Puneet Varma (Editor)

Changes in British sovereignty

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A list of former British colonies, dependencies and dates when they severed legal ties with Britain:

Contents

Gains in sovereignty

  • Rockall (1955) – annexed to the Crown on 18 September.

    • Losses in sovereignty or other jurisdiction

  • Weihai (1930) – fully restored to  Republic of China sovereignty on 1 October.
  •  Australia,  Canada, the  Irish Free State,  New Zealand,  Dominion of Newfoundland, and  Union of South Africa (1931) – Sovereignty over these relinquished on 11 December as per the Statute of Westminster
  •  British India (1947) – partitioned on 15 August into the independent dominions of India and Pakistan.
  •  Burma and  Dominion of Ceylon (1948) – independence to Burma as a republic granted on 4 January; to Ceylon on 4 February.
  •  Newfoundland and Labrador (1949) – incorporated into Canada as a province on 31 March.
  •  Gold Coast (as  Ghana) (1957) – independence granted on 6 March.
  • States of  Malacca and  Penang (1957) – joined  Malaya on 31 August.
  •  Republic of Cyprus (1960) – independence granted on 16 August.
  •  Sierra Leone and  Tanganyika (1961) – independence granted to Sierra Leone on 27 April; to Tanganyika on 9 December.
  •  Jamaica,  Trinidad and Tobago and  Uganda (1962) – independence granted to Jamaica on 6 August; to Trinidad and Tobago on 31 August; and to Uganda on 9 October.
  • States of  Sabah (as  North Borneo),  Sarawak, and  Singapore (1963) – states formed  Malaysia with the Federation of Malaya on 16 September;  Nigeria and  Kenya independence granted to Nigeria as federal republic on 1 October; Kenya on 12 December.
  •  Malawi (as  Nyasaland), Malta, and Zambia (1964) – independence granted to Malawi on 6 July; Malta on 21 September; Zambia on 24 October.
  •  The Gambia (1965) – independence granted on 18 February.
  •  Guyana (as  British Guiana),  Botswana (as  Bechuanaland Protectorate),  Lesotho (as Basutoland), and  Barbados (1966) – independence granted to Guyana on 26 May; Botswana on 30 September; Lesotho on 4 October; Barbados on 30 November.
  • State of  Aden (1967) – joined  South Yemen on 30 November.
  •  Mauritius and  Swaziland (1968) – independence granted to Mauritius on 12 March; to Swaziland on 6 September.
  •  Fiji (1970) – independence granted on 10 October.
  •  The Bahamas (1973) – independence granted on 10 July.
  •  Seychelles,  Tuvalu, and the Commonwealth of  Dominica (1978) – independence granted to Seychelles on 29 June; to Tuvalu on 1 October; to Dominica as a republic on 3 November.
  •  Saint Lucia,  Kiribati, and  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1979) – independence granted to Saint Lucia on 22 February; to Kiribati on 12 July; to Saint VIncent and the Grenadines on 27 October.
  •  Zimbabwe (as  Southern Rhodesia) and  Vanuatu (as  New Hebrides) (1980) – independence to Zimbabwe as a republic granted on 17 April; to Vanuatu on 1 July.
  •  Antigua and Barbuda (1981) – independence granted on 1 November.
  •  Saint Kitts and Nevis (1983) – independence granted on 19 September.
  •  Hong Kong (1997) – returned to the People's Republic of China as a Special Administrative Region on 1 July as per the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

    • Termination of personal union or other connection with the United Kingdom's monarchy

  •  Ireland (1949) – ended dominion status by unilateral legislative act on 18 April.
  •  India (1950) – ended dominion status by constitutional amendment on 26 January.
  •  Pakistan (1956) – dominion status ended with new constitution on 23 March.
  •  Ghana (1960) – dominion status ended by referendum on 1 July.
  •  South Africa (1961) – dominion status ended by referendum on 31 May.
  •  Tanganyika (1962) – dominion status ended on 9 December.
  •  Uganda (1963) – dominion status ended by Constitution of Uganda constitutional amendment on 9 October.
  •  Kenya (1964) – dominion status ended with new constitution on 12 December.
  •  Nigeria and the  Malawi (1966) – dominion status ended by Nigeria via constitutional amendment on 24 May; Malawi via new constitution on 6 July.
  •  Guyana and  The Gambia (1970) – end of dominion statuses by Guyana via constitutional amendment effective 17 March; The Gambia via referendum on 14 April.
  •  Sierra Leone (1971) – dominion status ended on 19 April.
  •  Sri Lanka (1972) – dominion status ended on 22 May.
  •  Malta (1974) – dominion status ended on 13 December.
  •  Trinidad & Tobago (1976) – dominion status ended on 1 March.
  •  Mauritius (1992) – dominion status ended on 12 March.

    • Other changes

  •  Canada (1982) – severed legal ties with Britain, but retains Elizabeth II as head of state.
  •  Australia and  New Zealand (1986) – severed legal ties with Britain, but each individually retains Elizabeth II as head of state.
  •  Fiji (1987) – post-coup end of dominion status accepted on 15 October. Elizabeth II remains traditional (though unofficial) Paramount Chief.

    • References

    Changes in British sovereignty Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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