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The British Empire
and
The Commonwealth of Nations
Pedagogisk Senter
by Marianne Østensen
The Sun Never Sets on
the British Empire
The building of the
Empire began with a
sea voyage to North
America in 1497.
The arms of the Empire
stretched far and wide.
Because it was so
widespread, it would
always be daylight in
some part.
The Union Jack
Flag Quiz
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The Union Jack
The New Zealand Flag
The Australian Flag
The Fiji Flag
The British Empire
was the largest empire in history.
was for a substantial time the foremost global power.
was a product of the European age of discovery,
which began with the maritime explorations of the
15th century, that started the era of the European
colonial empires.
During the five decades following World War II, most
of the territories of the Empire became independent.
Many went on to join the Commonwealth of Nations,
a free association of independent states.
The Commonwealth of Nations engages in work to promote
international understanding and world peace.
The citizens of the Commonwealth are drawn from the broadest
range of faiths, races, cultures and traditions.
Flag of the Commonwealth of
Nations
World map: The Commonwealth of
Nations 2006
Current member states are coloured blue
The Commonwealth
is a group of fifty-three of the world's countries.
countries used to be part of the British Empire.
has a combined population of 1.9 billion people.
has about a quarter of the world’s total
population.
has over twice as many people as the whole of
the Americas (North and South) put together.
Of the 1.9 billion people, 1.4 billion live in the
Indian Subcontinent.
93% live in Asia or Africa.
Flags of the members of the Commonwealth in
Horse Guards Road next to the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office in London.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Declarations and Statements
The Commonwealth does not have a
written constitution.
It does have a series of agreements.
Declarations or Statements have been
issued at various Commonwealth
Heads of Government Meetings.
The first, fundamental statement was
issued at the 1971 summit in
Singapore.
The Declaration of Commonwealth
Principles stresses the need to foster:
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international peace and security
democracy
liberty of the individual and equal rights for all
the importance of eradicating poverty, ignorance
and disease
it opposes all forms of racial discrimination.
Foreign Office Grand Staircase
Queen Elizabeth is Head of
the Commonwealth
The British monarch, Queen Elizabeth,
is a symbol of the free association of
independent states.
Republics could be members - they
could accept the monarch as Head of
the Commonwealth without her being
their own Head of State.
When Elizabeth II came to the throne in
1952 she became Head of the
Commonwealth.
Today the Queen is Head of State in 16
of the 53 Commonwealth member
countries
When the Queen dies or if she
abdicates, her heir will not
automatically become Head of the
Commonwealth.
The Queen has laid considerable
stress on her role as Head of the
Commonwealth, and made a great
contribution to the association.
Her Majesty’s Government Coat of
Arms
The Foreign and
Commonwealth
Office
Her Majesty’s Principal
Secretary of State for Foreign
and Commonwealth Affairs, is
a member of the British
Government.
He/she is responsible for
relations with foreign
countries.
He/she heads the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office.
Current Foreign Secretary:
David Miliband
Current
Members
Africa
Botswana (1966)
Cameroon (1995)
Gambia (1965)
Ghana (1957)
Kenya (1963)
Lesotho (1966)
Malawi (1964)
Mauritius (1968)
Mozambique (1995)
Namibia (1990)
Nigeria (1960; suspended in 1995; readmitted in 1999)
Seychelles (1976)
Sierra Leone (1961)
South Africa (1931; left in 1961; rejoined in 1994)
Swaziland (1968)
Tanzania (1961)
Uganda (1962)
Zambia (1964)
South Africa
South Africa
South Africa’s Coat of Arms was
launched on Freedom Day, 27th
April 2000.
A national Coat of Arms, or state
emblem, is the highest visual
symbol of the State.
The coat of Arms is also a central
part of the Great Seal, traditionally
considered to be the highest
emblem of the State.
Absolute authority is given to every
document with an impression of the
Great Seal on it, as this means that
it has been approved by the
President of South Africa.
Map of South Africa
National Symbols
National Coat of Arms
National Flag
National Anthem
National Bird
The Blue Crane
National Fish
Galjoen
National Flower
King Protea
National Animal
The Sprinkbok
National Tree
Real Yellowwood
History
In 1654 the first settlement in
South Africa began.
The settlers were Dutch
farmers known as Boers.
Towards the end of the 17th
century a large number of
Huguenots (French
Protestants) also arrived.
The Cape Colony prospered,
but in 1806, during the
Napolionic Wars, it was
invaded by the British.
History: The Boers
spoke their own language,
Afrikaans.
objected to British Rule.
In 1835, many Boers headed
north in search of farmland.
Their journey has been known
as the Great Trek.
founded two independent
republics, the Transvaal and
the Orange Free State
The Arrival of Jan van Riebeck, the first European to settle
in South Africa, with Devil’s Peak in the Background
The Orange Free State
The Transvaal
Gold and diamonds were
discovered in the
Transvaal.
The discovery attracted
thousands of new
settlers.
The Boers reacted with
hostility as they wanted
the riches for themselves.
War broke out in 1899
and lasted until 1902
when the Boers were
finally defeated by the
British.
The Union of
South Africa
was formed in 1910.
was given a similar
status as Canada,
Australia, and New
Zealand.
Apartheid
In 1948 the white
Afrikaner Nationalist
Party introduced
Apartheid.
This was heavily
criticized by the United
Nations and the British
Commonwealth.
A number of countries
put economic sanctions
on South Africa.
The African National
Congress (ANC)
Was founded as early as
1912.
The ANC struggled for fifty
years to gain civil rights by
peaceful means.
In 1960 they were banned
and had to work
underground.
In 1990, Nelson Mandela, the
leader of ANC, was released
from prison after serving a
27-year sentence.
In 1994, Nelson Mandela
was elected President of
South Africa.
Current Members
Asia
Bangladesh (1972)
Brunei (1984)
India (1947)
Malaysia (1957 as Malaya; Malaysia since 1963)
Maldives (1982)
Pakistan (1947; left in 1972; rejoined 1989;
suspended in 1999; readmitted in 2004)
Singapore (1965)
Sri Lanka (1948)
Current Members
Oceania
Europe
Australia (1931; ratified in 1942)
Kiribati (1979)
Nauru (1968)
New Zealand (1931; ratified in 1947)
Papua New Guinea (1975)
Samoa (1970)
Solomon Islands (1978)
Tonga (1970)
Tuvalu (1978)
Vanuatu (1980)
Cyprus (1961)
Malta (1964)
United Kingdom (1931)
Current Members
North America
South America
Antigua and Barbuda (1981)
Bahamas (1973)
Barbados (1966)
Belize (1981)
Canada (1931)
Dominica (1978)
Grenada (1974)
Jamaica (1962)
Saint Kitts and Nevis (1983)
Saint Lucia (1979)
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1979)
Trinidad and Tobago (1962)
Guyana (1966)