Government > Leaders > President > Summary: Countries Compared

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COUNTRY	DESCRIPTION
Afghanistan	Hamid Karzai is into his second term of office
Albania	Mr Nishani is a former interior minister
Algeria	President Bouteflika was elected to a third term of office in 2009
Angola	President Dos Santos is one of Africa's longest serving leaders
Argentina	Cristina Fernandez
Armenia	President Serge Sarkisian's 2008 win was followed by deadly clashes
Austria	President Heinz Fischer is a former science minister
Azerbaijan	Ilham Aliyev succeeded his father Heydar as president
Bangladesh	Mr Hamid was Speaker of parliament before becoming president
Belarus	Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko
Benin	Mr Boni Yayi is in his second term as president
Bolivia	The election of Mr Morales represented a major shift for Bolivia
Botswana	Seretse Khama Ian Khama was a soldier before turning to politics
Brazil	Ms Rousseff made a major leap to the top job when she became president in 2010
Bulgaria	President Plevneliev has overseen several changes of government
Burkina Faso	President Compaore has been in power since 1987
Burma	Former general Thein Sein heads the first nominally civilian government since 1962
Burundi	Pierre Nkurunziza is one of Africa's youngest leaders
Cameroon	Paul Biya has been leader for three decades
Cape Verde	Jorge Carlos Fonseca won elections in 2011
Chad	President Deby faces an opposition revolt and allegations of corruption
China	President Xi Jinping has a reputation for fighting corruption
Colombia	Mr Santos maintains his predecessor's tough stance against Farc
Comoros	Ikililou Dhoinine was vice-president before winning 2010's presidential election
Cote d'Ivoire	President Ouattara was elected in November 2010
Croatia	Croatian President Ivo Josipovic
Cuba	Raul Castro picked up the reins of power from his brother Fidel
Cyprus	Nicos Anastasiades promised to secure a financial bailout for his country
Czech Republic	President Zeman has been accused of attempting to undermine the Czech parliamentary system
Democratic Republic of the Congo	Joseph Kabila is Africa's youngest head of state
Djibouti	President Guelleh has ruled Djibouti since 1999
East Timor	Taur Matan Ruak headed the guerrilla force fighting for independence
Ecuador	President Correa has mounted a nationalisation drive
Equatorial Guinea	Mr Obiang has been in power for three decades
Eritrea	Isaias Afewerki runs a one-party state accused of suppressing democracy
Estonia	Social Democrat Hendrik Toomas Ilves has occupied the largely cermonial role of president since 2006
Federated States of Micronesia	President Emanuel "Manny" Mori
Finland	President Sauli Niinisto is credited with leading the economy towards growth in the 1990s
France	Mr Hollande's tax rises have met with fierce resistance
French Polynesia	Gaston Flosse is a veteran of politics
Gabon	Ali Ben Bongo's election was disputed by the opposition
Gambia	Mr Jammeh has been accused of intolerance to criticism and dissent
Georgia	Georgian Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili (left) with President Giorgi Margvelashvili
Germany	President Joachim Gauck
Ghana	Mr Mahama became president when his predecessor died
Greece	President Karolos Papoulias
Guatemala	Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina
Guinea	Alpha Conde won the presidency in 2010 after a half-century in opposition
Guyana	Mr Ramotar leads a minority government
Haiti	Mr Martelly was known for his charismatic performances in his previous career as a singer
Honduras	Mr Hernandez has promised to be tough on crime
Hungary	President Janos Ader
Iceland	President Grimsson often speaks out on controversial issues
Indonesia	Mr Yudhoyono has made the fight against terrorism a key priority
Iran	Hassan Rouhani is seen as a religious moderate
Iraq	President Talabani is a veteran of Kurdish and Iraqi national politics
Ireland	Michael D Higgins is a poet and politician
Israel	Israel's elder statesman, Shimon Peres
Italy	President Giorgio Napolitano has been a stabilising influence on Italian political life
Kazakhstan	President Nazarbayev has been in power since the fall of the Soviet Union
Kenya	Uhuru Kenyatta faces charges of crimes against humanity
Kiribati	Anote Tong is into his third term
Kyrgyzstan	Almazbek Atambayev urges unity among political forces
Laos	Communist rule continues under Choummaly Sayasone
Latvia	President Berzins is a wealthy businessman
Lebanon	A Maronite Christian, Gen Michel Suleiman is widely regarded as a unifying figure
Liberia	Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
Lithuania	Dalia Grybauskaite won the presidency in 2009
Madagascar	Mr Rajaonarimampianina is a former finance minister
Malawi	Malawian President Joyce Banda
Mali	Mr Keita
Marshall Islands	Christopher Loeak is a veteran politician
Mauritania	President Abdelaziz came to power in a coup, but now heads an elected government
Mexico	Mr Pena Nieto will have to face the escalating violence of the drugs war
Moldova	Nicolae Timofti served as a senior judge
Mongolia	Mining and resources top Mr Elbegdorj's agenda
Mozambique	Millionaire business Armando Guebuza came to power in 2005
Namibia	Mr Pohamba was a founding member of the rebel movement which fought for independence
Nepal	Ram Baran Yadav, Nepal's first president
Nicaragua	Daniel Ortega has replaced Marxist rhetoric with business-friendly policies
Niger	Mr Issoufou's election marked a return to democracy after a year of military rule
Nigeria	Most of President Jonathan's electoral support lies in the mainly Christian south
Pakistan	Mamnoon Hussain is a textile businessman
Palau	Mr Remengesau advocates action to combat global warming and protect Palau's environment
Panama	President Martinelli was elected on a platform of encouraging economic growth
Paraguay	Mr Cartes is one of Paraguay's wealthiest people
Peru	Ollanta Humala comes from a family of prominent radicals
Philippines	Until he ran for president, Noynoy Aquino was relatively unknown
Poland	President Komorowski was active in the civil rights movement in the 1970s
Portugal	President Anibal Cavaco Silva
Republic of Macedonia	President Gjorge Ivanov has made it his mission to improve relations with neighbouring Greece
Romania	President Basescu is a former sea captain
Russia	Mr Putin has devoted a good deal of effort to burnishing his image as a strong leader
Rwanda	Mr Kagame has been accused of being intolerant of opposition
Sao Tome and Principe	Mr Pinto da Costa is serving his second, non-consecutive term in office
Senegal	Mr Sall served as prime minister under his predecessor, Abdoulaye Wade
Serbia	Mr Nikolic's Progressive Party has evolved from its nationalist roots to become more pro-EU
Seychelles	James Michel served alongside long-time leader Albert Rene
Sierra Leone	President Koromo came to power in elections
Singapore	Tony Tan
Slovakia	Ivan Gasparovic was first voted into office in 2004
Slovenia	Mr Pahor is seen as a more conciliatory figure than his predecessor
Somalia	Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, elected president in Mogadishu
South Africa	Jacob Zuma trod a rocky road to the presidency
South Korea	Ms Park is the daughter of a former president
South Sudan	Salva Kiir has led the SPLM since 2005
Sri Lanka	A giant cardboard cut-out of President Rajapaksa looks down on traffic
Sudan	Omar Bashir came to power in a coup and faces war crimes charges
Suriname	Desi Bouterse first led Suriname following a coup in 1980
Syria	Bashar al-Assad
Taiwan	Taiwanese president Ma Ying-jeou
Tajikistan	Emomali Rakhmon exerts tight control over the levers of power
Tanzania	Jakaya Kikwete is into his second term
Togo	President Faure Gnassingbe stepped into his father's shoes
Tunisia	Moncef Marzouki opposed his predecessor and was forced into exile
Turkey	Abdullah Gul is seen as a moderate figure
Turkmenistan	President Berdymukhamedov is serving his second term
Uganda	Yoweri Museveni is credited for saving Uganda from dictators, but has been criticized for hanging onto power
Ukraine	President Yanukovych says he aims to balance Ukraine's ties between Russia and Europe
United States	Barack Obama, the country's first black president
Uzbekistan	President Karimov keeps a tight grip on the country
Vanuatu	President Abil was elected in September 2009
Venezuela	Mr Maduro succeeded Hugo Chavez as president
Vietnam	Truong Tan Sang was a senior figure in the Communist Party before becoming president
Yemen	Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi faces a monumental task in holding together Yemen's factions
Zambia	Zambian President Michael Sata
Zimbabwe	President Mugabe has ruled for more than three decades

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