Who's who among world leaders.

North America 

United States George W. Bush, 60, was first inaugurated in 2001. He was elected to a second four-year term in 2004. Bush's popularity soared after the attacks of September 11, 2001. The attacks were carried out by the terrorist group Al Qaeda. Declaring a "war on terror," Bush sent troops to topple the Taliban government of Afghanistan, which had sheltered Al Qaeda's leader, Osama bin Laden.

In March 2003, Bush sent U.S. troops to invade Iraq. He accused its dictator, Saddam Hussein, of hiding nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. No such weapons were found.

U.S.-led forces quickly deposed Hussein. But violence from opposing Iraqi groups has been plaguing the country. This has led to a decline in Bush's popularity. Many Americans now fear that the U.S. is stuck in the middle of a civil war. More than 2,600 U.S. troops and tens of thousands of Iraqis have been killed since the war began.

Bush faces many challenges in his last two years in office. These include nuclear threats from North Korea and Iran and addressing illegal immigration.

Did you know? Bush is a big baseball fan. He has collected hundreds of autographed baseballs from MLB players.

Mexico Felipe Calderon (fay-LEE-pay kahl-duh-RONE), 44, won the closest presidential election in Mexico's history in July 2006. Opponents accused him of stealing votes. But a court ruled that Calderon's razor-thin victory was legal. The dispute over the election results has split many Mexicans into two camps.

As a teen, Calderon was teased for belonging to the powerless National Action Party (PAN), co-founded by his father. The corrupt Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) had dominated Mexico since 1929. PRI's rule ended in 2001, when the PAN's Vicente Fox won the presidency.

Calderon plans to tackle widespread poverty in Mexico by bringing in more foreign companies to create jobs. He has also pledged to overhaul his country's troubled health care and education systems.

Did you know? When with friends, Calderon likes to sing rancheras, a type of Mexican country music.

Canada Stephen Harper, 47, became Canada's Prime Minister in January 2006. Harper leads Canada's Conservative (or Tory) Party. His surprise victory ended 12 years of Liberal Party rule.

As a teen, Harper was a top student who represented his high school on a television quiz show. He became an economist. After entering politics, he united the divided Conservative Party. Harper beat a Liberal Party that has been mired in scandal. He promised to stop government corruption and cut taxes. He also pledged to improve health care and child care. Harper has delivered on some promises, such as cutting taxes. However, the Tories narrowly beat the Liberals. Under Canada's system, this means that Harper's hold on power is weak.

Did you know? Harper cheers for the Calgary Flames hockey team. He is such a big fan of the sport that he is writing a history of hockey.

South America 

Bolivia Evo Morales, 47 (on October 26), was elected President in December 2005. He is Bolivia's first indigenous Indian President. Morales's family struggled with poverty, and four of his six brothers and sisters died in childhood.

Bolivia grows much of the world's coca. Coca is a traditional crop in Bolivia, but it is also used to make cocaine and other illegal drugs. Morales opposes U.S. efforts to stop coca growing in South America.

Morales's government took over Bolivia's oil industry. Morales plans to use the profits to help the poor.

Did you know? Morales grew up herding llamas with his father. As a teen, he was a bricklayer and trumpet player.

Venezuela Hugo Chavez, 52, was elected President in 1999. He leads the world's fifth-largest oil-producing country. A former soldier who grew up poor, Chavez uses oil profits to help the 80 percent of Venezuelans in poverty. But joblessness and crime remain high.

Chavez frequently criticizes the U.S. government. His opponents fear that he wants to become a dictator. He wrote a new constitution that increased his power. Chavez has fought off several efforts to throw him out of office, including a 2002 military takeover.

Did you know? For a while, Chavez drank up to 26 cups of strong coffee each day.

Chile Michelle Bachelet (bah-shuh-LAY), 55, was sworn in as Chile's first female President in March 2006. In 1974, when Chile was a military dictatorship, Bachelet's father died as a political prisoner. Bachelet and her mother were later imprisoned and tortured briefly. They then left the country. Upon her return, Bachelet worked as a physician for many years before entering politics.

Bachelet has promised to cut Chile's wide income gap. She also wants to improve education and heath care, and increase job opportunities for women.

Did you Know?

Bachelet speaks Spanish, English, German, Portuguese, French, and some Russian.

Africa

Sudan Omar Hassan al-Bashir (OH-mahr HAH-sahn al-bah-SHEER), 62, became President after a 1989 military takeover. His efforts to crush a rebellion in Sudan's Darfur region have led to hundreds of thousands of deaths and forced 2.5 million Sudanese from their homes. Bashir has refused to let peacekeeping troops into the country.

Did you know? Bashir grew up in a poor farming family. He worked at a garage before joining the military.

Liberia Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, 68 (on October 29), is the first woman to be elected President of an African country. She took office in January 2006. As a young woman, Johnson-Sirleaf put herself through Harvard University by waiting tables.

She hopes to transform a historical troubled Liberia with "a new social order."

Did you know? Johnson-Sirleaf is known as "The Iron Lady" because of her strong will and determination.

Nigeria Olusegun Obasanjo (oh-loo-SHAY-gun oh-buh-SAHN-joh), 69, became Nigeria's President in 1999. He was the country's first freely elected leader in 16 years. Before that election, military dictators controlled Nigeria. Obasanjo, a former general, won admiration for supporting civilian rule. This effort cost him three years in prison, where he almost died.

Nigeria has improved greatly under Obasanjo. Yet widespread corruption and fighting between Muslims and Christians are among Obasanjo's many challenges.

Did you know? While imprisoned, Obasanjo kept himself alive by exercising and tending a small garden.

Europe

United Kingdom Tony Blair, 53, became Prime Minister in 1997. He started off as a barrister (lawyer who pleads cases in court). Blair's energy, intelligence, and good looks helped propel him to leader of the Labor Party in 1994.

At home, Blair won strong approval for promoting economic growth and cracking down on crime. In 2003, he appeared in an episode of The Simpsons. But his popularity dropped that year, after he joined U.S. President Bush's call to invade Iraq. Most Britons oppose the war.

Terrorists attacked the London transit system in 2005. In August 2006, police foiled a plot to blow up airplanes traveling from Britain to the U.S. Blair has proposed tough new laws to stop future attacks. Many Britons say that those laws limit freedoms too much. Under pressure, Blair recently agreed to step down in mid-2007.

Did you know? As a young man, Blair was lead singer for a rock band called the Ugly Rumours.

Germany Angela Merkel, 52, became Germany's first female Chancellor in 2005. As a girl in East Germany, she watched her mother cry over the building of the Berlin Wall. That heavily guarded wall separated Communist East Germany and democratic West Germany from 1961 to 1989. The collapse of Communism allowed the two Germanys to reunite in 1990.

Merkel first worked as a chemist. She now heads the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Party. She came to power by promising reforms for Germany's sluggish economy. Unlike most other German leaders, Merkel supported the U.S-led war against Iraq.

Did you know? To relax, Merkel likes to hike and work in her garden.

Italy Romano Prodi, 67, became Prime Minister for a second time in May 2006. Prodi narrowly won election while leading a group of political parties. Most voters were unhappy with his predecessor, Silvio Berlusconi, who had sent Italian troops to support the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Prodi, a former economics professor, has a low-key style. Political foes call him "the Mortadella." (Mortadella is a bland type of sausage, similar to bologna.) Prodi has backed away from Italy's support of the Iraq war and tried to strengthen ties with the rest of Europe. He has promised to revive Italy's ailing economy.

Did you know? Prodi enjoys bicycling. Before becoming Prime Minister, he often rode his bike to work.

Middle East

Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (mah-MOOD ah-mah-dih-nee-ZHAHD), 50, was elected Iran's President in 2005. In 1979, he supported the Iranian Revolution. The radical government that resulted outlawed anything considered un-Islamic.

Recent elections had moved Iran toward greater freedom. But in 2005, religious leaders fixed the election to ensure the hardliner Ahmadinejad's victory. His insistence on strengthening Iran's nuclear program has put the country at odds with Western powers.

Did you know? One of seven children, Ahmadinejad is the son of a blacksmith.

Iraq Nuri al-Maliki (ahl-MAHL-ee-kee), 56, became Prime Minister in May 2006. Maliki's governing experience is limited, but his forceful speaking style reassures many people.

Maliki's top priority is making Iraq safe. But the country is now edging toward civil war. About 3,000 people die each month in bombings and shootings. Maliki belongs to Iraq's Shia majority, but works to include Sunnis in the government. The fighting makes it hard to cut Iraq's high unemployment or to improve services, such as schools and electricity.

Did you know? Maliki opposed Saddam Hussein politically. In 1980, he fled Iraq to escape a death sentence.

Israel Ehud Olmert (ay-HOOD OL-mairt), 61, became acting Prime Minister in January 2006. He stepped in for Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who had suffered a stroke that left him in a coma. In March, Olmert won election as Prime Minister.

Last summer, terrorist groups in Lebanon and Gaza attacked Israeli cities. Israel hit back. A 34-day war killed more than 1,000 people and destroyed much of southern Lebanon. The U.S. supported the counterattack, but other countries accused Israel of overreacting. Peacekeeping troops now maintain a fragile cease-fire.

Did you know? Olmert, who trained as a lawyer, was Mayor of Jerusalem.

Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas (mah-MOOD ah-BAHS), 71, has been President of the Palestinian Authority (PA) since January 2005. Leader of the Fatah Party, Abbas has tried to build more-peaceful relations with Israel.

However, Abbas lost much of his political clout in the January 2006 election. The radical Muslim group Hamas gained control of parliament. Hamas won, in part, because Fatah's control of the PA has been marred by corruption. Palestinians and Israelis have clashed many times in Gaza since June, when Hamas captured an Israeli soldier. Abbas struggled to stop the latest fighting.

Did you know? Abbas is also known as Abu Mazen. It means "father of Mazen," his first son.

Asia

China Hu Jintao (boo jihn-taow), 63, became President of China's Communist Party in 2003. He won full control of the government in 2004, when former President Jiang Zemin stepped aside.

Hu, said to have a photographic memory, trained as an engineer. He now rules a country that dominates Asia militarily and financially. China's economic boom has helped big cities, but poverty still afflicts many towns and villages. China's Communist Party remains hostile to free speech and human rights.

Did you know? Hu relaxes by playing Ping-Pong, and is known as a skilled ballroom dancer.

Indonesia Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (yood-HOH-yoh-noh), 57, became Indonesia's first popularly elected President in 2004. During his election campaign, Yudhoyono delighted voters by singing karaoke on television.

Yudhoyono leads the world's largest Islamic nation. Muslim extremists there have called for Sharia (Islamic law). Yudhoyono favors a secular (nonreligious) society.

Did you know? Indonesians like to refer to Yudhoyono by his initials--"S.B.Y."--for short.

North Korea Kim Jong Il (zhong ihl), 65, became North Korea's leader in 1994. His father, Kim Il Sung, was a Communist dictator. Kim Jong Il, also a dictator, is known to North Koreans as "Dear Leader." Kim enjoys movies, parties, and sports cars. Meanwhile, his people have little freedom and are mostly poor.

Other world leaders fear what Kim will do next. Since 2001, North Korea has built at least 10 nuclear weapons. Anger at this has led nearby countries, including Japan and South Korea, to reduce trade with North Korea.

Did you know? Kim's private life remains clouded in secrecy. His voice has been recorded only once.

India Manmohan Singh (MAHN-moh-hahn SING), 74, became India's first Sikh Prime Minister in 2004. Singh grew up in a family of poor farmers, unable to afford electricity. He did his homework under a street light.

An economist, Singh's policies helped save India from financial ruin in the 1990s. Still, more than one fourth of Indians live in poverty. Singh seeks to calm historically tense relations with neighboring Pakistan.

Did you know? Singh is a follower of the Sikh (SEEK) religion. That makes him India's first non-Hindu leader.

* Objectives

Students should be able to:

** know the identities of some of the most important leaders of the world.

** discuss what makes a leader noteworthy.

* Words to Know

** karaoke (KAH-ree-OH-kee): from the Japanese words kara (empty) and okesutora (orchestra), a form of entertainment in which users sing the lyrics of popular songs to background music.

** Taliban: extremely conservative Islamic political group that rose to power in Afghanistan in the 1990s, after a long war between Afghan fighters and occupying Russian troops.

* Critical Thinking

MAKING INFERENCES: If you had to narrow this list to the five most important leaders, who would make the cut? Why? (Answers will vary, but should be supported with reasoned examples.)

COMPARE/CONTRAST: If you had to choose a leader from one of these countries to live under--not counting President Bush--who would it be? Why? (Students should cite details from the profiles to support their answers.)

* Activity

WHO'S WHO ELSE?: Divide students into small groups. Assign each group a head of government (from pp. 24-33) not included in this Who's Who. Have each group write a list or brief profile providing its leader's title, current age, type of political system, how he or she came into power (election, coup, inheritance, war, etc.), and at least one interesting detail about that person's youth or early adulthood.

STANDARD

SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8

* Power, authority, and governance: These profiles provide examples of how national leaders gain and use their power.

RESOURCES

PRINT

* Karnes, Frances A., and Bean, Suzanne M., Leadership for Students (Prufrock Press, 2005). Grades 6-12.

* Paparchontis, Kathleen, 100 Leaders Who Changed the World (Gareth Stevens, 2003). Grades 7-10.

WEB SITES

* Other World Leaders whogoushouldknow.com

* "Our Future, Our Say" plan-international.org /pdfs/future.pdf