Abbreviations: G-G Governor-General; HE His/Her Excellency; HH, HM, HRH His/Her Highness/Majesty/Royal Highness; M Monarchy under HM Queen Elizabeth II; M* National Monarchy; P President; PM Prime Minister; R Republic; RE Republic with Executive President.
Notes: 1 Where Governor-General represents the Head of State, HM Queen Elizabeth II; 2 Year of Rejoining the Comonwealth; 3 The Queen’s official birthday, normally the second Saturday in June; 4 Statute of Westminster. As at 31 July 2005.
| Member Country (Capital) |
Status |
Head of State (or Governor-General) (1) |
Head of Government |
Legislature |
National Day |
Year of Joining |
| Australia (Canberra) |
M |
G-G: HE Major-General (Rtd.) Michael Jeffery |
PM: The Hon John Howard |
House of Representatives |
26 Jan |
1931 (4) |
| The Bahamas (Nassau) |
M |
G-G: HE Dame Ivy Dumont |
PM: The Rt Hon Perry Christie |
House of Assembly |
10 Jul |
1973 |
| Bangladesh (Dhaka) |
R |
P: HE Professor Iajuddin Ahmed |
PM: The Hon Begum Khaleda Zia |
Parliament |
26 Mar |
1972 |
| Barbados (Bridgetown) |
M |
G-G: HE Sir Clifford Husbands |
PM: The Rt Hon Owen Arthur |
House of Assembly |
30 Nov |
1966 |
| Belize (Belmopan) |
M |
G-G: HE Sir Colville Norbert Young Sr |
PM: The Hon Said Musa |
National Assembly |
21 Sep |
1981 |
| Botswana (Gaborone) |
RE |
P: HE Mr Festus G Mogae |
The President |
National Assembly |
30 Sep |
1966 |
| Brunei Darussalam (Bandar Seri Begawan) |
M* |
HM Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah |
The Sultan |
Legislative Council |
23 Feb |
1984 |
| Cameroon (Yaoundé) |
RE |
P: HE Mr Paul Biya |
The President |
National Assembly |
20 May |
1995 |
| Canada (Ottawa) |
M |
G-G: HE the Rt Hon Adrienne Clarkson |
PM: The Rt Hon Paul Martin |
House of Commons |
1 Jul |
1931 (4) |
| Cyprus (Nicosia) |
RE |
P: HE Mr Tassos Papadopoulos |
The President |
House of Representatives |
1 Oct |
1961 |
| Dominica (Roseau) |
R |
P: HE Dr Nicholas Liverpool |
PM: The Hon Roosevelt Skerrit |
House of Assembly |
3 Nov |
1978 |
| Fiji Islands (Suva) |
R |
P: HE Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda |
PM: The Hon Laisenia Qarase |
House of Representatives |
10 Oct |
1997 (2) |
| The Gambia (Banjul) |
RE |
P: HE Dr Alhaji Yahya A J J Jammeh |
The President |
National Assembly |
18 Feb |
1965 |
| Ghana (Accra) |
RE |
P: HE Mr John A Kufuor |
The President |
Parliament |
6 Mar |
1957 |
| Grenada (St George’s) |
M |
G-G: HE Sir Charles Daniel Williams |
PM: The Hon Dr Keith Mitchell |
House of Representatives |
7 Feb |
1974 |
| Guyana (Georgetown) |
RE |
P: HE Mr Bharrat Jagdeo |
The President |
National Assembly |
23 Feb |
1966 |
| India (New Delhi) |
R |
P: HE Dr A P J Abdul Kalam |
PM: The Hon Dr Manmohan Singh |
Lok Sabha |
26 Jan |
1947 |
| Jamaica (Kingston) |
M |
G-G: HE Sir Howard Felix Cooke |
PM: The Rt Hon P J Patterson |
House of Representatives |
6 Aug |
1962 |
| Kenya (Nairobi) |
RE |
P: HE Mr Mwai Kibaki |
The President |
National Assembly |
12 Dec |
1963 |
| Kiribati (Tarawa) |
RE |
P: HE Mr Anote Tong |
The President |
House of Assembly |
12 Jul |
1979 |
| Lesotho (Maseru) |
M* |
HM King Letsie III |
PM: The Hon Pakalitha Mosisili |
National Assembly |
4 Oct |
1966 |
| Malawi (Lilongwe) |
RE |
P: HE Dr Bingu wa Mutharika |
The President |
National Assembly |
6 Jul |
1964 |
| Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) |
M* |
HM Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail |
PM: The Hon Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi |
House of Representatives |
31 Aug |
1957 |
| Maldives (Malé) |
RE |
P: HE Mr Maumoon Abdul Gayoom |
The President |
House of Representatives |
26 Jul |
1982 |
| Malta (Valletta) |
R |
P: HE Dr Edward Fenech-Adami |
PM: The Hon Dr Lawrence Gonzi |
House of Representatives |
21 Sep |
1964 |
| Mauritius (Port Louis) |
R |
P: HE the Rt Hon Sir Anerood Jugnauth |
PM: The Hon Dr Navinchandra Ramgoolam |
Legislative Assembly |
12 Mar |
1968 |
| Mozambique (Maputo) |
RE |
P: HE Mr Armando Emilio Guebuza |
The President |
National Assembly |
25 Jun |
1995 |
| Namibia (Windhoek) |
RE |
P: HE Mr Hifikepunye Pohamba |
The President |
National Assembly |
21 Mar |
1990 |
| Nauru (Nauru) |
RE |
P: HE Mr Ludwig Scotty |
The President |
Parliament |
31 Jan |
1968 |
| New Zealand (Wellington) |
M |
G-G: HE Dame Silvia Cartwright |
PM: The Rt Hon Helen Clark |
House of Representatives |
6 Feb |
1931 (4) |
| Nigeria (Abuja) |
RE |
P: HE Chief Olusegun Obasanjo |
The President |
National Assembly |
1 Oct |
1960 |
| Pakistan (Islamabad) |
R |
P: HE General Pervez Musharraf |
PM: The Hon Shaukat Aziz |
National Assembly |
23 Mar |
1989 (2) |
| Papua New Guinea (Port Moresby) |
M |
G-G: HE Sir Paulius Matane |
PM: The Rt Hon Sir Michael Somare |
Parliament |
16 Sep |
1975 |
| St Kitts and Nevis (Basseterre) |
M |
G-G: HE Sir Cuthbert M Sebastian |
PM: The Hon Dr Denzil Douglas |
National Assembly |
19 Sep |
1983 |
| St Lucia (Castries) |
M |
G-G: HE Dame Pearlette Louisy |
PM: The Hon Dr Kenny Anthony |
House of Assembly |
22 Feb |
1979 |
| St Vincent and the Grenadines (Kingstown) |
M |
G-G: HE Sir Frederick Ballantyne |
PM: The Hon Dr Ralph Gonsalves |
House of Assembly |
27 Oct |
1979 |
| Samoa (Apia) |
R |
HH Malietoa Tanumafili II |
PM: The Hon Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi |
Legislative Assembly |
1 Jun |
1970 |
| Seychelles (Victoria) |
RE |
P: HE Mr James Alix Michel |
The President |
National Assembly |
18 Jun |
1976 |
| Sierra Leone (Freetown) |
RE |
P: HE Dr Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah |
The President |
Parliament |
27 Apr |
1961 |
| Singapore (Singapore) |
R |
P: HE Mr S R Nathan |
PM: The Hon Lee Hsien Loong |
Parliament |
9 Aug |
1965 |
| Solomon Islands (Honiara) |
M |
G-G: HE Sir Nathaniel Waena |
PM: The Hon Sir Allan Kemakeza |
National Parliament |
7 Jul |
1978 |
| South Africa (Tshwane) |
RE |
P: HE Mr Thabo Mbeki |
The President |
National Assembly |
27 Apr |
1994 (2) |
| Sri Lanka (Colombo) |
RE |
P: HE Mrs Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga |
The President |
Parliament |
4 Feb |
1948 |
| Swaziland (Mbabane) |
M* |
HM King Mswati III |
PM: The Hon Absalom Themba Dlamini |
House of Assembly |
6 Sep |
1968 |
| Tonga (Nuku’alofa) |
M* |
HM King Taufa’ahau Tupou IV |
PM: HRH Prince Ulukalala Lavaka-Ata |
Legislative Assembly |
4 Jun |
1970 |
| Trinidad and Tobago (Port of Spain) |
R |
P: HE Professor George Maxwell Richards |
PM: The Hon Patrick Manning |
House of Representatives |
31 Aug |
1962 |
| Tuvalu (Funafuti) |
M |
G-G: HE the Reverend Filomea Telito |
PM: The Hon Maatia Toafa |
House of Assembly |
1 Oct |
1978 |
| Uganda (Kampala) |
RE |
P: HE Mr Yoweri Museveni |
The President |
Parliament |
9 Oct |
1962 |
| United Kingdom (London) |
M |
HM Queen Elizabeth II |
PM: The Rt Hon Tony Blair |
House of Commons |
10 June (3) |
|
| United Republic of Tanzania (Dar es Salaam) RE |
|
P: HE Mr Benjamin William Mkapa |
The President |
National Assembly |
9 Dec |
1961 |
| Vanuatu (Port Vila) |
R |
P: HE Mr Kalkot Matas Kelekele |
PM: The Hon Ham Lini |
Parliament |
30 Jul |
1980 |
| Zambia (Lusaka) |
RE |
P: HE Mr Levy Patrick Mwanawasa |
The President |
National Assembly |
24 Oct |
1964 |