Following the death of Norway's King Harald V, attention has once again turned to the world's remaining monarchies and the role royal families continue to play in modern states.

A monarchy is a system of government in which a monarch (such as a king or queen) serves as head of state.

There are 43 sovereign countries with monarchies around the world today. Asia has the largest number with 13, followed by Europe with 12. The Americas have 9, while 6 are in Oceania and 3 are in Africa.

In most monarchies, the position is hereditary although the monarch's actual powers can vary considerably from country to country.

In the United Kingdom, for example, King Charles III is head of state, but the country is governed by an elected prime minister and Parliament. In Saudi Arabia, on the other hand, the king holds extensive political and executive authority.

The Commonwealth countries in the Americas and some in Oceania are among the countries where King Charles III is also monarch. They are independent nations with their own governments, but share a historical connection with the UK through the Commonwealth.

Where are the world's monarchies?

Asia has the most with 13 monarchies: Japan, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, Bhutan, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates.

Europe has 12 monarchies: the United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Andorra and Vatican City.

The Americas have 9 monarchies: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Belize, Canada, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Oceania has 6 monarchies: Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tonga and Tuvalu

Africa has 3 monarchies: Eswatini, Lesotho and Morocco.

Beyond kings and queens:

Not all monarchs are called kings or queens. The world's monarchies also include emperors, sultans, emirs, princes, a grand duke and the Pope.

Japan has an emperor, Brunei and Oman have sultans, while Qatar and Kuwait have emirs.

Some monarchies have survived because they have adapted to modern political systems, while others continue to hold significant political power.