British Empire Vs Commonwealth

Image Getty

I had always believed that the member countries of the Commonwealth were all former British Empire countries, but this is not the case. Indeed any country can join the commonwealth, and currently, 4 countries never had colonial British ties. 

• Mozambique
• Rwanda
• Togo
• Gabon

The last two joined the commonwealth in 2022.

Other countries in the list of commonwealth countries were formally part of other countries and so do not appear in the lists of Former British Empire countries or colonies. 

Image Express

While others such as the Gambia have left and later rejoined. 

The Commonwealth