An order of merit is an honorific order that is conferred by a state, government, royal family, or other sovereign entity to an individual in recognition of military or civil merit. The historical background of the modern honours system of orders of merit may be traced to the emergence of chivalric orders during the Middle Ages.
Orders of merit may be bestowed as official awards by states, or as dynastic orders by royal families. In the case of modern republics, an order of merit may constitute the highest award conferred by the state authority.
Order of Merit of the Bavarian Crown, established in 1808 by the Kingdom of Bavaria
National Order of Merit (Paraguay), established in 1865
Order of Agricultural Merit (France), established in 1883
Order of Merit, a Commonwealth order established in 1902 by King Edward VII
Order of the Cross of Liberty (Finland), established in 1918
Order of the White Rose of Finland, established in 1919
Order pro Merito Melitensi, established in 1920 as a state decoration by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta
Order of Merit (Lebanon), established in 1922 as the highest honour of the Republic of Lebanon
Order of Civil Merit, Spain, established in 1926
National Order of Honour and Merit (Haiti), established in 1926
Order of Merit (Portugal), established in 1927, known by its current name since 1976
Order of Merit (Chile), established in 1929
Ordre du Mérite Maritime, established in 1930
Order of Merit of the Principality of Liechtenstein, established in 1937
Military Order of Merit (Iran), established in 1937
Order of the Lion of Finland, established in 1942
Order of Civil Merit (Bulgaria), established in 1891, reestablished in 2003
Order of Military Merit (Bulgaria), established in 1900, reestablished in 2003
Legion of Merit, established by the United States Government in 1942
National Order of Merit (Brazil), established in 1946
Order of Civic Merit of Laos, established in 1950
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, established in 1951 as the highest honour of the Italian Republic
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