The Commonwealth in Action
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Assisting small states
Of the 53 member countries of the Commonwealth, 32 are classified as small states. Most of these have a population of less than 1.5 million. Many are islands - in the Caribbean, the Pacific and the Indian Ocean. Because of the high number of such states in the Commonwealth, the association has developed a unique understanding of their problems. Small states need particular assistance because:
- they are prone to natural disasters, such as hurricanes, flooding and tsunami
- they tend to rely on one source of income, such as tourism, or the export of sugar or bananas
- they have a limited supply of talented people - many citizens move away from the small states to seek better opportunities elsewhere
- they are very dependent on trade with other countries - but it is difficult for small countries to compete in today's globalised market
- they are often remote, which means it costs a lot to transport goods to and fro In all Commonwealth programmes, special account is taken of the needs of small states.
A high proportion of CFTC projects provide assistance for small states.
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