Dominion

:This is a page about Dominions of the British Empire/Commonwealth. For other meanings, please see Dominion (disambiguation).

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A Dominion is a wholly self-governing or virtually self-governing state of the British Empire or British Commonwealth, particularly one which reached that stage of constitutional development in the late 19th and early 20th centuries such as Canada and New Zealand. Prior to attaining Dominion status these states have always been a Crown colony, under direct rule from Britain and/or a self-governing colony, or they have been formed from groups of such colonies. (Note however, that the phrase Her Majesty's dominions (small d) is a legal and constitutional term used to refer to all the realms and territories of the Sovereign, whether independent or not.)

Related Topics:
State - British Empire - British Commonwealth - 19th - 20th - Canada - New Zealand - Crown colony - Britain - Self-governing colony

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Originally the main differences between a Dominion and a self-governing colony lie in that a Dominion has attained the status of nationhood (although not "independence" from the United Kingdom until the passing and ratification of the Statute of Westminster 1931), and that a Dominion can possess an autonomous Army and Navy (although the British government retained exclusive power to declare wars until World War II).

Related Topics:
Statute of Westminster 1931 - Army - Navy - World War II

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The term "Dominion" is now mostly used only in a historical sense. Many of the distinctive characteristics which once pertained only to Dominions are now shared by other states in the Commonwealth, whether they are republics, self-governing colonies or Crown colonies. Even in a historical sense the differences between self-governing colonies and Dominions have often been formal rather than substantial. Nonetheless Dominion remains a correct term for an independent country where the British monarch is represented by a Governor-General as head of state.

Related Topics:
Republics - Governor-General

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