term res publica in the context of Poland in his "Chronicles of the Kings and Princes of Poland". Blessed Wincenty Kadłubek (1161 &ndash March 8, 1223) also known as Vincent Kadlubek Vincent Kadlubo Vincent Kadlubko Vincent of Kraków, Master The name was used officially for the confederal country formed by Poland and Lithuania 1569–1795. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the

It is also often referred as "Nobles' Commonwealth" (1505–1795, i. e. before the union). In contemporary political doctrine of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, "our state is a Republic (Commonwealth) under presidency of the King". The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, officially the Commonwealth of the Crown of the Polish Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania also known as the Most Serene Republic The commonwealth introduced a doctrine of religious tolerance (see Warsaw Confederation), had its own parliament Sejm (although elections were restricted to the gentry or szlachta) and elected kings, who were bound to certain contracts Pacta conventa from the beginning of the reign. The Warsaw Confederation ( January 28, 1573) an important development in the History of Poland and Lithuania, is considered the formal beginning Szlachta ( refers to the noble class in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (since 1569 semi-federal semi-confederal Pacta conventa (Latin "agreed-upon agreements" was a contractual agreement from 1573 to 1764 entered into between the "Polish nation" (i The foundation stones of the Commonwealth (also called the Golden Freedoms) used to be

"A commonwealth of good counsaile" was the title of the 1607 English translation of the work of Wawrzyniec Grzymała Goślicki "De optimo senatore" that presented to English readers many of the ideas present in the political system of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Wawrzyniec Grzymała Goślicki ( Latin: Laurentius Grimaldius Gosliscius; born between 1530 and 1540 died on October 31, 1607) was a Polish

United States

U. S. states

Main article: Commonwealth (United States)

Four states in the United States officially designate themselves "commonwealths":

U. S. insular areas

Main article: Commonwealth (United States insular area)

"Commonwealth" is also used in the U. This article is about US insular areas For US States that designate themselves as "Commonwealths" see Commonwealth (United States. S. to describe the political relationship between the United States and the overseas unincorporated territories:

See also

External links

The Northern Mariana Islands, officially the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI is a commonwealth in Political union with the United A confederation is a group of empowered states or communities usually created by treaty but often later adopting a common constitution A federation ( Latin: foedus, covenant is a union comprising a number of partially self-governing states or regions united by a central ("federal" The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

Dictionary

commonwealth

-noun

  1. A form of government, named for the concept that everything that is not owned by specific individuals or groups is owned collectively by everyone in the governmental unit, as opposed to a state, where the state itself owns such things.
  2. Approximately, a republic.

Commonwealth

-proper noun

  1. The Commonwealth of Nations, a loose confederation of nations based around the former British Empire.
  2. (Australia) The Commonwealth of Australia, often referring to the federal government of Australia.
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