The Commonwealth dates back to the late 19th century with the decolonisation of the British Empire through increased self-governance of its territories. It was formally constituted by the London Declaration in 1949, which established the member states as "free and equal".
The symbol of this free association is Queen Elizabeth II who is the Head of the Commonwealth, a wholly symbolic position. Elizabeth II is also the head of state of 16 members of the Commonwealth, known as realms. The other members of the Commonwealth have their own heads of state: 32 members are republics and 5 members are monarchies.
Member states have no legal obligation one to another, instead they are united by language, history and culture, and their shared values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law.[1] These values are enshrined in the Commonwealth Charter and promoted by the quadrennial Commonwealth Games.
The Commonwealth covers more than 29,958,050 km2 (11,566,870 sq mi), almost a quarter of the world land area, and spans all the continents. With an estimated population of 2.245 billion, almost a third of the world population, the Commonwealth in 2012 produced a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) of $9.767 trillion, representing 15% of the world GDP when measured in purchasing power parity (PPP). This represents the second largest nominal GDP and GDP PPP in the world.
Member states are seeking to establish a Commonwealth Union (CU) through the creation of a free trade area, visa-free travel area,[7] common foreign policy and representation at the United Nations and Group of 20. There is significant support in the United Kingdom for a CU as an alternative to its membership in the European Union.
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~ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Nations
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