The Commonwealth of Nations is a voluntary association of 56 independent countries, almost all of which were once part of the British Empire. Its head is King Charles III, although most member states are republics. The Commonwealth promotes democracy, the rule of law and economic development through summits of heads of government, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and shared institutions.
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The most visible Commonwealth event is the Commonwealth Games, held every four years and sometimes called the "friendly games". The UK has hosted the Games multiple times, most recently in Birmingham in 2022 and Glasgow in 2014.
You may be asked who is the head of the Commonwealth, how often the Commonwealth Games are held (every four years), or roughly how many countries are members. Note: the Commonwealth is separate from the European Union and from the Crown Dependencies.
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