Remnants of the British Empire.
British Dependent Territories:
Anguilla, Ascension Island, Bermuda, British Antarctic Territory, British Indian Ocean Territory, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Monsterrat, Pitcairn, South Georgia, South Sandwich Island, St. Helena Island, Tristan da Cunha, Turks and Caicos.
Crown dependencies: Channel Islands, the Isle of Man; represented by the Governor Lieutenant.
The Commonwealth: the Queen is the Head of the whole Commonwealth.
1. Realms - countries with monarchial constitutions recognizing the British Queen as the Head of State represented by the Governor General:
Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada, Fiji, Grenada, Jamaica, Mauritius, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Tuvalu.
2. Republics:
Bangladesh, Botswana, Cameroon, Cyprus, Dominica, The Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, India, Kenya, Kiribati, Malawi, the Maldives, Malta, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nigeria, Pakistan, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia.
3. Monarchies:
Brunei, Lesotho, Malaysia, Samoa, Swaziland, Tonga.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------British Armed Forces
the Army - developed from Oliver Cromwell's New Model Army in the 17th century. Currently about 145.000 servicemen.
Famous regiments:
the Black Watch - formally known as the Royal Highland Regiment [from the black color of the tartan of the men's kilts].
the Gordon Highlanders - a famous Scottish regiment formed in 1794 by the 5th Duke of Gordon.
the Guards Division - the infantry division of the Army consisting of:
- the Coldstream Guards - the second oldest regiment of the Army, formed in 1650 [from the village of Coldstream in Scotland].
- the Grenadier Guards, formed in 1685.
- the Irish Guards, formed in 1900.
- the Scots Guards - raised for service in Ireland, from 1660 a regiment of the Scottish Army. It is the most famous one of the Guards Division, often simply called the Royal Regiment.
- the Welsh Guards, formed in 1915.
the Household Cavalry - comprises of the two regiments: the Life Guards and the Blues and Royals. The former was founded in 1656, the latter was formed in 1969 as a merger of the Royal Horse Guards - 'The Blues' and the Royal Dragoons - 'The Royals'. They attend the sovereign and carry out special ceremonial functions in London.
the Royal Green Jackets - formed in 1866.
the Red Devils - the Parachute Regiment [the name given by the Germans in the WWII].
the Special Air Service - the most elitarian unit of the British Army.
the Royal Air Force - formed in 1918 as a merger of the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service. Currently about 86.000 servicemen.
Famous squadrons: the Red Arrows - the special aerobatics squadron.
the Royal Navy - formed by King Alfred, formally established by Henry VIII in the16 c. About 63.000 servicemen. Famous corps: the Royal Marines, formed in 1664.
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