Improvements in height had been mostly incremental for centuries. Consider the Washington Monument, which was the world’s second-tallest structure leading into the 20th century and still the tallest standing stone structure today. Completed in 1884, it stands 555 feet (169 m) tall, only barely edging out the Great Pyramid.
The Tallest Buildings Over Time
Modern skyscrapers are mind-blowing in comparison. Look no further than the Jeddah Tower, which is currently being built in Saudi Arabia. Expected to be finished in 2019 at a height of 3,280 ft (1,000 m), the Jeddah Tower will be the world’s first building over 1 km in height. Equivalent to nearly seven Great Pyramids of Giza stacked on top of one another, it will be the new centerpiece of the Middle Eastern desert, as well as the hub of the $20 billion development known as the Jeddah Economic City. Here’s how the rankings for the world’s tallest buildings have changed over the last century or so:
In the modern era, the rankings can change very quickly. For example, the Sears Tower was built at a height of 1,450 ft (442 m) in 1974 and held the title of the tallest building for nearly 25 years. Today, the building (now known as the Willis Tower) does not even make the top 10 list. Within five years, it is not expected even make the list of the world’s 20 tallest buildings. So where are the newest megatowers being built? Primarily in Asia and the Middle East, it turns out. It is estimated that by 2020, that seven of the world’s ten tallest towers will reside in Asia, while three will be located in the Middle East in countries such as UAE or Saudi Arabia. The tallest building in the Americas is currently One World Trade Center in New York City, which stands 1,776 ft (541 m) above the streets of Manhattan. Original graphic by: Alan’s Factory Outlet
on Even while political regimes across these countries have changed over time, they’ve largely followed a few different types of governance. Today, every country can ultimately be classified into just nine broad forms of government systems. This map by Truman Du uses information from Wikipedia to map the government systems that rule the world today.
Countries By Type of Government
It’s important to note that this map charts government systems according to each country’s legal framework. Many countries have constitutions stating their de jure or legally recognized system of government, but their de facto or realized form of governance may be quite different. Here is a list of the stated government system of UN member states and observers as of January 2023: Let’s take a closer look at some of these systems.
Monarchies
Brought back into the spotlight after the death of Queen Elizabeth II of England in September 2022, this form of government has a single ruler. They carry titles from king and queen to sultan or emperor, and their government systems can be further divided into three modern types: constitutional, semi-constitutional, and absolute. A constitutional monarchy sees the monarch act as head of state within the parameters of a constitution, giving them little to no real power. For example, King Charles III is the head of 15 Commonwealth nations including Canada and Australia. However, each has their own head of government. On the other hand, a semi-constitutional monarchy lets the monarch or ruling royal family retain substantial political powers, as is the case in Jordan and Morocco. However, their monarchs still rule the country according to a democratic constitution and in concert with other institutions. Finally, an absolute monarchy is most like the monarchies of old, where the ruler has full power over governance, with modern examples including Saudi Arabia and Vatican City.
Republics
Unlike monarchies, the people hold the power in a republic government system, directly electing representatives to form government. Again, there are multiple types of modern republic governments: presidential, semi-presidential, and parliamentary. The presidential republic could be considered a direct progression from monarchies. This system has a strong and independent chief executive with extensive powers when it comes to domestic affairs and foreign policy. An example of this is the United States, where the President is both the head of state and the head of government. In a semi-presidential republic, the president is the head of state and has some executive powers that are independent of the legislature. However, the prime minister (or chancellor or equivalent title) is the head of government, responsible to the legislature along with the cabinet. Russia is a classic example of this type of government. The last type of republic system is parliamentary. In this system, the president is a figurehead, while the head of government holds real power and is validated by and accountable to the parliament. This type of system can be seen in Germany, Italy, and India and is akin to constitutional monarchies. It’s also important to point out that some parliamentary republic systems operate slightly differently. For example in South Africa, the president is both the head of state and government, but is elected directly by the legislature. This leaves them (and their ministries) potentially subject to parliamentary confidence.
One-Party State
Many of the systems above involve multiple political parties vying to rule and govern their respective countries. In a one-party state, also called a single-party state or single-party system, only one political party has the right to form government. All other political parties are either outlawed or only allowed limited participation in elections. In this system, a country’s head of state and head of government can be executive or ceremonial but political power is constitutionally linked to a single political movement. China is the most well-known example of this government system, with the General Secretary of the Communist Party of China ruling as the de facto leader since 1989.
Provisional
The final form of government is a provisional government formed as an interim or transitional government. In this system, an emergency governmental body is created to manage political transitions after the collapse of a government, or when a new state is formed. Often these evolve into fully constitutionalized systems, but sometimes they hold power for longer than expected. Some examples of countries that are considered provisional include Libya, Burkina Faso, and Chad.
