What is the differnce between a commonwealth and a state?
152260
Commonwealth, form of administration signifying government by the common consent of the people. To Locke and Hobbes and other 17th-century writers the term meant an organized political community similar to what is meant in the 20th cent. by the word state. Certain states of the United States are known as commonwealths (Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Kentucky), and the federated states of Australia are known collectively as the Commonwealth of Australia. In the same collective sense, the now independent components of the former British Empire and Britain's remaining dependencies are described as the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth in English history was the government set up by the victorious army power following the English civil war and the execution (1649) of King Charles I. The Commonwealth was dominated from the outset by Oliver Cromwell, who by the Instrument of Government (1653) was made lord protector of the Commonwealth. The subsequent government is usually known as the Protectorate, though the Commonwealth formally continued until Restoration in 1660.\n\n\nAs a noun, a people permanently occupying a fixed territory bound together by common habits and custom into one body politic exercising, through the medium of an organized government, independent sovereignty and control over all persons and things within its boundaries, capable of making war and peace and of entering into international relations with other states. The section of territory occupied by one of the United States. The people of a state, in their collective capacity, considered as the party wronged by a criminal deed; the public; as in the title of a case, "The State v. A. B." The circumstances or condition of a being or thing at a given time.\n\nAs a verb, to express the particulars of a thing in writing or in words; to set down or set forth in detail; to aver, allege, or declare. To set down in gross; to mention in general terms, or by way of reference; to refer.
912030
Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth. It is not a territory, or state, or independent.\n\nPuerto Rico has a representative in congress who can speak, but not vote. They have USA citizenship, currency and passport.\n\nAnd by the way, the Puerto Rican culture is far older than the American culture, being over 500 yrs old.\n\n.
27026
Actually, everyone, there are only 45 STATES in the United States. The other 5 are Commonwealths. They have different Constitutions and their governments work slightly different. I do not remember all 5 Commonwealths, but Massecheusetts and Virginia are two of them. \n\nTo call them states does make it easier, though.
757797
One is a country and the other is an economy?
1079091
Jay leno would have a field day with this site.....\n\n\nI'm totally blown away!! Hi nice ta meet ya massachusetts is in fact a state!  a lil quote from wikipedia.. .. i used caps for the most important line.... \n\n"Four of the states bear the formal title of Commonwealth: Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In these cases, THIS IS MERELY A NAME AND HAS NO LEGEL EFFECT.   Somewhat confusingly, two U.S. territories -- Puerto Rico and the Northern Marianas -- are also referred to as commonwealths, and do have a legal status different from the states.\n\n50 states!!!.. count the damn stars........  \n\n  oh look theres even a site for it \nhttp://www.50states.com/\n\nMaybe your highschool should add that to the civics class curriculum\n\n\njust in case heres a lil list too.. ..\nAlabama\nAlaska\nArizona\nArkansas\nCalifornia\nColorado\nConnecticut\nDelaware\nFlorida\nGeorgia\nHawaii\nIdaho \nIllinois\nIndiana\nIowa\nKansas\nKentucky \nLouisiana \nMaine\nMaryland\nMassachusetts\nMichigan\nMinnesota\nMississippi\nMissouri\nMontana\nNebraska\nNevada\nNew Hampshire\nNew Jersey\nNew Mexico\nNew York\nNorth Carolina\nNorth Dakota\nOhio\nOklahoma \nOregon\nPennsylvania\nRhode Island\nSouth Carolina\nSouth Dakota\nTennessee\nTexas\nUtah\nVermont\nVirginia\nWashington\nWest Virginia\nWisconsin\nWyoming\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nhave a splendid day =)
200094
Australia is a constitutional monarchy, a federation and a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement between what were previously six self-governing British colonies. The terms of this agreement are embodied in the Australian Constitution, which was drawn up at a Constitutional Convention and ratified by the people of the colonies at referendums.\n\nThe government of the United States, established by the U.S. Constitution, is a federal republic of individual states. The laws of the United States are contained in Acts of Congress; administrative regulations, and judicial cases interpreting the statutes and regulations. The federal government has three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial. Through "checks and balances", each of these branches has some authority to act on its own, some authority to regulate the other two branches, and has some of its authority, in turn, regulated by one or two other branches.
148697
Different laws for different states.
979987
It is nominally part of the Commonwealth and still has a Governor-General appointed by the Queen, but it's pretty much self-governing.
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CommonWealth organization is a assosiation of the ex-British colonies who were under the rule of Queen of England in the past and now these countries are free.\nCommonwealth charter does not allow guests status to other countries.\n(Please pick any one as ur Best answer)
724970
kk.....im in history 2 and i hate it....so....a state is like CA....if that is wat ur lookin 4....and let me tell u some basic stuff bout commonwealth....'The original phrase "common wealth" or "the common weal" comes from the old meaning of "wealth" which is "well-being" '....got that.....now...commonwealth originally meant a state governed for the common good as opposed to an authoritarian state governed for the benefit of a given class of owners.Today the term is more general and means a political community.....now 4 example....political unit founded in law by agreement of the people for the common good....a federated union of constituent states...and...a community of sovereign states....i hope this helps!!!
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the united kingdom\n\nand theres none difference
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It is a State too!\n\n"West Virginia is a state of the United States in the region of Appalachia, generally known as The Mountain State. West Virginia broke away from the Commonwealth of Virginia during the American Civil War and was admitted to the Union as a separate state on June 20, 1863."
356660
They are a state...define normal
600269
Homework question!  And incomplete at that!\n\nBack to the books!!\n\nFederal and State parliaments?  I'm guessing oz, right?
108031
None of the answers so far have been right.  England is a nation, like scotland, wales, and north ireland.  Each of these belongs to the state of the United Kingdom.  Great Britain refers not to the state itself, but the large island which includes england, scotland, and wales, but not north ireland, which is on the irish island.  The commonwealth is a group of countries which the british monarchy used to control in colonial times, including australia, new zealand, india, canada, etc.
291215
The Commonwealth has 53 member states. New Zealand is one of them, because, like the others, it was at one time part of the 'British Empire'. The Head of State for New Zealand is still Queen Elizabeth II. Gradually New Zealand is breaking its ties with the United Kingdom and becoming more a part of the Asia Pacific region. It is likely that it will eventually become a republic and appoint its own internal Head of State. However, it is unlikely that this will involve it leaving the Commonwealth.
938339
Both terms apply to political structures, i.e. nations. Though Britain can be applied to the islands that comprise the area "British Isles"\nGreat Britain is Scotland, England and Wales\n\nUnited Kingdom is correctly defined as United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland"  It does include small nearby islands, excluding the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Legally It does include international protectorates (Belize) as the sovereign state but not commonwealth countries