List of current monarchies by continent

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Absolute monarchy
Semi-constitutional monarchy
Constitutional monarchy
Commonwealth realms (constitutional monarchies in personal union)
Subnational monarchies (traditional) World Monarchies.svg
  Semi-constitutional monarchy
   Commonwealth realms (constitutional monarchies in personal union)
  Subnational monarchies (traditional)

This is a list of current monarchies by continent. There are 14 monarchies in Asia, 3 in Africa, 12 in Europe, 9 in North America, and 6 in Oceania, in total 44 monarchies around the world. South America has no monarchies and is the only populated continent in the world not to have any.

Contents

Current monarchies

By continent

Asia

Monarchy Official native nameHead of stateHead of governmentType
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

(De Facto) [1]

In Pashto; د افغانستان اسلامي امارت Emir Prime Minister Absolute
Flag of Bahrain.svg  Kingdom of Bahrain In Arabic; Mamlakat al- Baḥrayn King Prime Minister Mixed
Flag of Bhutan.svg  Kingdom of Bhutan In Dzongkha; Druk Yul Druk Gyalpo Prime Minister Constitutional
Flag of Brunei.svg  Brunei Darussalam In Malay; Negara Brunei Darussalam Absolute
Flag of Japan.svg  Japan In Japanese; Nippon-koku/Nihon-koku Emperor Prime Minister Constitutional
Flag of Jordan.svg  Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan In Arabic; al-Mamlakah al-Urdunīyah al-Hāshimīyah King Prime Minister
Flag of Cambodia.svg  Kingdom of Cambodia In Khmer; Preăh Réachéanachâk Kâmpŭchéa King Prime Minister
Flag of Kuwait.svg  State of Kuwait In Arabic; Dawlat al-Kuwayt Emir Prime Minister
Flag of Malaysia.svg  Malaysia In Malay; Malaysia Yang di-Pertuan Agong Prime Minister
Flag of Oman.svg  Sultanate of Oman In Arabic; Salṭanat ‘Umān Absolute
Flag of Qatar.svg  State of Qatar In Arabic; Dawlat Qaṭar Emir Prime Minister Mixed
Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg  Kingdom of Saudi Arabia In Arabic; Al-Mamlakah al-Arabiyah as-Sa'ūdiyah Absolute
Flag of Thailand.svg  Kingdom of Thailand In Thai; Ratcha Anachak Thai King Prime Minister Constitutional
Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg  United Arab Emirates In Arabic; Dawlat al-ʾImārāt al-ʿArabiyyah al-Muttaḥidah President Prime Minister Mixed

Africa

Flag of Lesotho.svg  Kingdom of Lesotho In Sotho; Muso oa Lesotho
In English; Kingdom of Lesotho
King Prime Minister Constitutional
Flag of Morocco.svg  Kingdom of Morocco In Arabic; al-Mamlaka al-Maghribiyya
In Berber; Tageldit n Lmaɣrib
Flag of Eswatini.svg  Kingdom of Eswatini In Swazi; Umbuso weSwatini
In English; Kingdom of Eswatini
Absolute

North America

Flag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg  Antigua and Barbuda In English; Antigua and Barbuda Queen Prime Minister Constitutional
Flag of the Bahamas.svg  Commonwealth of the Bahamas In English; Commonwealth of the Bahamas
Flag of Belize.svg  Belize In English; Belize
Flag of Grenada.svg  Grenada In English; Grenada
Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica In English; Jamaica
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada In English and French; Canada
In Scots Gaelic; Chanada
Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg  Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis In English; Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis
Flag of Saint Lucia.svg  Saint Lucia In English; Saint Lucia
Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines In English; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Europe

Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Kingdom of the Netherlands In Dutch; Koninkrijk der Nederlanden King Prime Minister Constitutional
Flag of Andorra.svg  Principality of Andorra In Catalan; Principat d'Andorra Co-Princes
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Kingdom of Belgium In Dutch; Koninkrijk België
In French; Royaume de Belgique
In German; Königreich Belgien
King
Flag of the Order of St. John (various).svg  Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta In Italian; Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme di Rodi e di Malta
In Latin; Supremus Militaris Ordo Hospitalarius Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani Rhodiensis et Melitensis
Prince and Grand Master Grand Chancellor
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland In English; United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
In Welsh: Teyrnas Unedig Prydain Fawr a Gogledd Iwerddon
In Irish: Ríocht Aontaithe na Breataine Móire agus Thuaisceart Éireann
In Scots Gaelic: Rìoghachd Aonaichte Bhreatainn agus Èirinn a Tuath
Queen Prime Minister
Flag of Spain.svg  Kingdom of Spain In Spanish; Reino de España King
Flag of Luxembourg.svg  Grand Duchy of Luxembourg In French; Grand-Duché de Luxembourg
In German;Großherzogtum Luxemburg
In Luxembourgish; Groussherzogtum Lëtzebuerg
Grand Duke
Flag of Liechtenstein.svg  Principality of Liechtenstein In German; Fürstentum Liechtenstein Sovereign Prince
Flag of Norway.svg  Kingdom of Norway In Bokmål; Kongeriket Norge
In Nynorsk; Kongeriket Noreg
King
Flag of Monaco.svg  Principality of Monaco In French; Principauté de Monaco
In Monégasque; Principatu de Múnegu
Sovereign Prince Minister of State
Flag of Sweden.svg  Kingdom of Sweden In Swedish; Konungariket Sverige King Prime Minister
Flag of Denmark.svg  Kingdom of Denmark In Danish; Kongeriget Danmark Queen
Flag of the Vatican City.svg   Vatican City State In Latin; Status Civitatis Vaticanae
In Italian; Stato della Città del Vaticano
Pope President of the Pontifical Commission Absolute

Oceania

Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Commonwealth of Australia In English; Commonwealth of Australia Queen Prime Minister Constitutional
Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg  Independent State of Papua New Guinea In English; Independent State of Papua New Guinea
In Tok Pisin; Independen Stet bilong Papua Niugini
In Hiri Motu Papua Niu Gini
Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg  Solomon Islands In English; Solomon Islands
Flag of Tuvalu.svg  Tuvalu In English; Tuvalu
Flag of Tonga.svg  Kingdom of Tonga In Tonga; Puleʻanga Fakatuʻi ʻo Tonga
In English; Kingdom of Tonga
King
Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand In English; New Zealand
In Māori; Aotearoa
Queen

Related Research Articles

Constitutional monarchy Type of monarchy in which power is restricted by a constitution

A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises authority in accordance with a written or unwritten constitution. Constitutional monarchies differ from absolute monarchies in that they are bound to exercise powers and authorities within limits prescribed by an established legal framework. Constitutional monarchies range from countries such as Liechtenstein, Monaco, Morocco, Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain, where the constitution grants substantial discretionary powers to the sovereign, to countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, Belgium, Sweden, Malaysia and Japan, where the monarch retains significantly less personal discretion in the exercise of their authority.

Europe Continent

Europe is a landmass variously recognised as part of Eurasia or a continent in its own right, located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It comprises the westernmost peninsulas of the continental landmass of Eurasia, it shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with both Asia and Africa, and is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south and Asia to the east. Europe is commonly considered to be separated from Asia by the watershed of the Ural Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian Sea, the Greater Caucasus, the Black Sea and the waterways of the Turkish Straits. Although much of this border is over land, Europe is almost always recognised as its own continent because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions.

A monarch is a head of state for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority and power in the state, or others may wield that power on behalf of the monarch. Usually a monarch either personally inherits the lawful right to exercise the state's sovereign rights or is selected by an established process from a family or cohort eligible to provide the nation's monarch. Alternatively, an individual may proclaim themself monarch, which may be backed and legitimated through acclamation, right of conquest or a combination of means.

Monarchy System of government where the head of state is a single person who holds the position for life or until abdication

A monarchy is a form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restricted and largely symbolic, to fully autocratic, and can expand across the domains of the executive, legislative, and judicial. Monarchs can carry various titles such as emperor, empress, king, queen, prince regnant, princess regnant, shahanshah, raja, khan, tsar, sultan, shah, badsha, or pharaoh.

North America Continent

North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It can also be described as the northern subcontinent of a single continent, America. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Caribbean Sea, and to the west and south by the Pacific Ocean. Because it is on the North American Tectonic Plate, Greenland is included as part of North America geographically.

Republic Form of government where the head of state is elected

A republic is a form of government in which "supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives". In republics, the country is considered a "public matter", not the private concern or property of the rulers. The primary positions of power within a republic are attained through democracy or a mix of democracy with oligarchy or autocracy rather than being unalterably occupied by any given family lineage or group. With modern republicanism, it has become the opposing form of government to a monarchy and therefore a modern republic has no monarch as head of state.

South America Continent

South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern subregion of a single continent called America. The reference to South America instead of other cultural or geographical regions has increased in recent decades due to changing geopolitical dynamics.

Americas Landmass comprising the totality of North and South America

The Americas, which are also collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.

Absolute monarchy Form of government in which the monarch has absolute power

Absolute monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch holds supreme autocratic authority, principally not being restricted by written laws, legislature, or unwritten customs. These are often hereditary monarchies. In contrast, in constitutional monarchies, the head of state's authority derives from or is legally bound or restricted by a constitution, legislature or unwritten customs.

The abolition of monarchy involves the ending of monarchical elements in government, usually hereditary.

New World Collectively, the Americas

The "New World" is a term for the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas. The term gained prominence in the early 16th century, during Europe's Age of Discovery, shortly after the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci concluded that America represented a new continent, and subsequently published his findings in a pamphlet he titled Mundus Novus. This realization expanded the geographical horizon of classical European geographers, who had thought the world consisted of Africa, Europe, and Asia, collectively now referred to as the Old World, or Afro-Eurasia. The Americas were also referred to as the fourth part of the world.

Monarchies in Europe Countries in Europe which are monarchies

Monarchy was the prevalent form of government in the history of Europe throughout the Middle Ages, only occasionally competing with communalism, notably in the case of the Maritime republics and the Swiss Confederacy.

<i>The Reluctant King</i>

The Reluctant King is the overall title of a trilogy of fantasy novels written by L. Sprague de Camp as part of his Novarian series, as well as the 1983 omnibus collection gathering the books together into one volume. The trilogy features de Camp's sword and sorcery hero King Jorian of Xylar, and is composed of The Goblin Tower (1968), The Clocks of Iraz (1971) and The Unbeheaded King (1983). The omnibus was first published in hardcover by Nelson Doubleday in 1983 as an offering for its Science Fiction Book Club, and was reissued in paperback by Baen Books in 1996.

Continent Very large landmass identified by convention

A continent is any of several large landmasses. Generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, up to seven geographical regions are commonly regarded as continents. Ordered from largest in area to smallest, these seven regions are: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia. Variations with fewer continents may merge some of these, for example some systems include Afro-Eurasia, America or Eurasia as single continents.

Monarchies in the Americas Countries in the Americas which are monarchies

There are 12 monarchies in the Americas. Each is a constitutional monarchy, wherein the sovereign inherits his or her office, usually keeping it until death or abdication, and is bound by laws and customs in the exercise of their powers. Nine of these monarchies are independent states; they equally share Queen Elizabeth II, who resides primarily in the United Kingdom, as their respective sovereign, making them part of a global personal union known as the Commonwealth realms. The others are dependencies of three European monarchies. As such, none of the monarchies in the Americas have a permanently residing monarch.

Australia (continent) One of Earth’s seven main divisions of land

The continent of Australia, sometimes known in technical contexts by the names Sahul, Australia-New Guinea, Australinea, Meganesia, or Papualand to distinguish it from the country of Australia, consists of the landmasses located next to Wallacea. The name "Sahul" takes its name from the Sahul Shelf, which is part of the continental shelf of the Australian continent. The continent includes mainland Australia, Tasmania, the island of New Guinea, the Aru Islands, the Ashmore and Cartier Islands, most of the Coral Sea Islands, and some other offshore continental islands. Situated in the geographical region of Oceania, Australia is the smallest of the seven traditional continents.

There are six monarchies in Oceania; that is: self-governing sovereign states in Oceania where supreme power resides with an individual hereditary head, who is recognised as the head of state. Each is a constitutional monarchy, wherein the sovereign inherits his or her office, usually keeps it until death or abdication, and is bound by laws and customs in the exercise of their powers. Five of these independent states share Queen Elizabeth II as their respective head of state, making them part of a global grouping known as the Commonwealth realms; in addition, all monarchies of Oceania are members of the Commonwealth of Nations. The only sovereign monarchy in Oceania that does not share a monarch with another state is Tonga. Australia and New Zealand have dependencies within the region and outside it, although five non-sovereign constituent monarchs are recognized by New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and France.

Monarchies in Asia

Asia has more monarchies than any other continent.

References

  1. Baker, Sinéad. "The Taliban have declared the 'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,' the same name it used when it brutally ruled the country in the 1990s". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-08-23.