Commonwealth member countries

The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent countries, almost all of them once under British rule. Its members include some of the world's largest and smallest countries.

• Twenty one members are in Africa, the most of any region, and only three are in Europe.
• Thirty three of the world's 42 small states, each with a population of 1.5 million or less, are Commonwealth members.
• About 2.7 billion people live in Commonwealth countries, more than 60 percent of them aged 29 or under.
• Heads of government meet every two years at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.