From Empire to Commonwealth

After the Second World War the British Empire dissolved with remarkable speed. India and Pakistan became independent in 1947 in a partition that displaced millions of people. Most of Britain's African colonies gained independence in the late 1950s and 1960s; the last major handover was Hong Kong, returned to China in 1997.

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In place of the Empire, Britain promoted the Commonwealth of Nations, a voluntary association of countries with shared institutions and a common head — currently King Charles III. The Commonwealth has its own secretariat, summits of heads of government every two years, and the Commonwealth Games every four. Today it has 56 members from every continent except Antarctica.

You may be asked which year India became independent (1947), or who is currently the head of the Commonwealth (King Charles III).

Test yourself on this topic

These questions from the official-format question bank cover the same material. Tap any question to see the correct answer and a short explanation.

1. Which country did NOT gain its independence from the British Empire in 1947?
2. In 1947, independence was granted to nine countries, including India, Pakistan and Ceylon (now Sri Lanka).
3. In 1776, ______ colonies of the British Empire decided to declare their independence
4. Commonwealth members are
5. How many colonies were granted independence in 1947?
6. In which part of the British Empire did the Boer War of 1899–1902 take place?

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