20 countries still ruled by monarchs

For centuries, before the rise of parliamentary democracies in the late eighteenth century, it was normal for a country to be ruled by a royal family, whose title passed from generation to generation, with a new king, queen, or emperor taking power after the death or abdication of his or her predecessor. Today, many countries around the world are still ruled by monarchies. Some are constitutional monarchies, where the monarch’s power is regulated by a parliament; others are absolute monarchies, where one person rules by decree. Here is a look at twenty reigning monarchs and how they influence their countries today.