St.Vincent and the Grenadines

St Vincent and the Grenadines, one of the Windward Island countries of the Eastern Caribbean, lies near the southern end of the Caribbean chain, about 97km north of Grenada. Most of St Vincent is rugged and mountainous, volcanic in origin and with an active volcano, La Soufrière, which rises to 1,234m and is the island's highest point. It last erupted in April 1979.

St Vincent and the Grenadines is a member of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, Association of Caribbean States, Caribbean Community, NAM, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Organization of American States, UN and WTO.

The most significant environmental issue facing the country is pollution of coasts and coastal waters by discharges from yachts and from industrial plants on shore.

Kiribati

Kiribati (pronounced 'Kirabas') spreads across the central Pacific, intersected by the equator with most other Commonwealth Pacific island countries lying to its south. Its 33 islands are scattered across 5.2 million sq km of ocean. There are three groups of islands: 17 Gilbert Islands (including Banaba), eight Line Islands and eight Phoenix Islands.

In 2010 former President Sir Ieremia Tabai was appointed to the Commonwealth Eminent Persons Group, which presented its recommendations for reform in the Commonwealth to Commonwealth leaders at CHOGM in Australia in October 2011.

Kiribati is a member of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, Pacific Community, Pacific Islands Forum and UN.

The UN's 1989 report on the 'greenhouse effect' listed Kiribati as an endangered country in the event of a rise in sea level during the 21st century.

St. Lucia

St Lucia is a pear shaped 43km long island, which form an arc jutting out from the Eastern Caribbean into the Atlantic. It lies south of Dominica and north of Barbados. It is a mountainous country of volcanic origin ringed with sandy beaches. The country has more Nobel laureates per capita than any other country. Poet and playwright Derek Walcott, born in Castries, St Lucia, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992 and Sir Arthur Lewis was Nobel Economics laureate in 1979.

St Lucia is a member of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, Association of Caribbean States, Caribbean Community, Non- Aligned Movement (NAM), Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Organisation of American States, UN and WTO.

Belize

Belize forms part of the Commonwealth Caribbean, and is located in central America, bordering Mexico to the north and Guatemala to the west and south.

Of 13 Commonwealth member countries in the Americas, only Belize, Canada and Guyana lie on the mainland, three of the most sparsely populated in the association; all the others are islands or archipelagos.

Belize is a member of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, Association of Caribbean States, Caribbean Community, NAM, Organization of American States, UN and WTO.

Deforestation, solid waste disposal and water pollution from sewage, industrial effluents and agricultural run-off are the country's most significant environment issues.

Vanuatu

The Republic of Vanuatu's land area is made up of a group of islands in the south-west Pacific, lying south of Solomon Islands and east of the state of Queensland in Australia. The country comprises six provinces: Malampa, Penama, Sanma, Shefa, Tafea and Torba.

Vanuatu is an archipelago comprising a double chain of about 40 islands and 40 islets and rocks of volcanic and coral origin. About 65 of them are inhabited and some islands have active volcanoes. Many are steeply mountainous, rising to over 1,800m above sea level.

Vanuatu is a member of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, NAM, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Pacific Community, Pacific Islands Forum, UN and WTO.

A majority of the population does not have access to a safe and reliable supply of water althoug fresh water is plentiful. The situation is improving now. This and deforestation are the most significant environment issues faced by Vanuatu.

Brunei

Brunei Darussalam is a small state in South-East Asia on the north-west coast of the island of Borneo, in the Indonesian Archipelago.

On the land side, it is enclosed by the Malaysian state of Sarawak, which divides it in two.

Brunei meaning 'Abode of Peace' is a monarchy. Scholarships for doctoral study are awarded by Brunei Darussalam to citizens of other Commonwealth countries under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan.

Brunei Darussalam is a member of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, NAM, OIC, UN and WTO.

Seasonal smoke/haze resulting from forest fires in Indonesia is the most significant environmental issue the country has faced.

Mozambique

Mozambique is in south-east Africa and borders Zimbabwe, South Africa and four other countries.

The country is divided into eleven provinces.

Graça Machel is the former Chairperson of the Commonwealth Foundation. Maria Lurdes Mutola, born in Maputo, took the Commonwealth Games Women's 800 Metres record at the Manchester Games in 2002.

It is a member of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, African Union, Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation, NAM, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Southern African Development Community, UN and WTO.

The most significant environmental issues include desertification and persistent migration of people from the hinterland to urban and coastal areas.

Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda, at the north of the Leeward Islands in the Eastern Caribbean, is composed of three islands: Antigua, Barbuda and Redonda.

Sir Vivian Richards, born in St John's in 1952, was Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World in 1976, 1978 and 1980.

Antigua and Barbuda is a member of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, Association of Caribbean States, Caribbean Community, NAM, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Organisation of American States, UN and WTO.

The most significant environmental issue is limited natural freshwater resources which is aggravated by clearing of trees to increase crop production, causing rainfall to run off quickly.

Namibia

Namibia in south-west Africa is one of the driest and most sparsely populated countries on Earth. It is bounded by South Africa to the south. The Caprivi Strip, a narrow extension of land in the extreme north-east, connects it to Zambia.

Frank Fredericks, born in Windhoek in October 1967, took the Commonwealth Games Men's 200 Metres record at the 1994 Games in Victoria, Canada.

Namibia is one of the world's major producers of uranium; it was fifth largest in 2011.

Namibia is a member of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, African Union, NAM, Southern African Customs Union, Southern African Development Community, UN and WTO.

The most significant environmental issues are the scarcity of natural freshwater resources and desertification.

The Maldives

The Republic of Maldives lies in the Indian Ocean, some 670km west-south-west of Sri Lanka. The 1,190 coral islands, 200 of which are inhabited, occur on a double chain of 26 coral atolls.

The archipelago is 823km long and 130km at its widest. None of the islands rise higher than 2m above sea level.

Maldives is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, SAARC, UN and WTO. Huvadhu Atoll to the south is the largest true atoll formation in the world and has a lagoon of 2,240 sq km. The distinctive features of the Maldives are its white beaches and crystal clear lagoons. There are no hills, mountains or rivers. The most significant issues are depletion of freshwater aquifers threatening water supplies, global warming and sea level rise, and coral reef bleaching.

St. Kitts and Nevis

The two-island country of St Kitts and Nevis lies in the northern part of the Leeward Islands group of the Lesser Antilles in the Eastern Caribbean. The two islands of volcanic origin are separated by a channel some 3km in width. The biggest island St.Kitts is 37 km long. Celebrated author Caryl Phillips, born in St Kitts in March 1958, won the Commonwealth Writers' Prize in 2004 with his book, A Distant Shore.

St Kitts and Nevis is a member of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, Association of Caribbean States, Caribbean Community, NAM, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, Organization of American States, UN and WTO.

Forest covers 42% of the total land area of St Kitts and Nevis and there was no significant loss of forest cover during 1990-2010.

Cameroon

The country's name derives from camarões, meaning 'shrimps' after the 15th-century Portuguese explorer Fernando Po named the River Wouri Rio dos Camarões ('shrimp river'). Located in central Africa Cameroon's celebrated writers include Ferdinand Oyono, who was born in Ebolowa, South Province, in 1929; and Mongo Beti, born in Akométan, Central Province, in 1932 .

Cameroon is a member of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, African Union, NAM, Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, UN and WTO.

The most significant environment issues include desertification, deforestation, poaching, and overfishing.

Rwanda

The Republic of Rwanda is a landlocked country with land borders with four countries inclduing Uganda.

Rwanda joined the Commonwealth in November 2009, becoming the Association's 54th member. Rwanda is a member of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States, African Union, NAM, UN and WTO among others. The most significant environmental issues are drought (limiting the potential for agriculture), overgrazing, soil erosion and degradation and deforestation due to almost universal use of wood as a fuel.