All absolute monarchies in the world map. Constitutional monarchy: examples of countries

Monarchy (Greek autocracy) is a form of government in which supreme state power partially or completely belongs to one person - the monarch and, as a rule, is inherited. The head of state can only be a monarch. It was the main form of government under feudalism.

In all monarchies, citizens are de jure subjects.

29 monarchies, of which 25 are in Eurasia, 1 in Oceania, 3 in Africa.

Europe: Principality of Andorra, Kingdom of Belgium, Kingdom of Great Britain, Kingdom of Denmark, Kingdom of Spain, Kingdom of the Netherlands, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Norway, Principality of Liechtenstein, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Principality of Monaco, Papal City State of Vatican City.

Asia: Emirate of Bahrain, Sultanate of Brunei, Kingdom of Bhutan, Kingdom of Jordan, Kingdom of Cambodia, Emirate of Qatar, Emirate of Kuwait, Sultanate of Malaysia, UAE Emirate, Sultanate of Oman, Kingdom of Thailand, Empire of Japan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Africa: Kingdoms of Morocco, Swaziland and Lesotho.

Oceania: Kingdom of Tonga

Most monarchies are constitutional: parliamentary and dualistic.

Parliamentary monarchies are a form of government in which the monarch as the head of state is essentially only a symbol of power and tradition. The position of the monarch has no political influence, the real legislative power is in the parliament, the real executive power is in the government, etc. "The monarch reigns, but does not rule."

Dualistic monarchies are a transitional link between an absolute monarchy and a parliamentary one. The executive power is in the hands of the monarch, the legislative power is in the hands of the parliament (Jordan, Morocco, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Luxembourg).

Absolutism is the concentration of all power in the hands of one person. Mainly in southwest asia: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Brunei, UAE, Oman. Vatican.

Parliament is an advisory body to the monarch. Legislative!

A theocratic monarchy is the head of state - the head of a denomination. In the Vatican, the monarch is elected and the monarch can abdicate. The Sultanate of Malaysia and the UAE, where the power of monarchs is also not lifelong (5 years) and they are elected.

Order of succession to the throne

Seignorate - inheritance of the throne by the eldest (eldest in the family).

Priorate - the inheritance goes to the person on this moment closely related to the last person in power.

According to the rule of primogeniture (primogeniture) - the eldest child.

  • 4 types of primogeniture:
    • - Salic system - a woman is exclusively excluded from the right of succession to the throne and cannot become a monarch in any way (for example - Japan, Saudi Arabia)
    • - Austrian (semi-Salic) system - women are allowed to succeed to the throne only in case of complete cessation of all male descendants. (first occurred in Austria, hence the name)
    • - Castilian - women are excluded from succession to the throne within one line, Spain gave this form, now also Monaco.
    • - Swedish (equal) - the eldest child of the monarch becomes the heir; adopted in Sweden in 1980.

Civil list - the amount of money that the state annually allocates from its budget for the maintenance of the institution of the monarchy. The amount of this amount is determined by each monarchy from the beginning of each reign. The civil list can be increased, but not decreased until the end of the monarch's reign.

Countersignature (countersignature) - the right to sign the monarch, when the monarch seals the act/document with his signature.

Ministerialism is a cabinet system (one of the variants of the state regime in a parliamentary monarchy, the second is parliamentarism).

Personal union is the political union of two or more independent states into a union with one head, who thus becomes the head of each member state of the union.

British Commonwealth

The Queen of Britain still leads some of the former colonies today. Today she is the monarch of various states. Elizabeth II recognizes herself as Queen of Canada, which is a monarchy. All Canadians are subjects of Her Majesty Elizabeth II. Australians also recognize themselves as a monarchy. But, in addition to Canada and the Commonwealth of Australia, New Greenland is also considered a monarchy. De jure, but not de facto, Grenada, Barbados, Jamaica, Tuvalu and some other smaller ones are monarchies. Why not de facto you understand. In essence, these countries are far from a monarchy, except for some symbolism, since they are de facto republics. Parliament belongs to the British monarch, and in fact the government. The monarch is represented by the governor general. This is a purely symbolic position, appointed by the Queen. The British monarch only signs, which indicates the formality of this kind of monarchy, since the king does not have any levers of power in this country.

Exist in modern world? Where on the planet are countries still ruled by kings and sultans? Find answers to these questions in our article. In addition, you will learn what a constitutional monarchy is. You will also find examples of countries with this form of government in this publication.

Basic forms of government in the modern world

To date, two main models are known government controlled: monarchical and republican. Monarchy means a form of government in which power belongs to one person. This could be a king, emperor, emir, prince, sultan, etc. Second distinguishing feature monarchical system - the process of transferring this power by inheritance (and not by the results of popular elections).

Today there are absolute, theocratic and constitutional monarchies. Republics (the second form of government) are more common in the modern world: there are about 70% of them. The republican model of government assumes the election of the supreme authorities - parliament and (or) the president.

The most famous monarchies on the planet: Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Japan, Kuwait, United United Arab Emirates(UAE). Examples of republican countries: Poland, Russia, France, Mexico, Ukraine. However, in this article we are only interested in countries with a constitutional monarchy (you will find a list of these states below).

Monarchy: absolute, theocratic, constitutional

There are three types of monarchical countries (there are about 40 of them in the world). It can be a theocratic, absolute or constitutional monarchy. Let us briefly consider the features of each of them, and dwell in more detail on the last one.

In absolute monarchies, all power is concentrated in the hands of one person. He makes absolutely all decisions, implementing internal and foreign policy of your country. The clearest example Such a monarchy can be called Saudi Arabia.

In a theocratic monarchy, power belongs to the highest church (spiritual) minister. The only example of such a country is the Vatican, where the Pope is the absolute authority for the population. True, some researchers classify Brunei and even Great Britain as theocratic monarchies. It is no secret that the Queen of England is also the head of the church.

A constitutional monarchy is...

A constitutional monarchy is the model government, in which the power of the monarch is significantly limited.

Sometimes he may be completely deprived of supreme powers. In this case, the monarch is only a formal figure, a kind of symbol of the state (as, for example, in Great Britain).

All these legal restrictions on the power of the monarch, as a rule, are reflected in the constitution of a particular state (hence the name of this form of government).

Types of constitutional monarchy

Modern constitutional monarchies can be parliamentary or dualistic. In the first, the government is formed by the country's parliament, to which it reports. In dualistic constitutional monarchies, ministers are appointed (and removed) by the monarch himself. Parliament retains only the right of some veto.

It is worth noting that the division of countries into republics and monarchies sometimes turns out to be somewhat arbitrary. Indeed, even in the most, certain aspects of continuity of power can be observed (the appointment of relatives and friends to important government posts). This applies to Russia, Ukraine and even the USA.

Constitutional monarchy: examples of countries

Today, 31 states in the world can be classified as constitutional monarchies. The third part of them is located in Western and Northern Europe. About 80% of all constitutional monarchies in the modern world are parliamentary, and only seven are dualistic.

Below are all countries with a constitutional monarchy (list). The region in which the state is located is indicated in brackets:

  1. Luxembourg (Western Europe).
  2. Liechtenstein (Western Europe).
  3. Principality of Monaco (Western Europe).
  4. Great Britain (Western Europe).
  5. Netherlands (Western Europe).
  6. Belgium (Western Europe).
  7. Denmark (Western Europe).
  8. Norway (Western Europe).
  9. Sweden (Western Europe).
  10. Spain (Western Europe).
  11. Andorra (Western Europe).
  12. Kuwait (Middle East).
  13. UAE (Middle East).
  14. Jordan (Middle East).
  15. Japan (East Asia).
  16. Cambodia (Southeast Asia).
  17. Thailand (Southeast Asia).
  18. Bhutan (Southeast Asia).
  19. Australia (Australia and Oceania).
  20. New Zealand(Australia and Oceania).
  21. Papua - New Guinea(Australia and Oceania).
  22. Tonga (Australia and Oceania).
  23. Solomon Islands (Australia and Oceania).
  24. Canada (North America).
  25. Morocco (North Africa).
  26. Lesotho (South Africa).
  27. Grenada (Caribbean region).
  28. Jamaica (Caribbean region).
  29. Saint Lucia (Caribbean region).
  30. Saint Kitts and Nevis (Caribbean region).
  31. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Caribbean region).

On the map below, all these countries are marked in green.

Is constitutional monarchy the ideal form of government?

There is an opinion that a constitutional monarchy is the key to the stability and well-being of the country. Is it so?

Of course, a constitutional monarchy is not able to automatically solve all the problems that arise before the state. However, she is ready to offer society a certain political stability. Indeed, in such countries there is no constant struggle for power (imaginary or real) a priori.

The constitutional-monarchical model has a number of other advantages. As practice shows, it is in such states that it was possible to build the best systems in the world social security citizens. And we are talking here not only about the countries of the Scandinavian Peninsula.

You can take, for example, the same countries of the Persian Gulf (UAE, Kuwait). They have much less oil than in Russia. However, over the course of several decades, from poor countries whose population was exclusively engaged in grazing livestock in oases, they were able to turn into successful, prosperous and fully established states.

The most famous constitutional monarchies in the world: Great Britain, Norway, Kuwait

Great Britain is one of the most famous parliamentary monarchies on the planet. (as well as formally 15 other Commonwealth countries) is Queen Elizabeth II. However, one should not think that she is a purely symbolic figure. The British Queen has a strong right to dissolve Parliament. In addition, she is the commander-in-chief of the British troops.

The Norwegian king is also the head of his state, according to the Constitution, which has been in force since 1814. To quote this document, Norway is “a free monarchical state with a limited and hereditary form of government.” Moreover, initially the king had broader powers, which were gradually narrowed.

Another parliamentary monarchy since 1962 is Kuwait. The role of the head of state here is played by the emir, who has broad powers: he dissolves parliament, signs laws, appoints the head of government; he also commands the Kuwaiti troops. It's interesting that in this amazing country women are absolutely equal in their political rights with men, which is not at all typical for the states of the Arab world.

Finally

Now you know what a constitutional monarchy is. Examples of this country are present on all continents of the planet, except Antarctica. These are the gray-haired wealthy states of old Europe, and the young richest

Can we say that the most optimal form of government in the world is a constitutional monarchy? Examples of countries - successful and highly developed - fully confirm this assumption.

Absolute monarchy- a form of government in which all executive, legislative, judicial and military power concentrated in the hands of the monarch. In this case, the presence of parliament is possible, as well as holding elections to parliament by the residents of the country, but it is only an advisory body to the monarch and cannot go against him in any way.

In the world, in the strict sense, there are only six countries with an absolute monarchy. If we consider it more openly, then a dualistic monarchy can also be equated to an absolute one, and these are six more countries. Thus, there are twelve countries in the world in which power is somehow concentrated in one hand.

Surprisingly, in Europe (so loving to protect human rights and irritated by any dictators) there are already two such countries! But at the same time, it is necessary to distinguish between an absolute and a constitutional monarchy, since there are a lot of kingdoms and principalities in Europe, but most of them are a constitutional monarchy, in which the head of state is the chairman of parliament.

And so, here are these twelve countries with an absolute monarchy:

1. . A small state in the Middle East on the shores of the Persian Gulf. Dualistic monarchy, King Hamad ibn Isa Al Khalifa since 2002.

2. (or Brunei for short). State in South-East Asia on the island of Kalimantan. Absolute monarchy, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah since 1967.

3. . The city-state is located entirely in Rome. A theocratic monarchy, the country has been ruled by Pope Francis since 2013.

4. (full name: Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan). Located in the Middle East. A dualist monarchy, the country has been ruled by King Abdullah II bin Hussein al-Hashimi since 1999.

5., a state in the Middle East, an absolute monarchy, the country has been ruled by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani since 2013.

6. . State in the Middle East. A dualist monarchy, the country has been ruled by Emir Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah since 2006.

7. (full name: Grand Duchy of Luxembourg). The state is located in the center of Europe. Luxembourg is a dual monarchy and has been ruled by Grand Duke HRH Henri (Henry) since 2000.

8. (full name: Kingdom of Morocco) is a state located in the northwestern part of Africa. A dualist monarchy, the country has been ruled by King Mohammed VI bin al Hassan since 1999.

9. . A state in the Middle East, on the shores of the Persian Gulf. An absolute monarchy, the country has been ruled by President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan since 2004.

10. (full name: Sultanate of Oman). State on Arabian Peninsula. An absolute monarchy, the country has been ruled by Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said since 1970.

eleven. . State in the Middle East. An absolute theocratic monarchy, the country has been ruled by King Salman bin Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman al Saud since 2015.

12. . The state is located in southern Africa. A dual monarchy, the country has been ruled by King Mswati III since 1986.

TERRITORY OF THE STATE

State territory- Part globe under sovereignty a certain state. Components The territory of the state includes land, water, underground and air spaces.

Land territory The state includes the mainland of the state, islands, and enclaves.

Enclave- part of the territory of a given state, surrounded on all sides by the territory of other states and not having access to the sea.

TO water area states include the waters of rivers, lakes, artificial reservoirs and waterways located within the territory of the state, as well as marine inland and territorial waters washing the coast of this state.

IN underground area state includes subsoil located under land and water area states.

Air territory state - airspace over the land and water territory of the state.

Objects equated to the territory of the state are ships and aircraft, spaceships and stations bearing the flag or distinctive signs of a given state, underwater telegraph cables, pipelines owned by the state and located outside its territory (on the high seas, in space).

DO NOT APPLY to the territory of the state high seas, Antarctica, Arctic, airspaces above them and space, Moon and other celestial bodies.

Territorial waters- territorial sea, sea ​​waters adjacent to land territory or inland waters states that are part of its territory and are under its sovereignty. Width of territorial waters - 12 nautical miles (1 nautical mile= 1.852 km). The region is governed by domestic legislation and the UN Convention on maritime law from 1982

A special status has been established for continental shelf And economic zone. Countries of the world have the exclusive right to explore and exploit “their shelf”, but do not have sovereign rights to the corresponding water area. Subsea fields (offshore production) account for about 40% of all oil production. The shelf and ocean floor are also rich in iron, copper, manganese, nickel, cobalt and other elements.

SOVEREIGN STATES AND NON-SELF-GOVERNING TERRITORIES

237 countries and territories with formalized and unregistered state status, recorded as of July 1, 1993.

By 2002, there were 192 independent states in the world. Sovereign state - politically independent state with independence in internal and external affairs. It can enter into equal treaties with other states, be members of the UN, and enter international economic and political organizations

Table 1. Non-self-governing (dependent) territories

№
p/p 		Mainland A country Metropolis
Europe
1. GibraltarGreat Britain
2. Faroe IslandsDenmark
Asia
1. Macau (Aomen)possessions of Portugal with rights of internal self-government
Africa
1. Reunionoverseas department of France
2. Saint HelenaBritish colony
3. Ceuta and MelillaSpanish possessions
America
1. AntillesDutch possessions
2. BermudaGreat Britain
3. Virgin IslandsGreat Britain
4. GreenlandDenmark
5. Cayman IslandsGreat Britain
6. MontserratGreat Britain
7. AnguillaGreat Britain
8. Turks and CaicosGreat Britain
9. Falkland (Malvinas)disputed territory between Great Britain and Argentina
10. Virgin IslandsUSA
11. Puerto Ricostate freely associated with the United States
12. GuadeloupeFrance
13. Guiana (French)France (spaceport)
14. MartiniqueFrance
15. Saint Pierre and MiquelonFrance
Australia and Oceania
1. Eastern Samoa*USA
2. Guam**US strategic base
3. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands**territory freely acceded to the United States
4. Midway*naval base
5. Wake*USA
6. Tokelau*New Zealand
7. Cook Islands *New Zealand
8. Niue*New Zealand
9. Pitcairn*Great Britain
10. Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Indian Ocean)Australia (formally annexed)
11. Christmas Islands (Indian Ocean)Australia
12. Norfolk ***Australia
13. Wallis and Futuna Islands *France
14. French polynesia *France (including Mururoa Island)
15. New Caledonia ***territory of France with internal autonomy
* - Polynesia.
** - Micronesia.
*** - Melanesia.

34 non-self-governing (dependent) territories. Most in America (15). Great Britain has 10 possessions.

Territory- a term used in geography in relation to lands that do not have sovereign status, with limited rights of local government, or to lands of uncertain status (Western Sahara).

Colonies- countries under the rule of a foreign state and deprived of political and economic independence.

CLASSIFICATION OF COUNTRIES BY GEOGRAPHICAL BASIS

Table 2. Classification of countries by geography.

Table 3. Inland countries (without access to the Ocean)

Foreign Europe Foreign Asia Africa
1. Andorra 1. Afghanistan 1. Botswana
2. Austria 2. Butane 2. Burkina Faso
3. Hungary 3. Laos 3. Burundi
4. Luxembourg 4. Mongolia 4. Zambia
5. Liechtenstein 5. Nepal 5. Zimbabwe
6. Macedonia 6. Lesotho
7. Slovenia CIS 7. Malawi
8. Czech Republic 8. Mali
9. Slovakia 1. Moldova * 9. Niger
10. Switzerland 2. Armenia 10. Rwanda
3. Kazakhstan 11. Swaziland
America 4. Uzbekistan 12. Uganda
5. Kyrgyzstan 13. Central African Republic
1. Bolivia 6. Tajikistan 14. Chad
2. Paraguay 7. Turkmenistan 15. Ethiopia
* Moldova has a small section of coast (less than 500 m) at the mouth of the Danube, near the village of Giurgiulesti. At the end of 1996, it began building a commercial port there. But for this you need at least another 4.5 - 5 km coastline on the Danube. Moldova has been unsuccessfully asking Ukraine to cede such a site to it for several years.

The geographical location of the country has significant influence to her level economic development. Most intracontinental non-European countries lag behind in their economic development, because... lack of access to the sea makes it difficult for them to carry out foreign economic activities.

Countries can also be classified by area, population and other indicators.

Table 4. Seven largest countries in the world (area more than 3 million km 2)

FORMS OF GOVERNMENT

Table 5. Two main forms of government

Table 6. Countries with a monarchical form of government.

Mainland A country Type of monarchy
EuropeAndorraprincipality (KM)
Belgiumkingdom (KM)
Vaticanpapacy (ATM)
Great Britainkingdom (PM)
Denmarkkingdom (KM)
Spainkingdom (KM)
Liechtensteinprincipality (KM)
Luxembourggrand duchy (GD)
Monacoprincipality (KM)
Netherlandskingdom (KM)
Norwaykingdom (KM)
Swedenkingdom (KM)
AsiaBahrainemirate (KM)
Thailandkingdom (KM)
Nepalkingdom (KM)
Kuwaithereditary emirate (HE)
MalaysiaSultanate (OM)
Japanempire (KM)
Butanekingdom (OM)
Jordankingdom (KM)
Qataremirate (AM)
UAEemirate (OM)
OmanSultanate (AM)
BruneiSultanate (ATM)
Saudi Arabiakingdom (ATM)
Cambodiakingdom (KM)
AfricaLesothokingdom (KM)
Moroccokingdom (KM)
Swazilandkingdom (AM)
OceaniaTongakingdom
KM - constitutional monarchy;
PM - parliamentary monarchy;
OM - limited monarchy;
AM - absolute monarchy;
ATM is an absolute theocratic monarchy.

On the modern political map, 30 countries of the world have a monarchical form of government.

Monarchy is a form of government in which power is concentrated in the hands of one person and is inherited.

IN absolute monarchy the power of the monarch is almost limitless (Bhutan, Oman, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, etc.)

Head theocratic monarchy is a religious leader (there are three of them in the world - the Vatican, Saudi Arabia, where the king is simultaneously the head of the religious community of Sunni Muslims, and the Sultan of Bahrain).

IN constitutional monarchies The power of the monarch is limited by the constitution, and in parliamentary- parliament.

Republic- form government system, in which the separation of powers is carried out, all supreme bodies of state power are elected by direct vote of the people or by a representative elected body of power (parliament). IN presidential republics, unlike parliamentary ones (Germany, Finland, Italy, Turkey), the powers of the head of state and head of government are concentrated in the hands of the president (for example, the USA, France, Romania, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil).

Great Britain is the world's oldest constitutional monarchy. The King (now Queen Elizabeth II) is considered the head of state, the judiciary, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, the secular head of the established Church of England, and the British-led Commonwealth, whose members include more than 50 former countries. British Empire(India, Canada, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, etc.); and in 15 of the Commonwealth countries, he is, however, formally considered the head of state (Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.).

FORM OF GOVERNMENT (ADMINISTRATIVE-TERRITORIAL DIVISION)

Table 7. Main forms of government

Unitary Federation Confederation Others
- one whole public education, consisting of administrative-territorial units that do not possess signs of state sovereignty. Administrative-territorial units within the federation have a certain political and economic independence. Members of the confederation, while maintaining their formal independence, have their own government bodies, but also create joint bodies to coordinate the military and foreign policy actions of the confederation. Commonwealth- a more amorphous union of states than a confederation. Members of the Commonwealth are fully sovereign states.

Community of States- created on the basis of an interstate agreement, strengthens interstate ties between countries.
Most countries of the world: China, Czech Republic, Sweden, Egypt, etc. cm. table "Countries with a federal administrative-territorial structure" Switzerland CIS

Table 8. Countries of the world with a federal administrative-territorial structure

Russian FederationAfrica: Australia and Oceania:
Overseas Europe: Federal Islamic Republic of ComorosCommonwealth of Australia
MoldovaFederal Republic of NigeriaFederated States of Micronesia
Republic of AustriaSouth AfricaAmerica:
Kingdom of BelgiumOverseas Asia: Federative Republic of Brazil
GermanyGeorgiaRepublic of Venezuela
Swiss ConfederationRepublic of IndiaCanada
Federal Republic of YugoslaviaMalaysiaMexican United States
SpainUnion of MyanmarUSA
UAE
Federal Republic of Pakistan

Federal states, of which there are about 20 in the world, were created mainly on the basis of ethnic or national differences (Russian Federation, Switzerland, India, Pakistan, Myanmar, Nigeria) or taking into account historical features formation of statehood (USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela, Germany, Australia, Federation of Micronesia).

Belgium until recently was classified as a unitary state. However, the aggravation of national contradictions between the Walloons and Flemings inhabiting it led to the fact that in 1993 the parliament introduced a federal administrative-territorial structure in this country by a special law.

ECONOMIC DIFFERENTIATION OF COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD

GDP - Gross Domestic Product- the cost of all final goods (goods and services) produced in the country during the year. GDP or GDP per capita are the main, but not the only, indicators that serve as criteria for identifying certain groups of countries.

CLASSIFICATION OF COUNTRIES BY ECONOMY SIZE

The classification of countries by economic size is based on their GDP size, calculated in US dollars.

Table 9. Gross Domestic Product, 2001

Country, group of countries GDP (billion dollars)
1. USA 10171,4
2. Japan 4245,2
3. Germany 1873,8
4. UK 1406,3
5. France 1302,8
6. China 1159,0
7. Italy 1090,0
8. Canada 677,2
9. Mexico 617,8
16. Russia 310,0
The world at large 31500,0
Low income countries 1069,1
Middle income countries 4922,0
High income countries 25506,4

CLASSIFICATION OF COUNTRIES BY LEVEL OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The classification of countries by level of economic development is based on GDP per capita.

Table 10. GDP per capita (in prices at purchasing power parity of currencies in 2000), thousand US dollars

Others the most important indicators The level of economic development is labor productivity, annual electricity production per capita, the share of high-tech products in industrial production and exports, the competitiveness of goods and services on the world market, the state of the economy (GDP growth rate), the structure of GDP and the structure of employment, etc.

SOCIAL DIFFERENTIATION.

IN Lately UN and others international organizations began to use a new synthetic indicator of the level of socio-economic development - the so-called Human Development Index (HDI)- an integral indicator that connects three main components: longevity, education and standard of living. Longevity is measured by average life expectancy, education by a combination of adult literacy and average years of schooling, and standard of living by real GDP per capita adjusted for local cost of living (using purchasing power parity (PPP) of the national currency). Canada, the USA, and Japan have the highest HDI indicators, and the lowest are the African countries of Somalia, Sierra Leone and Niger. Russia in this list closes the group of countries with a high level of HDI.

HDI rank Of the year
1980 1990 2000
1 Switzerland Canada Norway
2 Iceland USA Sweden
3 USA Iceland Canada
4 Canada Japan Belgium
5 Japan Switzerland Australia
6 Norway Netherlands USA
7 Denmark Norway Iceland
8 Netherlands France Netherlands
9 Sweden Belgium Japan
10 Finland Great Britain Finland
... Russia 24) Russia (29) Russia (not included in the first 50)

TYPOLOGY OF COUNTRIES BY LEVEL OF SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

In contrast to the classification (grouping) of countries, which is based primarily on quantitative indicators, the typology is usually based on more important qualitative characteristics of a particular country in political and political terms. economic map peace.

In turn, they can also be different and take into account the level of socio-economic development of countries, their political orientation, the degree of democratization of power, inclusion in world economy and etc.

Until the beginning of the 90s. All countries in the world were usually divided into three types:

  1. socialist;
  2. developed capitalist;
  3. developing.

After the actual collapse of the world socialist system, this typology was replaced by others. One of them, also three-membered, divides all countries of the world into economically developed, developing and countries with transition economies, i.e., those making the transition from centrally planned to market economy(these are, first of all, the so-called post-socialist countries of Eastern Europe and the CIS, as well as China).

The main criterion for this typology is the level of socio-economic development of a particular state, expressed primarily through the indicator of gross domestic product per capita. Other indicators are also taken into account.

ECONOMICALLY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES

The UN currently classifies approximately 60 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America, Australia and Oceania. All of them are distinguished by a higher level of economic and social development and, accordingly, gross domestic product per capita (over 5,000 US dollars). However, this group of countries is characterized by quite significant internal heterogeneity and four subgroups can be distinguished within its composition.

The first of them forms "Group of Seven Western Countries", which includes the USA, Japan, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and Canada. These are the leading countries Western world, characterized by the largest scale of economic and political activity.

The G7 countries account for about 50% of the world's gross national product and industrial production, over 25% of agricultural products. Their per capita GDP ranges from 20 to 30 thousand dollars.

Co. second subgroup can be attributed less large countries Western Europe. Although the political and economic power of each of them is not so great, as a whole they play a large, ever-increasing role in world affairs. Most of them have the same GDP per capita as the G7 countries.

The third subgroup form non-European countries - Australia, New Zealand and South Africa(SOUTH AFRICA). These are former settler colonies (dominions) of Great Britain, which actually did not know feudalism, and even today they are distinguished by some originality of political and economic development. Israel is usually included in this group.

Fourth subgroup is still in its formation stage. It was formed in 1997, after such countries and territories of Asia as the Republic of Korea, Singapore and Taiwan were transferred to the category of economically developed ones. These states have come very close to other economically developed countries in terms of GDP per capita. They have a broad and diverse economic structure, including a rapidly growing service sector, and actively participate in global trade.

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Developing countries include about 150 countries and territories, which together occupy more than half of the earth's land area and concentrate about 3/5 of the world's population. On the political map of the world, these countries cover a vast belt extending in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania north and especially south of the equator. Some of them (Iran, Thailand, Ethiopia, Egypt, Latin American countries and others) had independence long before the Second World War. But the majority won it in the post-war period.

The world of developing countries (when there was a division into the world socialist and capitalist systems, it was usually called the “third world”) is internally very heterogeneous, and this complicates the typology of the countries included in it. However, at least as a first approximation, developing countries can be divided into the following six subgroups.

First from them form the so-called key countries- India, Brazil, China and Mexico, which have very great natural, human and economic potential and in many respects are leaders of the developing world.

These three countries produce almost as much industrial output as all other developing countries combined. But their per capita GDP is significantly lower than in economically developed countries, and in India, for example, it is $350.

In second group includes some developing countries that have also achieved relatively high level socio-economic development and having a per capita GDP indicator exceeding 1 thousand dollars. Most of these countries are in Latin America (Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Venezuela, etc.), but they are also in Asia and North Africa.

TO third subgroup include the so-called newly industrialized countries. In the 80s and 90s. they achieved such a leap in their development that they received the nickname “Asian tigers” or “Asian dragons”. The “first echelon” or “first wave” of such countries included the already mentioned Republic of Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. And the “second echelon” usually includes Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.

Fourth subgroup form oil-exporting countries in which, thanks to the influx of “petrodollars,” per capita GDP reaches 10, or even 20 thousand dollars. These are, first of all, the countries of the Persian Gulf (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Iran), also Libya, Brunei and some other countries.

IN fifth, the largest subgroup includes most of the “classical” developing countries. These are countries lagging behind in their development, with a per capita GDP of less than 1 thousand dollars per year. They are dominated by a rather backward mixed economy with strong feudal remnants. Most of these countries are in Africa, but they also exist in Asia and Latin America.

Sixth subgroup form approximately 40 countries (with a total population of more than 600 million people), which, according to the UN classification, belong to the least developed countries (sometimes called the “fourth world”). They are dominated by consumerism Agriculture, there is almost no manufacturing industry, 2/3 of the adult population is illiterate, and the average per capita GDP is only $100-300 per year. Last place Even among them, Mozambique ranks with a per capita GDP of $80 per year (or a little over 20 cents per day!).

Table 12. Least the developed countries peace

Asia Oceania Latin America Africa
Afghanistan Vanuatu Haiti Benin Lesotho Tanzania
Bangladesh Kiribati Botswana Mauritania Togo
Butane Zap. Samoa Burkina Faso Malawi Uganda
Yemen Tuvalu Burundi Mali CAR
Laos Gambia Mozambique Chad
Maldives Guinea Niger Eq. Guinea
Myanmar Guinea-Bissau Rwanda Ethiopia
Nepal Djibouti Sao Tome and Principe Sierra Leone
Cape Verde Somalia Sudan
Comoros
>

Countries with economies in transition. Inclusion of post-socialist countries with transition economies into this two-part typology presents certain difficulties. In terms of their socio-economic indicators, most countries of Eastern Europe (Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, etc.), as well as the Baltic countries, certainly belong to the economically developed ones. Among the CIS countries there are also economically developed ones (Russia, together with the leading Western countries, forms " big eight"countries of the world, Ukraine, etc.), and countries that occupy an intermediate position between developed and developing.

China occupies the same contradictory position in this typology, which has its own characteristics both in the political system (a socialist country) and in socio-economic development. Recently, China, which is developing very at a fast pace, became a truly great power not only in world politics, but also in the world economy. But the per capita GDP in this country with a huge population is only $500.

Table 13. Share separate groups countries in world population, world GDP and world exports of goods and services in 2000.

World population World GDP* World export
Industrialized countries 15,4 57,1 75,7
G7 countries 11,5 45,4 47,7
EU 6,2 20 36
Developing countries 77,9 37 20
Africa 12,3 3,2 2,1
Asia 57,1 25,5 13,4
Latin America 8,5 8,3 4,5
Countries with economies in transition 6,7 5,9 4,3
CIS 4,8 3,6 2,2
CEE 1,9 2,3 2,1
For reference: 6100 million people $44550 billion
Basic concepts: Territory and border of the state, economic zone, sovereign state, dependent territories, republic (presidential and parliamentary), monarchy (absolute, including theocratic, constitutional), federal and unitary state, confederation, gross domestic product (GDP), human development index (HDI), developed countries, G7 countries of the West, developing countries, NIS countries, key countries, oil-exporting countries, least developed countries; political geography, geopolitics, GGP of the country (region), UN, NATO, EU, NAFTA, MERCOSUR, Asia-Pacific, OPEC.

Skills and abilities: Be able to classify countries according to various criteria, give brief description groups and subgroups of countries in the modern world, assess the political and geographical position of countries according to plan, identify positive and negative traits, note changes in GWP over time, use the most important economic and social indicators to characterize (GDP, GDP per capita, human development index, etc.) the country. Reveal major changes on the political map of the world, explain the reasons and predict the consequences of such changes.

RESEARCH AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION

RUSSIAN NEW UNIVERSITY


Abstract on the topic:

“Monararchies on the modern political map of the world”

Prepared by: student

1st year group GSK-1

Hamakina D. A.

Checked by: Tikhosha T.I.

______________________________ ______________________________ ______

Introduction………………………………………………………………………...3

1. States with a monarchical system…………………………………………………………...4

2. Stability and welfare…………………………………………… …….7

3. Who strengthens the unity of the people?……………………………………………………………9

4. Without a king at the head…………………………………………………… ……………………………12

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………….22

List of references………………………………………………………... 23

Introduction

Nowadays, when spaceships roam the expanses of the universe, there are monarchies on Earth. It would seem like an anachronism of the past, but what are they now, what role do they play? How many are there?

In the modern world there are just over 230 states and self-governing territories with international status. Of these, only 41 states have a monarchical form of government, not counting several dozen territories under the authority of the British Crown. It would seem that in the modern world there is a clear advantage on the side of republican states. But upon closer examination, it turns out that these countries mostly belong to the third world and were formed as a result of the collapse of the colonial system.

Often created along colonial administrative boundaries, these states are very unstable entities. They can fragment and change, as can be seen, for example, in Iraq. They are engulfed in ongoing conflicts, like a significant number of countries in Africa. And it is absolutely obvious that they do not belong to the category of advanced states.

  1. States with a monarchical system

Today, the monarchy is an extremely flexible and diverse system ranging from the tribal form that successfully operates in the Arab states of the Middle East to the monarchical version of a democratic state in many European countries.

Here is a list of states with a monarchical system and the territories under their crown:

  • Andorra - co-princes Nicolas Sarkozy (since 2007) and Joan Enric Vives i Sicilha (since 2003)
  • Belgium - King Albert II (since 1993)
  • Vatican - Pope Benedict XVI (since 2005)
  • Great Britain - Queen Elizabeth II (since 1952)
  • Denmark - Queen Margrethe II (since 1972)
  • Spain - King Juan Carlos I (since 1975)
  • Liechtenstein - Prince Hans-Adam II (since 1989)
  • Luxembourg - Grand Duke Henri (since 2000)
  • Monaco - Prince Albert II (since 2005)
  • Netherlands - Queen Beatrix (since 1980)
  • Norway - King Harald V (since 1991)
  • Sweden - King Carl XVI Gustaf (since 1973)
  • Bahrain - King Hamad ibn Isa al-Khalifa (since 2002, emir 1999-2002)
  • Brunei - Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (since 1967)
  • Bhutan - King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuk (since 2006)
  • Jordan - King Abdullah II (since 1999)
  • Cambodia - King Norodom Sihamoni (since 2004)
  • Qatar - Emir Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani (since 1995)
  • Kuwait - Emir Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah (since 2006)
  • Malaysia - King Mizan Zainal Abidin (since 2006)
  • United Arab Emirates UAE - President Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahyan (since 2004)
  • Oman - Sultan Qaboos bin Said (since 1970)
  • Saudi Arabia - King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud (since 2005)
  • Thailand - King Bhumibol Adulyadej (since 1946)
  • Japan - Emperor Akihito (since 1989)
  • Lesotho - King Letsie III (since 1996, first time 1990-1995)
  • Morocco - King Mohammed VI (since 1999)
  • Swaziland - King Mswati III (since 1986)
  • Tonga - King George Tupou V (since 2006)

Dominions, or Commonwealth kingdoms, are headed by the monarch of Great Britain, represented by a governor-general.

  • Antigua and Barbuda Antigua and Barbuda
  • Bahamas Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Belize
  • Grenada
  • Canada
  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Saint Kitts and Nevis
  • Saint Lucia
  • Jamaica
  • Australia
  • New Zealand
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Solomon islands
  • Tuvalu

Asia holds first place in the number of countries with monarchical statehood. This is a progressive and democratic Japan. Leaders of the Muslim world - Saudi Arabia, Brunei, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan, Bahrain, Oman. Two monarchical confederations - Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. And also Thailand, Cambodia, Bhutan.

Second place belongs to Europe. Monarchy here is represented not only in a limited form - in countries occupying leading positions in the EEC (Great Britain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, etc.). But also the absolute form of government is in “dwarf” states: Monaco, Liechtenstein, Vatican.

Third place goes to the countries of Polynesia, and fourth to Africa, where currently only three full-fledged monarchies remain: Morocco, Lesotho, Swaziland, plus several hundred “tourist” ones.

However, a number of republican countries are forced to put up with the presence of traditional local monarchical or tribal formations on their territory, and even enshrine their rights in the constitution. These include: Uganda, Nigeria, Indonesia, Chad and others. Even countries such as India and Pakistan, which abolished the sovereign rights of local monarchs (khans, sultans, rajas, maharajas) in the early 70s of the 20th century, are often forced to accept the existence of these rights, which is called de facto.

  1. Stability and prosperity

Of course, the monarchy does not automatically solve all social, economic and political problems. But, nevertheless, it can provide a certain amount of stability and balance in the political, social and national structure of society. That is why even those countries where it exists purely nominally, say, Canada or Australia, are in no hurry to get rid of the monarchy. The political elite of these countries for the most part understands how important it is for the balance in society to supreme power was a priori secured in the same hands and political circles did not fight for it, but worked in the name of the interests of the entire nation.

Moreover, historical experience shows that the best social security systems in the world were built in monarchical states. AND we're talking about not only about the monarchies of Scandinavia, where even Soviet agitprop in monarchical Sweden managed to find a version of “socialism with human face". Such a system was built in the modern countries of the Persian Gulf, where there is often much less oil than in some fields of the Russian Federation. Despite this, in the 40-60 years since the independence of the Persian Gulf countries, without revolutions and civil wars, liberalization of everything and all, without utopian social experiments, in conditions of a rigid, sometimes absolutist, political system, in the absence of parliamentarism and a constitution, when all the bowels of the country belong to one ruling family, from poor Bedouins herding camels, the majority are citizens of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and other neighboring countries, have become quite wealthy citizens.

Without delving into the endless enumeration of the advantages of the Arab social system, just a few points can be given. Any citizen of the country has the right to free medical care, including that provided in any, even the most expensive, clinic located in any country in the world. Also, any citizen of the country has the right to free education, coupled with free content, in any higher educational institution world (Cambridge, Oxford, Yale, Sorbonne). Young families are provided with housing at the expense of the state. The monarchies of the Persian Gulf are truly social states in which all conditions have been created for the progressive growth of the well-being of the population.

Turning from flourishing Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar to their neighbors in the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Peninsula, who for a number of reasons abandoned the monarchy (Yemen, Iraq, Iran), we will see a striking difference in the internal climate of these states.

3. Who strengthens the unity of the people?

As historical experience shows, in multinational states the integrity of the country is primarily associated with the monarchy. We see this in the past, in the example of the Russian Empire, Austria-Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Iraq. The monarchical regime that comes to replace it, as was the case, for example, in Yugoslavia and Iraq, no longer has the same authority and is forced to resort to cruelties that were not characteristic of the monarchical system of government. At the slightest weakening of this regime, the state, as a rule, is doomed to collapse. This happened with Russia (USSR), we see this in Yugoslavia and Iraq. The abolition of the monarchy in a number of modern countries would inevitably lead to the cessation of their existence as multinational, united states. This primarily applies to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Malaysia, and Saudi Arabia. Thus, the year 2007 clearly showed that in the conditions of the parliamentary crisis that arose due to national contradictions between Flemish and Walloon politicians, only the authority of King Albert II of the Belgians kept Belgium from disintegrating into two or even more independent state entities. In multilingual Belgium, a joke was even born that the unity of its people is held together by only three things - beer, chocolate and the king. Whereas the abolition of the monarchical system in 2008 in Nepal plunged this state into a chain of political crises and permanent civil confrontation.

The second half of the 20th century provides us with several successful examples of the return of peoples who survived an era of instability, civil wars and other conflicts, to a monarchical form of government. The most famous and, undoubtedly, in many ways successful example is Spain. Having gone through civil war, economic crisis and right-wing dictatorship, it returned to a monarchical form of government, taking its rightful place among the family of European nations. Another example is Cambodia. Also, monarchical regimes at the local level were restored in Uganda, after the fall of the dictatorship of Marshal Idi Amin (1928-2003), and in Indonesia, which, after the departure of General Mohammed Hoxha Sukarto (1921-2008), is experiencing a true monarchical renaissance. One of the local sultanates was restored in this country two centuries after it was destroyed by the Dutch.
Restoration ideas are quite strong in Europe, first of all, this applies to the Balkan countries (Serbia, Montenegro, Albania and Bulgaria), where many politicians, public and spiritual figures constantly have to speak out on this issue, and in some cases, provide support to the heads of the Royal Houses, formerly in exile. This is proven by the experience of King Leki of Albania, who almost carried out an armed coup in his country, and the stunning successes of King Simeon II of Bulgaria, who created his own national movement named after him, managed to become the prime minister of the country and is currently the leader of the largest opposition party in the parliament of Bulgaria, which was part of the coalition government.
Among now existing monarchies quite a few are openly absolutist in essence, although forced, as a tribute to the times, to dress up in the garb of popular representation and democracy. European monarchs in most cases do not even use the rights given to them by the constitution.
And here special place The Principality of Liechtenstein occupies the map of Europe. Just sixty years ago it was a large village, which by an absurd accident gained independence. However, now, thanks to the activities of Prince Franz Joseph II and his son and successor Prince Hans Adam II, this is one of the largest business and financial centers, which has managed not to succumb to promises of creating a “single European house”, to defend its sovereignty and an independent view of its own state device.



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