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The Commonwealth: What good is it?

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Stephen Osborne

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Jul 24, 1994, 9:15:17 PM7/24/94
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What benefits do citizens of Commonwealth countries enjoy as a result of
Commonwealth status?

Here is all I know so far. Commonwealth status entitles such citizens to:

A. compete in certain sporting events at the Commonwealth Games
B. compete for the Commonwealth Literary Prize
C. use their St. John's Ambulance ticket in any Commonwealth country.

My first question is simply this:

1. Is that ALL WE GET?

Apparently there are fifty member countries in the Commonwealth, comprising
sixty-six nations. (I got this from a Commonwealth Games announcement.)

Next question:

4. how does the Commonwealth differentiate between a nation and a country?

Other questions:

5. Were all those fifty countries once part of the British Empire?
6. What does the application form for membership look like?
7. Where do you send to get one?

Some of those fifty countries are republics and not monarchies, so we can probably
assume that the Queen and her heirs have little to do with the Commonwealth.

Last question:

8. Does the current Commonwealth map (if there is one) still show
all the Commonwealth countries as pink?

I'm putting together a "fact" sheet for Geist Magazine, and would greatly appreciate
any answers, tidbits or little-known facts of interest that might spring to
mind. As I am cross-posting this I would also appreciate receving direct
replies whenever possible.

Thank you,
Stephen Osborne

==============================
Stephen Osborne at Geist Magazine
1062 Homer St, No. 100
Vancouver BC Canada V6B 2W9
Tel: (604) 681-9161 / Fax: (604) 669-8250
Email: sosb...@wimsey.com

Mark Vieselmeyer

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Jul 25, 1994, 3:44:54 PM7/25/94
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Stephen Osborne (ge...@wimsey.com) wrote:
: What benefits do citizens of Commonwealth countries enjoy as a result of
: Commonwealth status?

: Here is all I know so far. Commonwealth status entitles such citizens to:

: A. compete in certain sporting events at the Commonwealth Games
: B. compete for the Commonwealth Literary Prize
: C. use their St. John's Ambulance ticket in any Commonwealth country.

: My first question is simply this:

: 1. Is that ALL WE GET?

Don't quote me on this, but I seem to recall that Commonwealth
countries place fewer restrictions spending time in their
country if you're a citizen of another commonwealth country.

- mark


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