

The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's oldest surviving order of chivalry. The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is headquartered in Rome, Italy, and is widely considered a sovereign subject of international law.
The Hospitaller Order of St. John has given rise to many splinter groups and imitators, both chivalric and fraternal.
There are five orders that are recognized as orders of knighthood by being recognized by the sovereign authorities of the countries they are based in. One is the Sovereign Order of Malta. The others are members of the Alliance of Orders of St. John.
Other orders include: