Editing Commonwealth (section)

==Current use==
===Australia===
{{Main|Australia|l1 = Commonwealth of Australia|Australian Government}}
"Commonwealth" was first proposed as a term for a [[Federation of Australia|federation]] of the six Australian [[crown colony|crown colonies]] at the [[Constitutional Convention (Australia)#1891 convention|1891 constitutional convention]] in [[Sydney]]. Its adoption was initially controversial, as it was associated by some with the republicanism of [[Oliver Cromwell]] ([[#England|see above]]), but it was retained in all subsequent drafts of the constitution.<ref>Helen Irving. [http://www.civicsandcitizenship.edu.au/cce/helen_irving,9939.html Australian Federation] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150715000750/http://www.civicsandcitizenship.edu.au/cce/helen_irving%2C9939.html |date=2015-07-15 }} – Civics and Citizenship Education. Retrieved 15 July 2015.</ref> The term was finally incorporated into law in the ''[[Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act]] 1900'', which established the federation. Australia operates under a federal system, in which power is divided between the federal (national) government and the [[States and territories of Australia|state governments]] (the successors of the six colonies). So, in an Australian context, the term "Commonwealth" (capitalised), which is often abbreviated to Cth, refers to the [[Government of Australia|federal government]], and "Commonwealth of Australia" is the official name of the country.

===The Bahamas===
{{Main|The Bahamas|l1 = Commonwealth of the Bahamas}}
[[The Bahamas]], a [[Commonwealth realm]], has used the official style ''Commonwealth of The Bahamas'' since its independence in 1973.

===Dominica===
{{Main|Commonwealth of Dominica}}
The small [[Caribbean]] republic of [[Dominica]] has used the official style ''Commonwealth of Dominica'' since 1978.

===Certain U.S. states and territories===
{{Main|Commonwealth (U.S. state)|Commonwealth (U.S. insular area)}}
====States====
Four [[U.S. state|states]] of the [[United States|United States of America]] officially designate themselves as "commonwealths". All four were part of [[British America|Great Britain's possessions]] along the [[East Coast of the United States|Atlantic coast of North America]] prior to the [[American Revolution]]. As such, they share a strong influence of [[common law|English common law]] in some of their laws and institutions. The four are:
* [[Kentucky]] is designated a commonwealth by the [[Kentucky Constitution]] as the "Commonwealth of Kentucky".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kentucky.gov |title=Kentucky.gov |publisher=Kentucky.gov |access-date=2013-10-11}}</ref>
* [[Massachusetts]] is a commonwealth,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mass.gov |title=Mass.Gov |publisher=Mass.Gov |date=2013-09-26 |access-date=2013-10-11}}</ref> declaring itself as such in its constitution, which states: "[T]he body politic is formed by a voluntary association of individuals: it is a social compact, by which the whole people covenants with each citizen, and each citizen with the whole people, that all shall be governed by certain laws for the common good."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/Constitution#cp00s00.htm |title=Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts |publisher=Malegislature.gov |access-date=2013-10-11}}</ref>
* [[Pennsylvania]] uses the "Commonwealth of Pennsylvania" constitutionally and in its official title.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pa.gov |title=Commonwealth of Pennsylvania &#124; The Keystone State |publisher=Pa.gov |access-date=2013-10-11}}</ref>
* [[Virginia]] has been known as the "Commonwealth of Virginia" since before the [[American Revolutionary War]], and is referred to as a commonwealth in its constitution.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.virginia.gov |title=Home |publisher=Virginia.gov |access-date=2013-10-11}}</ref>

====Territories====
Two [[Territories of the United States|organized]] but [[Unincorporated territories of the United States|unincorporated]] U.S. territories are called commonwealths. The two are:
* [[Commonwealth of Puerto Rico]], since 1952
* [[Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands]], since 1978

In 2016, the [[Council of the District of Columbia|Washington, D.C. city council]] also selected "Douglass Commonwealth" as the potential name of [[Statehood movement in the District of Columbia|State of Washington, D.C.]], following the [[2016 Washington, D.C. statehood referendum|2016 statehood referendum]], at least partially in order to retain the initials "D.C." as the state's abbreviation.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://dcist.com/story/16/10/18/following-a-series-of/ |title= Council Tosses 'New Columbia,' Changes Constitution To 'The State Of Washington D.C.' |website= DCist |date= October 18, 2016 |access-date= June 26, 2020 |first= Rachel |last= Kurzius |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200629141413/https://dcist.com/story/16/10/18/following-a-series-of/ |archive-date= June 29, 2020 |url-status= live }}</ref>

===International bodies===
====Commonwealth of Nations====
{{Main|Commonwealth of Nations}}
The [[Commonwealth of Nations]]—formerly the British Commonwealth—is a voluntary association of 56 independent sovereign states, most of which were once part of the [[British Empire]]. The Commonwealth's membership includes both republics and monarchies. The [[Head of the Commonwealth]] is King [[Charles III]], who also reigns as monarch directly in the 15 member states known as [[Commonwealth realm]]s since his accession in 2022.

====Commonwealth of Independent States====
{{Main|Commonwealth of Independent States}}
The [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] (CIS) is a loose [[military alliance|alliance]] or confederation consisting of nine of the 15 [[Post-Soviet states|former Soviet Republics]], the exceptions being [[Turkmenistan]] (a CIS associate member), [[Lithuania]], [[Latvia]], [[Estonia]], [[Ukraine]], and [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]. [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] left the CIS in August 2008 following [[2008 South Ossetia war|the 2008 invasion]] of the [[Russia]]n military into [[South Ossetia]] and [[Abkhazia]]. Its creation signalled the dissolution of the [[Soviet Union]], its purpose being to "allow a civilised divorce" between the [[Republics of the Soviet Union|Soviet Republics]]. The CIS has developed as a forum by which the member-states can co-operate in [[economics]], [[Defence (military)|defence]], and [[foreign policy]].<ref>Constantine, Michalopoulos, and Tarr David. "The economics of customs unions in the Commonwealth of Independent States." Post-Soviet Geography and Economics 38, no. 3 (1997): 125-143.</ref>