1979 state leaders - Events of 1980 - 1981 state leaders - State leaders by year

Africa

• Algeria -
  • President - Chadli Bendjedid, President of Algeria (1979-1992)
  • Prime Minister - Mohamed Ben Ahmed Abdelghani, Prime Minister of Algeria (1979-1984)
• Angola - José Eduardo dos Santos, President of Angola (10 September 1979-present)
• Burundi - Jean-Baptiste Bagaza, President of Burundi (1976-1987)
• Djibouti -
  • President - Hassan Gouled Aptidon, President of Djibouti (1977-1999)
  • Prime Minister - Barkat Gourad Hamadou, Prime Minister of Djibouti (1978-2001)
• Ethiopia - Mengistu Haile Mariam, Chairmen of the Provisional Military Administrative Council (1977-1987), President of Ethiopia (1987-1991)
• Gabon
  • President - Omar Bongo, President of Gabon (1967-present)
  • Prime Minister - Léon Mébiame, Prime Minister of Gabon (1975-1994)
• Guinea
  • President - Ahmed Sékou Touré, President of Guinea (1958-1984)
  • Prime Minister - Louis Lansana Beavogui, Prime Minister of Guinea (1972-1984)
• Kenya - Daniel arap Moi, President of Kenya (1978-2002)
• Liberia -
  1. William R. Tolbert, Jr., President of Liberia (1971-1980)
  2. Samuel K. Doe, President of Liberia (1980-1990)
• Rwanda - Juvénal Habyarimana, President of Rwanda (1973-1994)
• Uganda
  • Head of State -
    1. Godfrey Binaisa, President of Uganda (1979-1980)
    2. Saulo Musoke, Polycarp Nyamuchoncho, Yoweri Hunter Wacha-Olwol, Leaders of the Presidential Commission (1980)
  1. Milton Obote, President of Uganda (1980-1985)
  • Head of Government -
    1. Paulo Muwanga, Chairman of military commission (1980)
    2. Otema Alimadi, Prime Minister of Uganda (1980-1985)
• Zambia
  • President - Kenneth Kaunda, President of Zambia (1964-1991)
  • Prime Minister - Daniel Lisulo, Prime Minister of Zambia (1978-1981)
• Zimbabwe
  • President - Canaan Banana, President of Zimbabwe (1980-1987)
  • Prime Minister - Robert Mugabe, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe (1980-1987)

Asia

• Afghanistan
  • President - Babrak Karmal, President of Afghanistan, (1979-1986)
  • Prime Minister - Babrak Karmal, Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1979-1981)
• Brunei - Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei (1967–present)
• People's Republic of China
  • De facto Head of State - Ye Jianying, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (1978-1983)
  • Premier -
    1. Hua Guofeng, Premier of the State Council (1976-1980)
    2. Zhao Ziyang, Premier of the State Council (1980-1987)
  • Head of Communist Party - Hua Guofeng, Chairman of the Communist Party of China (1976-1981)
  • De facto leader - Deng Xiaoping (late 1970s - early 1990s)
• India -
  • President - Neelam Sanjiva Reddy, President of India (1977-1982)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Charan Singh, Prime Minister of India (1979-1980)
    2. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India (1980-1984)
• Japan
  • Monarch - Showa Emperor, Emperor of Japan (1926-1989)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Masayoshi Ohira, Prime Minister of Japan (1978-1980)
    2. Zenko Suzuki, Prime Minister of Japan (1980-1982)
• South Korea -
  • President -
    1. Choi Kyuha, President of the Republic of Korea (1979-1980)
    2. Chun Doo-hwan, President of the Republic of Korea (1980-1988)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Shin Hyun-hwak, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (1979-1980)
    2. Pak Choong-hoon, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (1980)
    3. Nam Duck-woo, Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (1980-1982)
• Nepal
  • Monarch - Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev, King of Nepal (1972–2001)
  • Prime Minister - Surya Bahadur Thapa, Prime Minister of Nepal (1979-1983)
• Pakistan -
  • President - Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq, President of Pakistan (1978-1988)
  • Head of Government - Mohammad Zia-ul-Haq, Chief Martial Law Administrator (1977-1985)
• Singapore -
  • President - Benjamin Sheares, President of Singapore (1971-1981)
  • Prime Minister - Lee Kuan Yew, Prime Minister of Singapore (1959-1990)
• Taiwan (Republic of China)
  • President - Chiang Ching-kuo, President of the Republic of China (1978-1988)
  • Premier - Sun Yün-suan, President of the Executive Yuan (1978-1984)

Australia and Oceania

• Australia
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia (1952-present)
  • Governor-General - Sir Zelman Cowen, Governor-General of Australia (1977-1982)
  • Prime Minister - Malcolm Fraser, Prime Minister of Australia (1975-1983)

• New Zealand
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand (1952-present)
  • Governor-General -
    1. Sir Keith Holyoake, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1977-1980)
    2. Sir David Beattie, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1980-1985)
  • Prime Minister - Robert Muldoon, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1972-1984)

• Tuvalu
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Tuvalu (1978-present)
  • Governor-General - Fiatau Penitala Teo, Governor-General of Tuvalu (1978-1986)
  • Prime Minister - Toaripi Lauti, Prime Minister of Tuvalu (1978-1981)

Europe

• Austria
  • President - Rudolf Kirchschläger (1974-1986)
  • Chancellor - Bruno Kreisky (1970-1983)
• Denmark
  • Monarch - Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark (1972-present)
  • Prime Minister - Anker Jørgensen, Prime Minister of Denmark (1975-1982)
• Finland
  • President - Urho Kekkonen (1956-1981)
  • Prime Minister - Mauno Koivisto (1968-1970, 1979-1982)
• France -
  • President - Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, President of France (1974-1981)
  • Prime Minister - Raymond Barre, Prime Minister of France (1976-1981)
• Federal Republic of Germany -
  • President - Karl Carstens, President of the Federal Republic of Germany (1979-1984)
  • Chancellor - Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (1974-1982)
• German Democratic Republic -
  • Communist Party Leader - Erich Honecker, General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (1971-1989)
  • Head of State - Erich Honecker, Chairman of the Council of State (1976-1989)
  • Premier - Willi Stoph, Chairman of the Council of Ministers (1976-1989)
• Ireland -
  • President - Patrick Hillery, President of Ireland (1976-1990)
  • Prime Minister - Charles Haughey, Taoiseach (1979-1981)
• Italy
  • President - Sandro Pertini, President of Italy (1978-1985)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Francesco Cossiga, Prime Minister of Italy (1979-1980)
    2. Arnaldo Forlani, Prime Minister of Italy (1980-1981)
• Poland
  • Communist Party Leader -
    1. Edward Gierek, First Secretary of the Central Committee of Polish United Workers' Party (1970-1980)
    2. Stanisław Kania, First Secretary of the Central Committee of Polish United Workers' Party (1980-1981)
  • Head of State - Council of State, Chairman - Henryk Jabłoński (1972-1985)
  • Premier -
    1. Piotr Jaroszewicz, President of the Council of Ministers (1970-1980)
    2. Edward Babiuch, President of the Council of Ministers (1980)
    3. Józef Pińkowski, President of the Council of Ministers (1980-1981)
• United Kingdom -
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom (1952-present)
  • Prime Minister - Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1979-1990)
• Vatican City
  • Pope - John Paul II, Bishop of Rome (1978-present)
  • Secretary of State - Agostino Cardinal Casaroli, Cardinal Secretary of State (1979-1990)

Middle East

• Egypt -
  • President - Anwar Sadat, President of Egypt (1970-1981)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Mustafa Khalil, Prime Minister of Egypt (1978-1980)
    2. Anwar Sadat, Prime Minister of Egypt (1980-1981)
• Iran -
  • President

• Israel -
  • President - Yitzhak Navon, President of Israel (1978-1983)
  • Prime Minister - Menachem Begin, Prime Minister of Israel (1977-1983)
• Oman - Qaboos Bin Said, Sultan of Oman (1970-)
• People's Democratic Republic of Yemen
  • President -
    1. Abdul Fattah Ismail, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Council (1978-1980)
    2. Ali Nasir Mohammed, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Council (1980-1986)
  • Prime Minister - Haidar Abu Bakr al-Attas, Prime Minister of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1971-1986)
• Yemen Arab Republic
  • President - Ali Abdullah Saleh, President of the Yemen Arab Republic (1978-1990)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Abdul Aziz Abdul Ghani, Prime Minister of the Yemen Arab Republic (1975-1980)
    2. Abdul Karim al-Iryani, Prime Minister of the Yemen Arab Republic (1980-1983)

North America and the Caribbean

• Canada
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada (1962-present)
  • Governor General - Edward Schreyer, Governor General of Canada (1979-1984)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Joe Clark, Prime Minister of Canada (1979-1980)
    2. Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada (1980-1984)
• Cuba - Fidel Castro, President of Cuba (1976-present)
• Trinidad and Tobago
  • President - Ellis Clarke, President of Trinidad and Tobago (1976-1987)
  • Prime Minister - Eric Williams, Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago (1956-1981)
• United States - Jimmy Carter, President of the United States (1977-1981)

South America

• Argentina - Jorge Rafael Videla, President of Argentina (1976-1981)
• Bolivia -
  1. Lidia Gueiler Tejada, President of Bolivia (1979-1980)
  2. Luis García Meza, President of Bolivia (1980-1981)
• Brazil - João Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo, President of Brazil (1979-1985)
• Paraguay - Alfredo Stroessner, President of Paraguay (1954-1989)
• Peru -
  1. Francisco Morales Bermudez Cerruti, President of Peru (1975-1980)
  2. Fernando Belaunde Terry, President of Peru (1980-1985)