Civilisation/World Politics

Africa

Algeria

Algeria gained independence from France in 1962. The first president was Ahmed Ben Bella.

Abdelaziz Bouteflika was president from 1999 to 2019.

The current president is Abdelmadjid Tebboune.

Angola

Angola has a unicameral parliament. Political power is concentrated in the presidency.

Agostinho Neto served as the first President of Angola (1975–79), leading the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) in the war for independence from Portugal and the civil war.

The National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, commonly known by the acronym, UNITA, is an Angolan political party and was originally an anti-colonial movement which became a rebel force after Angola's independence in 1975. Until 2002 UNITA was largely a military force in the Angolan Civil War fighting the MPLA. From its foundation until his death in 2002, UNITA was led by its founder, Jonas Savimbi.

Jose Eduardo dos Santos was the president of Angola from 1979 to 2017.

The current president is Joao Lourenco.

Benin

Benin was known as the Republic of Dahomey until 1975.

The president who led the country to independence from France in 1960 was Hubert Maga.

Botswana

Bechuanaland became independent from the United Kingdom in 1966 as the Republic of Botswana, and Seretse Khama became its first president. He held the post until his death in 1980.

Botswana is the oldest democracy in Africa.

The current president is Mokgweetsi Masiri.

Burkina Faso

Burkina Faso gained independence from France in 1960 as Upper Volta. President Thomas Sankara renamed the country to Burkina Faso (“land of the upright men”) in 1984.

Ibrahim Traore has been the interim leader of Burkina Faso since the 2022 coup d'état which ousted interim president Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba. At age 34, Traore is the world's youngest currently serving state leader.

Burundi

The country claimed independence from Belgium in 1962, and legally changed its name from Ruanda-Urundi to Burundi.

The president of Burundi is the head of state and head of government.

Cameroon

In 1960, French Cameroun gained independence from France under President Ahmadou Ahidjo. In 1961, the formerly British Southern Cameroons gained independence from the United Kingdom and joined with French Cameroun to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon.

Ahmadou Ahidjo was president until 1982 and was succeeded by Paul Biya, who is still the country’s president. Biya also served as Prime Minister from 1975 to 1982.

Cape Verde

Cape Verde gained independence from Portugal in 1975.

The president is the head of state and is elected by popular vote for a five-year term.

Central African Republic

Central African Republic gained independence from France in 1960. David Dacko served as the first president until 1966.

Dacko was overthrown in a coup d'état by Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa, who suspended the constitution and dissolved the National Assembly. President Bokassa declared himself President for Life in 1972 and named himself Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire, as the country was renamed, in 1976.

Emperor Bokassa spent nearly a third of the country’s GDP on a coronation ceremony inspired by Napoleon Bonaparte’s.

In 1979, France overthrew Bokassa and restored Dacko to power, subsequently restoring the official name of the country.

Faustin-Archange Touadera has been president since 2016.

Chad

Chad was granted independence from France in 1960 with Francois Tombalbaye as its first president.

Idriss Deby ruled Chad from 1990 until his death in 2021. His son Mahamat Deby is serving as the transitional president.

Comoros

In 1975, the Comorian parliament passed a unilateral resolution declaring independence from France.

Since independence, the Comoros has experienced more than 20 coups or attempted coups.

The island of Mayotte chose to remain with France after independence.

Republic of the Congo

Republic of the Congo became fully independent from France in 1960.

Denis Sassou Nguesso has been the President since 1997. He served a previous term as president from 1979 to 1992.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Belgian Congo achieved independence from Belgium in 1960 under the name "Republic of Congo". Patrice Lumumba was the first legally elected Prime Minister. Only ten weeks later, Lumumba's government was deposed in a coup led by Mobutu during the Congo Crisis. He was subsequently imprisoned and executed by firing squad under the command of the secessionist Katangan authorities in 1961.

Mobutu Sese Seko established the Popular Movement of the Revolution as the sole legal political party in 1967 and changed the Congo's name to Zaire in 1971.

In 1997 Mobutu fled and Laurent Kabila named himself as president and reverted the name of the country to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Laurent Kabila was assassinated in 2001 and replaced by his son, Joseph Kabila.

Joseph Kabila was succeeded as president in 2019 by Felix Tshisekedi.

Djibouti

French Territory of the Afars and the Issas became independent as Djibouti in 1977.

Ismail Omar Guelleh has been President since 1999.

Egypt

Following independence from the United Kingdom in 1922, Sultan Fuad I assumed the title of King of Egypt.

King Farouk was toppled in a coup d’état in 1952, and the Kingdom of Egypt became the Republic of Egypt. Muhammad Naguib became the first president.

Anwar Sadat was assassinated by fundamentalist army officers in 1981.

Presidents of Egypt

1953-1954	Muhammad Naguib
1954-1970	Gamal Nasser
1970-1981	Anwar Sadat
1981-2011	Hosni Mubarak
2012-2013	Mohamed Morsi
2014-	Abdel Fattah el-Sisi

Equatorial Guinea

Equatorial Guinea declared independence from Spain in 1968.

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo is the President of Equatorial Guinea, having served since 1979. He is the longest-serving president of any country ever.

Eritrea

Eritrea gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993. Isaias Afwerki is the first President of Eritrea, a position he has held since its independence

Eswatini

The government is an absolute monarchy.

Swaziland was granted independence from the United Kingdom in 1968.The country was officially renamed in 2018.

Ethiopia

Italy recognized the sovereignty and independence of Ethiopia in 1947.

Haile Selassie's rule ended in 1974, when he was deposed by the Derg, a non-ideological committee made up of military and police officers led by Aman Andom.

Abiy Ahmed has been Prime Minister since 2018. He won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for his work in ending the 20-year post-war territorial stalemate between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Gabon

Gabon gained independence from France in 1960.

Omar Bongo served as President from 1967 until his death in 2009. He was replaced by his son, Ali Bongo.

Gabon joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 2022.

Gambia

Gambia achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1965, as a constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth.

Gambia became a republic within the Commonwealth in 1970.

Yahya Jammeh was President of Gambia from 1996 until 2017. In 2007, Jammeh claimed he could cure HIV/AIDS and asthma with natural herbs. After leaving office, his assets were frozen by many countries and he went into exile in Equatorial Guinea.

Ghana

The Republic of Ghana was formed when the country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. Ghana was the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence.

Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966.

Jerry Rawlings led a military junta from 1981 until 1992, and then served two terms as the democratically elected President of Ghana from 1993 to 2001.

Nana Akufo-Addo has served as president since 2017.

Guinea

Ahmed Sekou Toure became President upon Guinea's independence from France in 1958, establishing a one-party dictatorship.

Alpha Conde served as president from 2010 to 2021, when he was captured by the country's armed forces in a coup d'état.

Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau declared independence from Portugal in 1973.

Luís Cabral was the first President of Guinea-Bissau. He served from 1974 to 1980, when a military coup d'état led by Joao Bernardo Vieira deposed him.

Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire)

Ivory Coast became a republic in 1958 and gained independence from France in 1960.

The first president was Felix Houphouet-Boigny, who served from 1960 until his death in 1993.

Laurent Gbagbo was president from 2000 until 2011. He was arrested in 2011 and extradited to The Hague, where he was charged with four counts of crimes against humanity in the International Criminal Court in connection with the post-election violence.

Alassane Ouattara has been President since 2010.

Kenya

From 1952 to 1959, Kenya was in a state of emergency arising from the Mau Mau rebellion against British rule.

Jomo Kenyatta served as the first Prime Minister (1963–64) and President.

In 1991, Kenya transitioned to a multiparty political system after 26 years of single-party rule.

Uhura Kenyatta is the son of Jomo Kenyatta.

Presidents of Kenya

1964-1978	Jomo Kenyatta
1978-2002	Daniel arap Moi
2002-2013	Mwai Kibaki
2013-2022	Uhura Kenyatta
2022-	William Ruto

Lesotho

Basutoland gained its independence from the United Kingdom and became the Kingdom of Lesotho in 1966.

The Government is a parliamentary or constitutional monarchy.

Liberia

Based on the political principles of the United States Constitution, the independent Republic of Liberia was established in 1847. Liberia is Africa’s oldest republic.

Between 1847 and 1980, the presidency was exclusively held by Americo-Liberians.

Joseph Jenkins Roberts was the first president of Liberia, serving from 1848 to 1856.

William Tolbert was President from 1971 until 1980, when he was killed in a coup d’état. The True Whig Party was dissolved following the coup.

Samuel Doe was President from 1980 to 1990. He was overthrown and murdered in a civil war.

Charles Taylor was President from 1997 to 2003. During his term of office, Taylor was accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity as a result of his involvement in the Sierra Leone Civil War (1991–2002).

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was president from 2006 to 2018. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011, in recognition of her efforts to bring women into the peacekeeping process.

George Weah has served as president since 2018.

Libya

Italy relinquished all claims to Libya as part of the 1947 peace treaty with the Allies.

Libya declared independence in 1951, and was ruled as a constitutional monarchy under King Idris I.

Taking power in a coup d'etat, Muammar Gaddafi ruled as Revolutionary Chairman of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then as the "Brotherly Leader" of the Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011, when he was ousted in the Libyan Civil War.

The politics of Libya has been in a tumultuous state since 2011.

Madagascar

Madagascar became independent from France as the Malagasy Republic in 1960. The country was renamed the Democratic Republic of Madagascar in 1975.

Philibert Tsiranana was the first president of Madagascar, serving until 1972.

Madagascar was suspended from the African Union from 2009 to 2014, following a military coup.

Malawi

Nyasaland became independent from Britain in 1964 and was renamed Malawi.

Hastings Banda was the leader of Malawi from 1961 to 1994.

Joyce Banda was president from 2012 to 2014. She was the second woman to become the president in the African continent after Liberia's Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

Mali

Mali gained independence from France in 1960.

Mali Federation was a federation linking the French colonies of Senegal and the Sudanese Republic (or French Sudan) for two months in 1960. Senegal withdrew from the federation, the Sudanese Republic officials resisted this dissolution, cut off diplomatic relations with Senegal, and changed the name of their country to Mali.

Until a military coup in 2012, Mali was a constitutional democracy. The president serves as a chief of state and commander in chief of the armed forces.

The current political situation is very unstable.

Mauritania

Mauritania gained independence from France in 1960.

Moktar Ould Daddah was president from 1960 until he was deposed in a military coup d’état in 1978.

Mauritius

Mauritius declared independence from the United Kingdom in 1968.

In 1992, Mauritius was proclaimed a republic within the Commonwealth of Nations. The last governor general, Sir Veerasamy Ringadoo, became the first president.

Morocco

In 1956 Mohammed V successfully negotiated with France for the independence of Morocco, and in 1957 he took the title of King.

King Hassan II reigned from 1961 to 1999.

Morocco withdrew from the African Union in 1984 over the admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (Western Sahara) but rejoined in 2017.

Mozambique

Mozambique gained independence from Portugal in 1975. The new government under President Samora Machel established a one-party state based on Marxist principles.

Mozambique Liberation Front (FRELIMO) was a liberation movement which was founded in 1962 to fight for the independence of the Portuguese Overseas Province of Mozambique.

A civil war between the opposition forces of anti-communist Mozambican National Resistance (RENAMO) rebel militias and the FRELIMO regime took place between 1977 and 1992.

Mozambique joined the Commonwealth in 1995 and was the first country admitted without links to any other member.

Namibia

Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990, and was formerly known as South West Africa.

Sam Nujoma was the first President of Namibia. He was inaugurated as President in 1990 and was subsequently re-elected in 1994 and 1999. He was also President of the South-West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) from its founding in 1960 until 2007.

Niger

Niger gained independence from France in 1960.

Hamani Diori was the first president, serving until his rule was ended with a coup in 1974.

Nigeria

Nigeria gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1960, as the Federation of Nigeria with Abubakar Tafawa Balewa as its prime minister.

Nnamdi Azikiwe, known as “Zik”, served as the last Governor-General from 1960 to 1963 and the first President of Nigeria from 1963 to 1966

Goodluck Jonathan was President of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He was succeeded by Muhammadu Buhari.

Rwanda

Rwanda gained independence from Belgium in 1962

In 1994 president Juvenal Habyarimana's plane was shot down near Kigali Airport, killing him. The shooting down of the plane served as the catalyst for the Rwandan genocide.

Rwanda joined the Commonwealth in 2009.

Paul Kagame has been president of Rwanda since 2000.

Sao Tome and Principe

Sao Tome and Principe gained independence from Portugal in 1975.

In 1990, Sao Tome became one of the first African countries to undergo democratic reform, and changes to the constitution – the legalization of opposition political parties – led to elections in 1991 that were nonviolent, free, and transparent.

Senegal

Senegal gained independence from France in 1960.

Leopold Senghor was the first President of Senegal, serving from 1960 to 1980.

Macky Sall has been president since 2012.

Seychelles

In 1976, Seychelles was granted independence from the United Kingdom and became a republic.

France-Albert Rene was president from 1997 to 2004.

Sierra Leone

Milton Margai was the first prime minister of Sierra Leone. He was the main architect of the post-colonial constitution of Sierra Leone and guided it to independence from the United Kingdom in 1961. After his death in 1964, his brother, Albert, was appointed as Prime Minister.

Siaka Stevens became the first president after Sierra Leone became a republic in 1971.

Somalia

British Somaliland became independent in 1960 as the State of Somaliland, and the Trust Territory of Somalia (the former Italian Somaliland) followed suit five days later. On 1 July 1960, the two territories united to form the Somali Republic.

The first president of Somalia was Aden Abdullah Osman Daar.

South Africa

South Africa is a parliamentary republic. The lower house is the National Assembly and consists of 400 members. The upper house is the National Council of Provinces.

The African National Congress (ANC) has been the governing political party in South Africa since the end of apartheid in 1994.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has been the official opposition at national level since the 1999 general election.

The South Africa Act 1909 granted nominal independence.

In 1931, the union became fully sovereign from the United Kingdom with the passage of the Statute of Westminster.

South Africa became a republic in 1961.

Jan Smuts served as Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa from 1919 until 1924 and from 1939 until 1948. He was the only person to sign the peace treaties ending both the First and Second World Wars.

Helen Suzman was the only anti-apartheid MP in South Africa in the 1960s.

Hendrik Verwoerd was prime minister from 1958 until his death in 1966. He was assassinated in Cape Town by a parliamentary messenger named Dimitri Tsafendas.

Oliver Tambo was President of the ANC from 1967 to 1991. He lived in exile in London.

The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) was founded by Chief Buthelezi in 1975. He was leader of the party until 2019.

The Tricameral Parliament was the name given to the South African parliament and its structure from 1984 to 1994. While still entrenching the political power of the White section of the South African population (or, more specifically, that of the National Party), it did give a limited political voice to the country's Coloured and Indian population groups. The majority Black population group was still excluded.

Walter Sisulu was a member of the ANC and was imprisoned on Robben Island from 1964 to 1989.

Nelson Mandela was released from Victor Verster prison, on Robben Island (near Cape Town) on 11 February 1990 after 27 years in prison. He was released by F. W. de Klerk.

State Presidents of South Africa

1961-1967	C. R. Swart
1968-1975	Jim Fouche
1975-1978	Nico Diederichs
1978-1979	John Vorster
1979-1984	Marais Viljoen
1984-1989	P. W. Botha
1989-1994	F. W. de Klerk

Presidents of South Africa

1994-1999	Nelson Mandela
1999-2008	Thabo Mbeki
2008-2009	Kgalema Motlanthe
2009-2018	Jacob Zuma
2018-	Cyril Ramaphosa

South Sudan

South Sudan gained independence from Sudan in 2011.

Salva Kiir has been president since independence. He is known for wearing a black Stetson hat.

Sudan

Sudan gained independence in 1956 from the United Kingdom and Egypt.

Since independence it has suffered ethnic violence and endured a civil war.

Ismail al-Azhari served as the first Prime Minister of Sudan between 1954 and 1956, and as President of Sudan from 1965 until he was overthrown by Gaafar Nimeiry in 1969.

Omar al-Bashir served as the head of state of Sudan under various titles from 1989 until 2019, when he was deposed in a coup.

Tanzania

Tanzania is a one-party dominant state with the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party in power.

Tanganyika gained independence in 1961.

Zanzibar became independent in 1963 and merged with Tanganyika in 1964 as the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Later the same year, the country was renamed the United Republic of Tanzania.

Julius Nyerere served as the first President of Tanzania, from the country's founding in 1961 until his retirement in 1985.

John Magufuli served as president from 2015 to 2021. He was known as “The Bulldozer”.

Samia Suluhu Hassan has been serving since 2021 as the sixth and first female president of Tanzania.

Togo

Togo gained independence from France in 1960.

Sylvanus Olympio was the first president of Togo. He was assassinated during the 1963 Togolese coup d'état.

Gnassingbe Eyadema was the president from 1967 until his death in 2005. His son, Faure Gnassingbe took over as president.

Togo joined the Commonwealth of Nations in 2022.

Tunisia

Tunisia gained independence from France in 1956 as the Kingdom of Tunisia. A year later, Tunisia was declared a republic, with Habib Bourguiba as the first President.

Habib Bourguiba served as president until 1987.

Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was president from 1987 to 2011, when he fled the country during the Tunisian revolution.

Kais Saied has served as president since 2019.

Najla Bouden is the current prime minister. She took office in 2021, making her the first female prime minister both in Tunisia and the Arab world.

Uganda

Milton Obote, Prime Minister of Uganda from 1962 to 1966 and President of Uganda from 1966 to 1971 and from 1980 to 1985, was a Ugandan political leader who led Uganda to independence from the British colonial administration in 1962.

After a military coup in 1971, Obote was deposed from power and General Idi Amin seized control of the country. Amin ruled Uganda as dictator with the support of the military until 1979. He died in exile in Saudi Arabia in 2003.

Yoweri Museveni has been president since his forces toppled the previous regime in 1986.

Zambia

Northern Rhodesia became the Republic of Zambia in 1964, with Kenneth Kaunda as the first president.

Kenneth Kaunda served as the president until 1991.

Guy Scott, a Zambian of Scottish descent, served as acting President of Zambia from 2014 to 2015.

Zimbabwe

In 1965, the white minority government led by Ian Smith unilaterally declared independence (UDI) from the United Kingdom as Rhodesia.

Ian Smith and Harold Wilson held two rounds of direct negotiations, both of which were held aboard Royal Navy ships off Gibraltar. The first took place aboard HMS Tiger in 1966, while the second, aboard HMS Fearless, were held in 1968.

Bishop Abel Muzarewa served as the first and only Prime Minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia from the Internal Settlement to the Lancaster House Agreement in 1979.

The Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) is a Zimbabwean Socialist party that has been the ruling political party in Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, led by Robert Mugabe, first as Prime Minister with the party simply known as ZANU, and then as President from 1988 after taking over ZAPU (Zimbabwe African People’s Union, led by Joshua Nkomo) and renaming the party ZANU-PF.

Canaan Banana served as the first President of Zimbabwe from 1980 until 1987, when Robert Mugabe succeeded him.

Prior to its split in 2005, the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) was a Zimbabwean political party organized under the leadership of Morgan Tsvangirai. The party split over whether to contest the 2005 senate election.

Morgan Tsvangirai served as prime minister from 2009 to 2013.

In 2017, Mugabe was placed under house arrest by the country's national army in a coup d'état, and Mugabe resigned six days later. Emmerson Mnangagwa has since served as Zimbabwe's president.

Emmerson Mnangagwa is known as “The Crocodile”. The faction within ZANU–PF that supports him is called Lacoste after the French clothing company, whose logo is a crocodile.

Zimbabwe withdrew from the Commonwealth in 2003.

Presidents of Zimbabwe

1980-1987	Canaan Banana
1987-2017	Robert Mugabe
2017-	Emmerson Mnangagwa

Asia

Afghanistan

Afghanistan became a republic in 1973 when King Zahir was deposed.

Burhanuddin Rabbani was president from 1992 to 2001. He was in exile from 1996 to 2001.

Hamid Karzai served as president from 2002 to 2014.

Ahraf Ghani served as president from 2014 to 2021, when his government was overthrown by the Taliban.

Bahrain

Bahrain is a semi-constitutional monarchy headed by the King. The head of government is the prime minister.

Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa is the Crown Prince and the current prime minister.

In 1971, Bahrain declared independence and signed a new treaty of friendship with the United Kingdom.

Bahrain changed its formal name from the State of Bahrain to the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2002.

Bangladesh

Bangladesh declared independence from Pakistan in 1971. It is a parliamentary republic.

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was the first president.

Bangladesh experienced a two party system between 1990 and 2014, when the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) alternated in power.

Mohammad Abdul Hamid has been president since 2013.

Bhutan

Bhutan is a constitutional monarchy. The political system consists of the National Council (upper house) and the National Assembly (lower house).

Brunei

Brunei's political system is governed by the constitution and the national tradition of the Malay Islamic Monarchy.

Hassanal Bolkiah became Sultan in 1967, after his father abdicated the throne. He has also served as the Prime Minister of Brunei since independence from the United Kingdom in 1984.

Cambodia

Cambodia gained independence from France in 1953.

The government is a constitutional monarchy.

Norodom Sihanouk was the King of Cambodia from 1941 to 1955 and again from 1993 until 2004. He also served as Prime Minister from 1955 to 1960.

In 1970 Sihanouk was ousted by a military coup led by Prime Minister General Lon Nol.

Khmer Rouge is the name given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK) and by extension to the regime through which the CPK ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. Led by Pol Pot.

Hun Sen has been the prime minister of Cambodia since 1985.

China

Republic of China was established in 1912, and Sun Yat-sen of the Kuomintang (the KMT or Nationalist Party) was proclaimed provisional president.

Kuomintang is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and then in Taiwan since 1949

CCP (Chinese Communist Party) Chairman Mao Zedong formally proclaimed the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

China is currently governed as a unitary Marxist–Leninist one-party socialist republic by the CCP.

The Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, commonly called the Premier of China and sometimes also referred to as the prime minister, is the head of government of China and leader of the State Council. The premier is the second-highest ranking person in China's political system, under the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (paramount leader). Li Qing is the current Premier.

National People's Congress (NPC) is the national legislature of the People's Republic of China. With 2980 members, it is the largest parliamentary body in the world.

Mao Zedong (also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao) believed that the atom bomb was a 'paper tiger', declaring to Khrushchev that it would not matter if China lost 300 million people in a nuclear war. In 1958, Mao launched the second Five-Year Plan, known as the Great Leap Forward, a plan intended to turn China from an agrarian nation to an industrialised one. The Cultural Revolution was launched by Mao in 1966.

Deng Xiaoping served as the de facto leader of the People's Republic of China from 1978 to 1989. He became the first Chinese leader to visit the United States, meeting with President Carter at the White House in 1979.

Li Peng was the Premier of the People's Republic of China between 1988 and 1998

Zhou Enlai served as the first premier of the People's Republic of China from 1949 until his death in 1976. Zhou served under Mao Zedong and helped the Communist Party rise to power.

Leaders of the Chinese Communist Party

1921-1927	Chen Duxiu
1928-1931	Xiang Znongfa
1931-1935	Bo Gu
1935-1943	Zhang Wentian
1943-1976	Mao Zedong
1976-1981	Hua Guofeng
1981-1987	Hu Yaobang
1987-1989	Zhao Ziyang
1989-2002	Jiang Zemin
2002-2012	Hu Jintao
2012-	Xi Jinping

India

When British rule came to an end in 1947, the subcontinent was partitioned along religious lines into two separate countries – India, with a majority of Hindus, and Pakistan, with a majority of Muslims.

The parliament of India consists of two houses: The Lok Sabha (House of the People) and the Rajya Sabha (Council of States). Lok Sabha is the lower house.

When India became a Republic in 1950, Rajendra Prasad was elected its first President by the Constituent Assembly.

Indira Gandhi served as prime minister from 1966 to 1977, and then again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. She is the only woman to hold the office. Indira Gandhi was the only child of the first Indian Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru.

Operation Blue Star was an Indian military operation which occurred in 1984, ordered by Indira Gandhi in order to establish control over the Harmandir Sahib Complex in Amritsar. Four months after the operation, Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her two Sikh bodyguards, in what is viewed as an act of vengeance.

Rajiv Gandhi took office after the death of Indira Gandhi, his mother, to become the youngest Indian prime minister. He was assassinated in 1991.

Sonia Gandhi is an Italian-born Indian politician, who served as President of the Indian National Congress party from 1998 to 2022. She is the widow of Rajiv Gandhi.

K. R. Narayanan was the tenth President of India, serving from 1997 to 2002. He was the first Dalit and the first Malayali to become President.

Manmohan Singh was the first Sikh prime minister of India.

Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian People's Party, BJP) and the Indian National Congress are the two major political parties in India. BJP is the world's largest party in terms of primary membership.

Prime Ministers of India

1950-1964	Jawaharlal Nehru
1964-1966	Lal Bahadur Shastri
1966-1977	Indira Gandhi
1977-1979	Morarji Desai
1979-1980	Charan Singh
1980-1984	Indira Gandhi
1984-1989	Rajiv Gandhi
1989-1990	V. P. Singh
1990-1991	Chandra Sekhar
1991-1996	P. V. Narasimha Rao
1996	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
1996-1997	H. D. Geve Dowda
1997-1998	Inder Kumar Gujral
1998-2004	Atal Bihari Vajpayee
2004-2014	Manmohan Singh
2014-	Narendra Modi

Indonesia

Indonesia declared independence from Netherlands in 1945, but this was not recognised until 1949.

Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967. He was replaced by one of his generals, Suharto, who ran the country as a military dictatorship for 32 years.

Megawati Sukarnoputri was the first female president, serving from 2001 to 2004.

Joko Widodo is the current president.

Iran

The Iranian Revolution refers to a series of events that culminated in the overthrow of the Pahlavi dynasty in 1979. It led to the replacement of the Imperial State of Iran by the present-day Islamic Republic of Iran, as the monarchical government of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi was superseded by the theocratic government of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, a religious cleric who became the first Supreme Leader.

Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei is the second and current Supreme Leader of Iran, in office since 1989.

Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani served as president from 1989 until 1997.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad served as president from 2005 to 2013.

Hassan Rouhani served as president of Iran from 2013 to 2021.

Ebrahim Raisi is the current president.

Iraq

The Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq gained independence from the UK in 1932. In 1958, the monarchy was overthrown, and the Iraqi Republic created. Iraq was controlled by the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party from 1968 until 2003 when Saddam Hussein's Ba'ath Party was removed from power. Multi-party parliamentary elections were held in 2005.

Saddam Hussein was president from 1979 to 2003. In 2003, a coalition led by the United States invaded Iraq to depose Saddam Hussein.

Nouri al-Maliki was prime minister from 2006 to 2014.

Latif Rashid is the current president.

Israel

Israeli Declaration of Independence was proclaimed on 14 May 1948 by David Ben-Gurion, the Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization.

Israel is governed by a 120-member parliament, known as the Knesset.

Chaim Weizmann was President of the Zionist Organization, and the first President of the State of Israel. He was elected in 1949 and served until his death in 1952.

Albert Einstein declined the presidency of Israel in 1952 following the death of Chaim Weizmann.

Moshe Katsav was President of Israel from 2000 to 2007. He was sentenced to seven years in prison for rape and other charges in 2011.

Isaac Herzog is the current president. The president of Israel is head of state, with limited and largely ceremonial duties.

David Ben-Gurion was born in Poland.

Golda Meir was Israel’s first woman prime minister. Born in Kiev. First Israeli passport holder.

Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli radical named Yigal Amir, who was opposed to the peace process.

Menachem Begin’s most significant achievement as Prime Minister was the signing of a peace treaty with Egypt in 1979, for which he and Anwar Sadat shared the Nobel     Peace Prize.

Ehud Barak is the joint most highly decorated soldier in Israel's history.

Shimon Peres served twice as the Prime Minister of Israel and twice as Interim Prime Minister.

Ariel Sharon was prime minister until he was incapacitated by a stroke in 2006.

Benjamin Netanyahu (Likud) is the current prime minister. Netanyahu is the first Israeli prime minister born in Israel after the establishment of the state. His brother was killed in Operation Entebbe in 1976.

Likud is a major centre-right to right-wing political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon in an alliance with several right-wing parties. Likud's landslide victory in the 1977 elections was a major turning point in the country's political history, marking the first time the left had lost power.

Kadima (Hebrew: 'Forward') was a centrist and liberal political party established in 2005 by moderates from Likud.

Prime Ministers of Israel

1948-1954	David Ben-Gurion
1954-1955	Moshe Sharett
1955-1963	David Ben-Gurion
1963-1969	Levi Eshkol
1969-1974	Golda Meir
1974-1977	Yitzhak Rabin
1977-1983	Menachem Begin
1983-1984	Yitzhak Shamir
1984-1986	Shimon Peres
1986-1992	Yitzhak Shamir
1992-1995	Yitzhak Rabin
1995-1996	Shimon Peres
1996-1999	Benjamin Netanyahu
1999-2001	Ehud Barak
2001-2006	Ariel Sharon
2006-2009	Ehud Olmert
2009-2021	Benjamin Netanyahu
2021-2022	Naftali Bennett
2022	Yair Lapid
2022-	Benjamin Netanyahu

Japan

Japan is a multi-party parliamentary representative democratic constitutional monarchy where the Emperor acts as the ceremonial Head of state, and the Prime Minister acts as the Head of government. Legislative power is vested in the Diet, which consists of the House of Representatives (lower house) and the House of Councillors (upper house).

The Liberal Democratic Party held power in Japan from 1955 but were defeated by the Democratic Party in 2009.

Hideki Tojo was Prime Minister of Japan from 1941 to 1944 and was responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Shinzo Abe was Prime Minister of Japan from 2012 to 2020 and was the longest-serving prime minister in Japanese history. His economic policies were known as “Abenomics”. He was assassinated while delivering a campaign speech in Nara in 2022.

Yoshihide Suga was prime minister from 2020 to 2021.

Fumio Kishida (Liberal Democratic Party) is the current prime minister.

Jordan

In May 1946 the Treaty of London was ratified by the Transjordan parliament. Transjordan was raised to the status of a kingdom under the name of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, with Abdullah as its first king.

Jordan is a unitary state under a constitutional monarchy.

Bisher Al-Khasawneh is the current prime minister.

Kuwait

In June 1961, Kuwait became independent with the end of the British protectorate.

Kuwait is an emirate. The emir is the head of state and the Al Sabah is the ruling family.

Kyrgyzstan

The Republic of Kyrgyzstan declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Askar Akayev served as President of Kyrgyzstan from 1990 until being overthrown in the March 2005 Tulip Revolution.

Kurmanbek Bakiyev served as the second President of Kyrgyzstan, from 2005 to 2010.

The current president is Sadyr Japarov.

Laos

Laos gained independence from France in 1953 as a constitutional monarchy.

The monarchy was abolished in 1975.

The only legal political party is the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP). With one-party state status of Laos, the General Secretary (party leader) holds ultimate power and authority over state and government and serves as the supreme leader.

Lebanon

Lebanon gained independence from Free France in 1943.

The President has to be a Maronite Christian, the Prime Minister a Sunni Muslim, the Speaker of the Parliament a Shi’a Muslim, the Deputy Prime Minister and the Deputy Speaker of Parliament Eastern Orthodox. This system, known as confessionalism, is intended to deter sectarian conflict.

The seats in the unicameral parliament are divided equally between Christians and Muslims.

Malaysia

Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy.

The Federation of Malaya existed from 1948 until 1963. The Federation became independent in 1957, and in 1963, Malaysia was formed when Malaya united with Singapore, North Borneo, and Sarawak.

Tunku Abdul Rahman was the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, serving from 1957 to 1970.

Anwar Ibrahim is the current prime minister.

Maldives

The Maldives declared independence from the United Kingdom in 1965.

It is a presidential republic, currently led by Ibrahim Mohamed Solih.

Mongolia

The Mongolian Revolution of 1911 occurred when the region of Outer Mongolia declared its independence from the Manchu-led Qing China during the Xinhai Revolution. Bogd Khan was the khan from 1911 to 1924.

Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal was the leader of the Mongolian People's Republic from 1952 to 1984.

The State Great Khural is the unicameral parliament of Mongolia.

Myanmar

In 1948, Burma became an independent republic, named the Union of Burma, with Sao Shwe Thaik as its first President and U Nu as its first Prime Minister. Unlike most other former British colonies and overseas territories, it did not become a member of the Commonwealth.

A coup led by General Ne Win overthrew the Burmese government in 1962.

The name of the country was changed from Burma to Myanmar in 1989.

Than Shwe was the head of state of Myanmar from 1992 to 2011.

Thein Sein is a former military commander who was President of Myanmar from 2011 to 2016.

Aung San Suu Kyi served as State Counsellor of Myanmar and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2016 to 2021.

The current president is Myint Swe, who assumed the presidency in an acting capacity through a military coup d'état in February 2021.

Nepal

Nepal became a federal republic in 2008.

The Nepali Congress is a social democratic political party in Nepal and the largest party in the country.

Bidya Devi Bhandari was president from 2015 to 2023. Represented the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist)

Ram Chandra Poudel is the current president.

North Korea

North Korea is a totalitarian dictatorship run by the Kim family.

Legislative power is held by the unicameral Supreme People's Assembly (SPA).

Kim Il-Sung led North Korea from its founding in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of Premier from 1948 to 1972 and President from 1972 to 1994. He was the leader of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK) from 1949 to 1994.

Kim Jong-il was the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), commonly referred to as North Korea, from 1994 to 2011

Kim Jung-un has been Supreme Leader since 2011.

Kim Yo-jong is the sister of Kim Jong-un. She is Deputy Director of the United Front Department of the Workers' Party of Korea.

Kim Yong-nam served as the President of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea from 1998 to 2019 and was the ‘nominal head of state’.

Oman

Oman is an absolute monarchy led by a Sultan.

The bicameral Council of Oman consists of an upper chamber, the Council of State, and a lower chamber, the Consultative Council. Political parties are banned.

Pakistan

Pakistan gained independence in 1947 after the Partition of the British Indian Empire.

The exclave of East Pakistan seceded as the new country of Bangladesh in 1971.

Pakistan was suspended from the Commonwealth in 1999, following the military coup by Pervez Musharraf. The suspension ended in 2004.

The first Prime Minister of Pakistan was Liaquat Ali Khan who was appointed to the position by the first Governor-General, Muhammad Ali Jinnah in 1947.

Iskander Mirza was the last Governor-General of the Dominion of Pakistan (1955 to 1956) and the first President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan (1956 to 1958).

Zulfikar Ali Bhutto served as the fourth President from 1971 to 1973, and as the ninth Prime Minister from 1973 to 1977. He was deposed in a military coup in 1977 by his appointed army chief, General Zia-ul-Haq. He was controversially tried and executed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 1979 for authorising the murder of a political opponent.

Benazir Bhutto served as the 11th and 13th prime minister of Pakistan from 1988 to 1990 and again from 1993 to 1996. She was the daughter of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the first woman elected to head a democratic government in a Muslim-majority country.

Imran Khan served as prime minister from 2018 to 2022.

Arif Alvi is the current president.

Philippines

In 1946, the Philippines was officially recognized by the United States as an independent nation through the Treaty of Manila.

The Philippines is a unitary presidential republic. The bicameral Congress is composed of the Senate, serving as the upper house, and the House of Representatives.

Malacanang Palace is the official residence of the president of the Philippines.

Ferdinand Marcos was president from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martial law from 1972 until 1981 and kept most of his martial law powers until he was deposed in 1986.

Imelda Marcos is the widow of Ferdinand Marcos best known for her collection of some three thousand pairs of shoes.

Ferdinand Marcos was succeeded by Corozon Aquino, the first woman to hold that office, and the first female president in Asia. Her husband, Benigno Aquino, was assassinated in 1983 upon returning to the Philippines from exile in the United States.

Joseph Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 to 2001. He was peacefully overthrown by the Second People Power Revolution after his aborted impeachment trial in the Senate.

Benigno Aquino III was the son of assassinated politician Benigno Aquino Jr. and Corazon Aquino.

Rodrigo Duterte’s domestic policy focused on combating the illegal drug trade by initiating the controversial war on drugs.

Bongbong Marcos is the son of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.

Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is a group seeking an autonomous region of the Moro people in the Philippines.

Recent presidents of the Philippines

1965-1986	Ferdinand Marcos
1986-1992	Corazon Aquino
1992-1998	Fidel Ramos
1998-2001	Joseph Estrada
2001-2010	Gloria Arroyo
2010-2016	Benigno Aquino III
2016-2022	Rodrigo Duterte
2022-	Bongbong Marcos

Qatar

Qatar has been ruled as a hereditary monarchy by the House of Thani since Mohammed bin Thani signed a treaty with the British in 1868 that recognised its separate status. Following Ottoman rule, Qatar became a British protectorate in 1916, and gained independence in 1971.

Qatari law does not permit the establishment of political bodies.

Saudi Arabia

In 1932, the two kingdoms of the Hejaz and Nejd were united as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy.

Singapore

Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign state in 1965.

Singapore is a unitary parliamentary republic. The People’s Action Party (PAP) has been the ruling party in Singapore since 1959.

The Istana is the official residence and office of the president of Singapore.

Lee Kuan Yew served as the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore from 1959 to 1990.

Goh Chok Tong was prime minister from 1990 to 2004.

Lee Hsien Loong has been prime minister since 2004. Son of Lee Kuan Yew.

South Korea

The first Republic of Korea was the government of South Korea from 1948 to 1960.

Blue House is a public park that formerly served as the executive office and official residence of the president of South Korea from 1948 to 2022.

Syngman Rhee was the first president of South Korea, serving from 1948 to 1960.

Park Chung-hee was an army general who served as President of South Korea from 1961 until his assassination in 1979.

Park Geun-hye was president from 2013 to 2017 when she was impeached. Park was the first woman to be elected president of South Korea, and also the first female president popularly elected as head of state in East Asia. Daughter of Park Chung-hee.

Moon Jae-in was president from 2017 to 2022.

Yoon Suk-yeol is the current president.

Sri Lanka

Ceylon gained independence in 1948. D. S. Senanayake was the first Prime Minister of Ceylon. In 1972, the country became a republic named Sri Lanka, repudiating its dominion status.

Sri Lanka is the oldest democracy in Asia.

Following the parliamentary election in 1960, Sirimavo Bandaranaike became the prime minister and the world's first elected female head of government.

Ranasinghe Premadasa was the third President of Sri Lanka, serving from 1989 to 1993. He was assassinated in Colombo in a suicide bombing.

Maithripala Sirisena was prime minster from 2015 to 2019.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa was prime minister from 2019 to 2022.

Ranil Wickremesinghe is the current prime minister.

Syria

Syria gained independence from France in 1945. The post-independence period was tumultuous, with multiple military coups.

Hafez al-Assad was president of Syria from 1971 to 2000. He was succeeded by his son, current president Bashar al-Assad.

The country is run as a dynastic dictatorship tightly controlled by an Alawite-dominated elite.

Taiwan

The People's Republic of China (PRC) claims that Taiwan is Chinese territory and that the PRC replaced the ROC government in 1949, becoming the sole legal government of China.

The Kuomintang of China (KMT), also often translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party, is a political party in the Republic of China, located in Taiwan, and is currently the largest political party in terms of seats in the Legislative Yuan.

The Legislative Yuan is the legislative body of the Republic of China, which administers Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu Islands.

Chiang Kai-shek served as Generalissimo of the national government of the Republic of China from 1928 until his death in 1975, taking control of the Kuomintang.

Tsai Ing-wen has served as the president of Taiwan since 2016. A member of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Tsai is the first female president of Taiwan.

Tajikistan

The Republic of Tajikistan declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

A civil war was fought almost immediately after independence, lasting from 1992 to 1997. Since the end of the war, newly established political stability and foreign aid have allowed the country's economy to grow. The country has been led by President Emomali Rahmon, who rules an authoritarian regime, since 1994.

Thailand

Thailand is nominally a parliamentary constitutional monarchy but alternates between periods of democracy and military rule.

Thaksin Shinawatra was prime minister from 2001 to 2006. Brother of Yingluck Shinawatra.

Yingluck Shinawatra was prime minister from 2011 to 2014. She was Thailand's first female prime minister.

Prayut Chan-o-cha has served as Prime Minister of Thailand since he seized power in a military coup in 2014.

Timor-Leste

East Timor was a Portuguese colony until 1975. On 20 May 2002, as Timor-Leste, it became the first new sovereign state of the 21st century.

The national government runs on a semi-presidential system, with the popularly elected president sharing power with a prime minister.

Jose Ramos-Horta was prime minister from 2007 to 2012, and has served as president since May 2022. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006.

Turkmenistan

The Republic of Turkmenistan declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Saparmyrat Niyazov ruled Turkmenistan as a dictator from 1985 until his death in 2006. He was first secretary of the Turkmen Communist Party from 1985 until 1991 and supported the 1991 Soviet coup attempt. His self-given title was “Turkmenbashy”, meaning “Head of the Turkmen”. In 1999 he was declared President for Life.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow served as the 2nd President of Turkmenistan from 2007 to 2022, when he entered into a power-sharing arrangement with his son, Serdar, the current president. He heads an authoritarian regime and is the subject of a cult of personality.

Serdar Berdimuhamedow won a snap election in 2022 that was deemed as neither free nor fair.

United Arab Emirates

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is an authoritarian federal monarchy formed from a federation of seven emirates, formerly known as the Trucial States. The UAE gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1971.

Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan became president in 2022. He is the third son of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was the first president of the UAE and the ruler of Abu Dhabi until his death in 2004.

Uzbekistan

The Republic of Uzbekistan declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.

Islam Karimov was the leader of Uzbekistan and its predecessor state, the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, from 1989 until his death in 2016.

Shavkat Mirziyoyev has served as President of Uzbekistan since 2016. Previously he was the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan from 2003 to 2016.

Vietnam

On 2 July 1976, North and South Vietnam were merged to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam under the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

Vietnam is a unitary Marxist-Leninist one-party socialist republic.

Ngo Dinh Diem was the first president of South Vietnam, from 1955 to 1963. He was assassinated during a coup d’etat.

Ho Chi Minh was prime minister (1946–55) and president (1945–69) of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam).

Le Duc Tho was Head of the Central Organizing Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam from 1976 to 1982.

Nguyen Phu Trọng has served as the General Secretary of the CPV, the country's highest political position, since 2011.

Yemen

Yemeni unification took place in 1990, when the area of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (also known as South Yemen) was united with the Yemen Arab Republic (also known as North Yemen), forming the Republic of Yemen.

President Ali Abdullah Saleh was the first president of the new republic until his resignation in 2012 in the wake of the Arab Spring. Since 2011, Yemen has been in a state of political crisis.