Term limit
Notable examples -- Relaxed term limits
Table:
Names indexed by surnames
Image
Countries and localities
Official positions
Earlier term limits
Later term limits

Bloomberg, Michael

United States; New York City
Mayor (2002–13)
2 terms of 4 years
3 terms of 4 years from 2008 to 2010; 2 terms of 4 years since 2010

Cardoso, Fernando Henrique

Brazil
President of Brazil (1995–2003)
1 term of 5 years
2 terms of 4 years since 1997

Chávez, Hugo

Venezuela
President of Venezuela (1999–2013)
2 terms of 6 years
Unlimited terms of 6 years since the 2009 amendment of the 1999 Venezuelan constitution

Clinton, Bill

United States; Arkansas
Governor of Arkansas (1979–81, 1983–92)
2 consecutive terms of 2 years
2 consecutive terms of 2 years until 1986, then 2 consecutive terms of 4 years

Chiang Kai-shek

China, Republic of (Mainland and Taiwan Eras)
President (1948–49, 1950–75)
2 terms of 6 years
Unlimited terms of 6 years since 1960[4]

Lukashenko, Alexander

Belarus
President (1994–present)
2 terms of 5 years
Unlimited terms of 5 years since 2004

Menem, Carlos

Argentina
President of Argentina (1989–99)
1 term of 6 years, re-eligible after 6 years
2 terms of 4 years, re-eligible after 4 years; Menem was banned to reelection in 1999 because his first term was counted as one of 4

Museveni, Yoweri

Uganda
President of Uganda (1986–present)
2 terms of 5 years
Served 2 terms of 5 years before 1995 constitution imposed 2-term limit. Served 2 additional terms of 5 years; constitution was revised in 2005, removing term limits

Park Chung-hee

South Korea
President of South Korea (1962-1979)
2 terms of 4 years
3 terms of 4 years from 1969 to 1972; unlimited terms of 6 years since 1972

Patton, Paul E.

United States; Kentucky
Governor of Kentucky (1995–2003)
1 term of 4 years
2 terms of 4 years

Perón, Juan Domingo

Argentina
President of Argentina (1946–55, 1973–74)
1 term of 6 years, re-eligible after 6 years
Unlimited terms of 6 years. In 1973 he was elected to 1 term of 4 years.

Putin, Vladimir

Russia
President of Russia (1999–2008, 2012–present)
2 terms of 4 years
2 terms of 6 years since 2008

Rahmon, Emomali

Tajikistan
President of Tajikistan (1994–present)
1 terms of 5 years
1 term of 7 years since 1999, 2 terms of 7 years since 2003, term count reset in 2006, all term limits removed in 2016.[5][6]

Rhee Syngman

South Korea
President of South Korea (1948-1960)
2 terms of 4 years
Unlimited terms of 4 years since 1954

Sharif, Nawaz

Pakistan
Prime Minister of Pakistan (1990–93, 1997–99, 2013–2017)
2 terms of 5 years
Unlimited terms of 5 years since 2011

Uribe, Álvaro

Colombia
President (2002–10)
1 term of 4 years
2 terms of 4 years since 2004

Xi Jinping

China; Communist Party
President (2013–present)
2 terms of 5 years
Unlimited terms of 5 years since 2018[7]

Yuan Shikai

China, Republic of (Beiyang Government)
President (1912–15, 1916)
2 terms of 5 years[8]
Unlimited terms of 10 years since 1914[9]

From the provided table plus the passages provided.

Give the answer to the question: What year did the president who appears in the table of the country that maintains a claim against Guyana to Guayana Esequiba take office ? Return your answer as JSON: {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}. Base your answer solely on the given information.

A surname , family name , or last name is the portion ( in some cultures ) of a personal name that indicates a person 's family ( or tribe or community , depending on the culture ) . Depending on the culture , all members of a family unit may have identical surnames or there may be variations based on the cultural rules .
Michael Rubens Bloomberg ( born February 14 , 1942 ) is an American politician , businessman , and author . He is the CEO and majority owner of Bloomberg L.P. , which he co-founded . Bloomberg was the mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013 . He is currently a candidate in the Democratic Party primaries for the 2020 United States presidential election . Bloomberg grew up in Medford , Massachusetts , and attended Johns Hopkins University and Harvard Business School . He began his career at the securities brokerage Salomon Brothers , before forming his own company in 1981 , Bloomberg L.P. , a financial services , software , and mass media company that is known for its Bloomberg Terminal , a computer software system providing financial data widely used in the financial industry . He spent the next twenty years as its chairman and CEO . As of February 2020 , this made him the ninth-richest person in the United States and the twelfth-richest person in the world ; his net worth was estimated at $ 61.8 billion . Since signing The Giving Pledge whereby the wealthy pledge to give away at least half of their wealth , Bloomberg has given away $ 8.2 billion . Bloomberg served as the 108th mayor of New York City , holding office for three consecutive terms beginning his first in 2002 . A lifelong Democrat before seeking elective office , Bloomberg switched his party registration in 2001 to run for mayor as a Republican . He defeated opponent Mark J .
The United States of America ( USA ) , commonly known as the United States ( U.S. or US ) or America , is a country consisting of 50 states , a federal district , five major self-governing territories , and various possessions . [ g ] At 3.8 million square miles ( 9.8 million km2 ) , it is the world 's third or fourth-largest country by total area [ b ] and is slightly smaller than the entire continent of Europe . Most of the country is located in central North America between Canada and Mexico . With an estimated population of over 328 million , the U.S. is the third most populous country in the world . The capital is Washington , D.C. , and the most populous city is New York City . Paleo-Indians migrated from Siberia to the North American mainland at least 12,000 years ago . European colonization began in the 16th century . The United States emerged from the thirteen British colonies established along the East Coast . Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the colonies led to the American Revolutionary War lasting between 1775 and 1783 , leading to independence . The United States embarked on a vigorous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century - gradually acquiring new territories , displacing Native Americans , and admitting new states - until by 1848 it spanned the continent . During the second half of the 19th century , the American Civil War led to the abolition of slavery in the United States . The Spanish-American War and World War I confirmed the country 's status as a global military power .
New York City ( NYC ) , also known as the City of New York or simply New York ( NY ) , is the most populous city in the United States . With an estimated 2018 population of 8,398,748 distributed over a land area of about 302.6 square miles ( 784 km2 ) , New York is also the most densely populated major city in the United States . Located at the southern tip of the U.S. state of New York , the city is the center of the New York metropolitan area , the largest metropolitan area in the world by urban landmass and one of the world 's most populous megacities , with an estimated 19,979,477 people in its 2018 metropolitan statistical area and 22,679,948 residents in its combined statistical area . A global power city , New York City has been described as the cultural , financial , and media capital of the world , and exerts a significant impact upon commerce , entertainment , research , technology , education , politics , tourism , art , fashion , and sports . The city 's fast pace has inspired the term New York minute . Home to the headquarters of the United Nations , New York is an important center for international diplomacy . Situated on one of the world 's largest natural harbors , New York City consists of five boroughs , each of which is a separate county of the State of New York . The five boroughs - Brooklyn , Queens , Manhattan , The Bronx , and Staten Island - were consolidated into a single city in 1898 . The city and its metropolitan area constitute the premier gateway for legal immigration to the United States . As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York , making it the most linguistically diverse city in the world . New York City is home to 3.2 million residents born outside the United States , the largest foreign born population of any city in the world as of 2016 . As of 2019 [ update ] , the New York metropolitan area is estimated to produce a gross metropolitan product ( GMP ) of US $ 2.0 trillion .
The mayor of New York City is head of the executive branch of the Government of New York City . The mayor 's office administers all city services , public property , police and fire protection , most public agencies , and enforces all city and state laws within New York City . The budget , overseen by New York City Mayor 's Office of Management and Budget , is the largest municipal budget in the United States at $ 92 billion a year . The city employs 325,000 people , spends about $ 21 billion to educate more than 1.1 million students ( the largest public school system in the United States ) and levies $ 27 billion in taxes . It receives $ 14 billion from the state and federal governments . The mayor 's office is located in New York City Hall ; it has jurisdiction over all five boroughs of New York City : Manhattan , Brooklyn , the Bronx , Staten Island and Queens . The mayor appoints numerous officials , including commissioners who head city departments , and his deputy mayors . The mayor 's regulations are compiled in title 43 of the New York City Rules . According to current law , the mayor is limited to two consecutive four-year terms in office but may run again after a four-year break . It was changed from two to three terms on October 23 , 2008 , when the New York City Council voted 29-22 in favor of passing the term limit extension into law . However , in 2010 , a referendum reverting the limit to two terms passed overwhelmingly . The current mayor is Democrat Bill de Blasio , who was elected on November 5 , 2013 and reelected to a second term on November 7 , 2017 .
Fernando Henrique Cardoso GCB GCTE GCoIISE GColIH GColL GCM R.E . D.M.N . CYC OMRI ( Portuguese : [ feʁˈnɐ̃dʊ ẽˈʁiki kaʁˈdozʊ ] ; born June 18 , 1931 ) , also known by his initials FHC ( [ ɛfjaɡaˈse ] ) , is a Brazilian sociologist , professor and politician who served as the 34th President of Brazil from January 1 , 1995 to December 31 , 2002 . He was the first Brazilian president to be reelected for a subsequent term . An accomplished scholar noted for research on slavery and political theory , Cardoso has earned many honors including the Prince of Asturias Award for International Cooperation ( 2000 ) and the Kluge Prize from the US Library of Congress ( 2012 ) . He was the 10th president of International Sociological Association ( 1982-1986 ) .
Brazil ( Portuguese : Brasil ; Portuguese pronunciation : [ bɾaˈziw ] ) , [ nt 1 ] officially the Federative Republic of Brazil ( Portuguese : República Federativa do Brasil , listen ( help·info ) ) , is the largest country in both South America and Latin America . At 8.5 million square kilometers ( 3.2 million square miles ) and with over 211 million people , Brazil is the world 's fifth-largest country by area and the sixth most populous . Its capital is Brasília , and its most populous city is São Paulo . The federation is composed of the union of the 26 states , the Federal District , and the 5,570 municipalities . It is the largest country to have Portuguese as an official language and the only one in the Americas ; it is also one of the most multicultural and ethnically diverse nations , due to over a century of mass immigration from around the world . Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the east , Brazil has a coastline of 7,491 kilometers ( 4,655 mi ) . It borders all other countries in South America except Ecuador and Chile and covers 47.3% of the continent 's land area . Its Amazon River basin includes a vast tropical forest , home to diverse wildlife , a variety of ecological systems , and extensive natural resources spanning numerous protected habitats . This unique environmental heritage makes Brazil one of 17 megadiverse countries , and is the subject of significant global interest and debate regarding deforestation and environmental protection . Brazil was inhabited by numerous tribal nations prior to the landing in 1500 of explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral , who claimed the area for the Portuguese Empire . Brazil remained a Portuguese colony until 1808 , when the capital of the empire was transferred from Lisbon to Rio de Janeiro . In 1815 , the colony was elevated to the rank of kingdom upon the formation of the United Kingdom of Portugal , Brazil and the Algarves .
The president of Brazil ( Portuguese : Presidente do Brasil ) , officially the president of the Federative Republic of Brazil ( Portuguese : Presidente da República Federativa do Brasil ) or simply the President of the Republic , is both the head of state and the head of government of Brazil . The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the Brazilian Armed Forces . The presidential system was established in 1889 , upon the proclamation of the republic in a military coup d'état against Emperor Pedro II . Since then , Brazil has had six constitutions , three dictatorships , and three democratic periods . During the democratic periods , voting has always been compulsory . The Constitution of Brazil , along with several constitutional amendments , establishes the requirements , powers , and responsibilities of the president , their term of office and the method of election . Jair Bolsonaro is the 38th and current president . He was sworn in on 1 January 2019 following the 2018 presidential election .
Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías ( /ˈtʃævɛz/ , Spanish pronunciation : [ ˈuɣo rafaˈel ˈtʃaβes ˈfɾi.as ] ( listen ) ; 28 July 1954 - 5 March 2013 ) was a Venezuelan politician who was president of Venezuela from 1999 until his death in 2013 . Chávez was also leader of the Fifth Republic Movement political party from its foundation in 1997 until 2007 , when it merged with several other parties to form the United Socialist Party of Venezuela ( PSUV ) , which he led until 2012 . Born into a middle class family in Sabaneta , Barinas , Chávez became a career military officer and , after becoming dissatisfied with the Venezuelan political system based on the Puntofijo Pact , founded the clandestine Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement-200 ( MBR-200 ) in the early 1980s . Chávez led the MBR-200 in an unsuccessful coup d'état against the Democratic Action government of President Carlos Andrés Pérez in 1992 , for which he was imprisoned . Pardoned from prison after two years , he founded a political party known as the Fifth Republic Movement and was elected president of Venezuela in 1998 with 56.2% of the vote . He was re-elected in 2000 with 59.8% of the vote and again in 2006 with 62.8% of the vote . After winning his fourth term as president in the October 2012 presidential election with a decrease to 55.1% of the vote , he was to be sworn in on 10 January 2013 . However , the inauguration was postponed due to his cancer treatment , and he died in Caracas on 5 March 2013 at the age of 58 . Following the adoption of a new constitution in 1999 , Chávez focused on enacting social reforms as part of the Bolivarian Revolution . Using record-high oil revenues of the 2000s , his government nationalized key industries , created participatory democratic Communal Councils and implemented social programs known as the Bolivarian missions to expand access to food , housing , healthcare and education . The high oil profits coinciding with the start of Chavez ' presidency resulted in temporary improvements in areas such as poverty , literacy , income equality and quality of life between primarily 2003 and 2007 , with a reversal beginning after around 2012 ; beyond falling oil prices , there are arguments that government policies did not address structural inequalities . On 2 June 2010 , Chávez declared an economic war on Venezuela 's upper classes due to shortages , arguably beginning the crisis in Venezuela .
Venezuela ( /ˌvɛnəˈzwɛlə/ ( listen ) ; American Spanish : [ beneˈswela ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( Spanish : República Bolivariana de Venezuela ) , is a country on the northern coast of South America , consisting of a continental landmass and many small islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea . It has a territorial extension of 916,445 km2 ( 353,841 sq mi ) . The continental territory is bordered on the north by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean , on the west by Colombia , Brazil on the south , Trinidad and Tobago to the north-east and on the east by Guyana . The Venezuelan government maintains a claim against Guyana to Guayana Esequiba , an area of 159,542 km2 ( 61,600 sq mi ) . For its maritime areas , Venezuela exercises sovereignty over 71,295 km2 ( 27,527 sq mi ) of territorial waters , 22,224 km2 ( 8,581 sq mi ) in its contiguous zone , 471,507 km2 ( 182,050 sq mi ) of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean under the concept of exclusive economic zone , and 99,889 km2 ( 38,567 sq mi ) of continental shelf . This marine area borders those of 13 states . The capital and largest urban agglomeration is the city of Caracas . The country has extremely high biodiversity and is ranked seventh in the world 's list of nations with the most number of species . There are habitats ranging from the Andes Mountains in the west to the Amazon basin rain-forest in the south via extensive llanos plains , the Caribbean coast and the Orinoco River Delta in the east . The sovereign state is a federal presidential republic consisting of 23 states , the Capital District ( covering Caracas ) , and federal dependencies ( covering Venezuela 's offshore islands ) . Venezuela also claims all Guyanese territory west of the Essequibo River , a 159,500-square-kilometre ( 61,583 sq mi ) tract dubbed Guayana Esequiba or the Zona en Reclamación ( the zone under dispute ) . Venezuela is among the most urbanized countries in Latin America ; the vast majority of Venezuelans live in the cities of the north , especially in the capital ( Caracas ) which is also the largest city in Venezuela .
The President of Venezuela ( Spanish : Presidente de Venezuela ) , officially known as the President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( Spanish : Presidente de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela ) is the head of state and head of government in Venezuela . The president leads the National Executive of the Venezuelan government and is the commander-in-chief of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces . Presidential terms were set at six years with the adoption of the 1999 Constitution of Venezuela , and presidential term limits were removed in 2009 . The office of president in Venezuela has existed since the 1811 Venezuelan Declaration of Independence from the Spanish Crown ; the first president was Cristóbal Mendoza . From 1821 to 1830 , Venezuela was a member state of Gran Colombia , and the Venezuelan executive was absorbed by the Colombian government in Bogotá . When the State of Venezuela became independent from Gran Colombia , the office of the president was restored under José Antonio Páez . Every head of state of Venezuela since then has held the title of president . As of November , the 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis is unresolved and who holds the office is disputed since 10 January 2019 , when the opposition-majority National Assembly declared that incumbent Nicolás Maduro 's 2018 re-election was invalid and the body declared its president , Juan Guaidó , to be acting president of the country .
The Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( Spanish : Constitución de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela ( CRBV ) ) is the current and twenty-sixth constitution of Venezuela . It was drafted in mid-1999 by a constituent assembly that had been created by popular referendum . Adopted in December 1999 , it replaced the 1961 Constitution , the longest-serving in Venezuelan history . It was primarily promoted by then President of Venezuela Hugo Chávez and thereafter received strong backing from diverse sectors , including figures involved in promulgating the 1961 constitution such as Luis Miquilena and Carlos Andrés Pérez . Chávez and his followers ( chavistas ) refer to the 1999 document as the Constitución Bolivariana ( the Bolivarian Constitution ) because they assert that it is ideologically descended from the thinking and political philosophy of Simón Bolívar and Bolivarianism . Since the creation of the Constituent National Assembly in August 2017 , the Bolivarian government has declared the 1999 constitution suspended until a new constitution is created . The Constitution of 1999 was the first constitution approved by popular referendum in Venezuelan history , and summarily inaugurated the so-called Fifth Republic of Venezuela due to the socioeconomic changes foretold in its pages , as well as the official change in Venezuela 's name from the República de Venezuela ( Republic of Venezuela ) to the República Bolivariana de Venezuela ( Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ) . Major changes are made to the structure of Venezuela 's government and responsibilities , while a much greater number of human rights are enshrined in the document as guaranteed to all Venezuelans - including free education up to tertiary level , free health care , access to a clean environment , right of minorities ( especially indigenous peoples ) to uphold their own traditional cultures , religions , and languages , among others . The 1999 Constitution , with 350 articles , is among the world 's longest , most complicated , and most comprehensive constitutions . One of the outstanding differences between Venezuelan and most of the other constitutions of the Americas is the lack of the possibility of impeachment of the president by the national parliament . Instead , it enables citizens to remove the president through a recall referendum .
William Jefferson Clinton ( born William Jefferson Blythe III ; August 19 , 1946 ) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 . Prior to his presidency , he served as governor of Arkansas ( 1979-1981 and 1983-1992 ) and as attorney general of Arkansas ( 1977-1979 ) . A member of the Democratic Party , Clinton was known as a New Democrat , and many of his policies reflected a centrist Third Way political philosophy . He is the husband of former secretary of state and former U.S. senator Hillary Clinton . In 1998 , Clinton was impeached by the House of Representatives , becoming the second U.S. president to get impeached following Andrew Johnson . The impeachment was based on accusations that Clinton committed perjury and obstruction of justice for the purpose of concealing his affair with Monica Lewinsky , a 22-year-old White House intern . He was acquitted by the Senate and completed his term in office . Clinton was born and raised in Arkansas and attended Georgetown University , University College , Oxford , and Yale Law School . He met Hillary Rodham at Yale and married her in 1975 . After graduating from law school , Clinton returned to Arkansas and won election as the attorney general of Arkansas , serving from 1977 to 1979 . He later served as governor of Arkansas . As governor , he overhauled the state 's education system and served as chairman of the National Governors Association .
Arkansas ( /ˈɑːrkənsɔː/ AR-kən-saw ) [ c ] is a state in the south central region of the United States , home to more than three million people as of 2018 . Its name is from the Osage language , of Siouan derivation ; it denoted their related kin , the Quapaw people . The state 's diverse geography ranges from the mountainous regions of the Ozark and the Ouachita Mountains , which make up the U.S . Interior Highlands , to the densely forested land in the south known as the Arkansas Timberlands , to the eastern lowlands along the Mississippi River and the Arkansas Delta . Arkansas is the 29th largest by area and the 33rd most populous of the 50 United States . The capital and most populous city is Little Rock , located in the central portion of the state , a hub for transportation , business , culture , and government . The northwestern corner of the state , such as the Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers Metropolitan Area and Fort Smith metropolitan area , is a population , education , and economic center . The largest city in the state 's eastern part is Jonesboro . The largest city in the state 's southeastern part is Pine Bluff . The Territory of Arkansas was admitted to the Union as the 25th state on June 15 , 1836 . Much of the Delta had been developed for cotton plantations , and the state landowners largely depended on enslaved African Americans as workers . In 1861 , Arkansas seceded from the United States and joined the Confederate States of America during the Civil War .
The governor of Arkansas is the head of government of the U.S. state of Arkansas . The governor is the head of the executive branch of the Arkansas government and is charged with enforcing state laws . They have the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Arkansas General Assembly , to convene the legislature , and to grant pardons , except in cases of treason and impeachment . The state has had 46 elected governors , as well as 11 acting governors who assumed powers and duties following the resignation or death of the governor . Before becoming a state , Arkansas Territory had four governors appointed to it by the president of the United States . Orval Faubus ( 1955-1967 ) served the longest term as state governor , being elected six times to serve 12 years . Bill Clinton ( 1979-1981 ; 1983-1992 ) , elected 5 times over 2 distinct terms , fell only one month short of 12 years and Mike Huckabee ( 1996-2007 ) served 10 years for two full four-year terms . The shortest term for an elected governor was the 38 days served by John Sebastian Little before his nervous breakdown ; one of the acting successors to his term , Jesse M. Martin , took office only three days before the end of the term , the shortest term overall . The current governor is Republican Asa Hutchinson , who took office on January 13 , 2015 .
Chiang Kai-shek ( /ˈtʃæŋ kaɪˈʃɛk , dʒiˈɑːŋ/ ; 31 October 1887 - 5 April 1975 ) , also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and romanized via Mandarin as Chiang Chieh-shih and Jiang Jieshi , was a Chinese nationalist politician , revolutionary and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China between 1928 and 1975 , first in mainland China until 1949 and then in Taiwan until his death . Born in Chekiang ( Zhejiang ) Province , Chiang was a member of the Kuomintang and a lieutenant of Sun Yat-sen in the revolution to overthrow the Beiyang government and reunify China . With Soviet and communist ( CPC ) help , Chiang organized the military for Sun 's Canton Nationalist Government and headed the Whampoa Military Academy . Commander in chief of the National Revolutionary Army ( from which he came to be known as Generalissimo ) , he led the Northern Expedition from 1926 to 1928 , before defeating a coalition of warlords and nominally reunifying China under a new Nationalist government . Midway through the campaign , the KMT-CPC alliance broke down and Chiang purged the communists inside the party , triggering a civil war with the CCP , which he eventually lost in 1949 . As leader of the Republic of China in the Nanjing decade , Chiang sought to strike a difficult balance between the modernizing China while also devoting resources to defending the nation against the impending Japanese threat . Trying to avoid a war with Japan while hostilities with CCP continued , he was kidnapped in the Xi'an Incident and obliged to form an Anti-Japanese United Front with the CCP . Following the Marco Polo Bridge Incident in 1937 , he mobilized China for the Second Sino-Japanese War . For eight years he led the war of resistance against a vastly superior enemy , mostly from the wartime capital Chongqing . As the leader of a major Allied power , Chiang met with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the Cairo Conference to discuss terms for Japanese surrender . No sooner had the Second World War ended than the Civil War with the communists , by then led by Mao Zedong , resumed . Chiang 's nationalists were mostly defeated in a few decisive battles in 1948 .
Taiwan ( Chinese : 臺灣 ; pinyin : Táiwān ) , [ II ] officially the Republic of China ( ROC ) , [ I ] is a state in East Asia . Neighbouring states include the People 's Republic of China ( PRC ) to the north-west , Japan to the north-east , and the Philippines to the south . The island of Taiwan has an area of 35,808 square kilometres ( 13,826 sq mi ) , with mountain ranges dominating the eastern two-thirds and plains in the western third , where its highly urbanised population is concentrated . Taipei is the capital and largest metropolitan area . Other major cities include Kaohsiung , Taichung , Tainan and Taoyuan . With 23.7 million inhabitants , Taiwan is among the most densely populated states , and is the most populous state and largest economy that is not a member of the United Nations ( UN ) . Taiwanese indigenous peoples settled the island of Taiwan around 6,000 years ago . In the 17th century , Dutch rule opened the island to mass Han immigration . After the brief Kingdom of Tungning in parts of the southern and western areas of the island , the island was annexed in 1683 by the Qing dynasty of China , and ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895 . Following the surrender of Japan in 1945 , the Republic of China , which had overthrown and succeeded the Qing in 1911 , took control of Taiwan on behalf of the World War II Allies . The resumption of the Chinese Civil War led to the loss of the mainland to the Communist Party of China and the flight of the ROC government to Taiwan in 1949 . Although the ROC government continued to claim to be the legitimate representative of China , since 1950 its effective jurisdiction has been limited to Taiwan and numerous smaller islands .
Alexander Grigoryevich Lukashenko ( Belarusian : Алякса́ндр Рыго́равіч Лукашэ́нка , romanized : Alyaksándr Ryhóravich Lukashénka ; Belarusian Latin alphabet : Aljaksandar Ryhoravič Łukašenka , IPA : [ alʲaˈksand ( a ) r rɨˈɣɔravʲitʂ lukaˈʂɛnka ] ; Russian : Алекса́ндр Григо́рьевич Лукаше́нко , IPA : [ ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɡrʲɪˈɡorʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ɫʊkɐˈʂɛnkə ] ; born 30 August 1954 ) is a Belarusian politician serving as President of Belarus since the office was created on 20 July 1994 . Before launching his political career , Lukashenko worked as director of a collective farm ( kolkhoz ) and spent time with the Soviet Border Troops and the Soviet Army . He was the only deputy to vote against the independence of Belarus from the Soviet Union . Lukashenko opposed Western-backed shock therapy during the post-Soviet transition . He has supported state ownership of key industries in Belarus . Lukashenko 's government has also retained much of the country 's Soviet-era symbolism , especially related to the victory in the Second World War . Western opponents of Lukashenko have described Belarus as 'Europe 's last dictatorship ' . Since 2006 , Lukashenko and other Belarusian officials have also been the subject of on-and-off sanctions imposed by the European Union and the United States for human rights violations . He responds that his policies are the only alternative to instability and have spared Belarus from the poverty and oligarchy seen elsewhere in the former Soviet republics .
Belarus ( /bɛləˈruːs/ ; Belarusian : Беларусь , IPA : [ bʲɛlaˈrusʲ ] ) , officially the Republic of Belarus ( Belarusian : Рэспубліка Беларусь , Russian : Республика Беларусь ) , formerly known by its Russian name Byelorussia or Belorussia ( Russian : Белоруссия ) , is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe bordered by Russia to the northeast , Ukraine to the south , Poland to the west , and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest . Its capital and most populous city is Minsk . Over 40% of its 207,600 square kilometres ( 80,200 sq mi ) is forested . Its major economic sectors are service industries and manufacturing . Until the 20th century , different states at various times controlled the lands of modern-day Belarus , including the Principality of Polotsk ( 11th to 14th centuries ) , the Grand Duchy of Lithuania , the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth , and the Russian Empire . In the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution , Belarus declared independence as the Belarusian People 's Republic , which was conquered by Soviet Russia . The Socialist Soviet Republic of Byelorussia became a founding constituent republic of the Soviet Union in 1922 and was renamed as the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic ( Byelorussian SSR ) . Belarus lost almost half of its territory to Poland after the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921 . Much of the borders of Belarus took their modern shape in 1939 , when some lands of the Second Polish Republic were reintegrated into it after the Soviet invasion of Poland , and were finalized after World War II . During WWII , military operations devastated Belarus , which lost about a quarter of its population and half of its economic resources . The republic was redeveloped in the post-war years . In 1945 the Byelorussian SSR became a founding member of the United Nations , along with the Soviet Union and the Ukrainian SSR .
| children = 4 , including Zulema María Eva Menem | signature= Firma de Carlos S. Menem.svg } } Carlos Saúl Menem ( born July 2 , 1930 ) is an Argentine politician who was president of Argentina from 8 July 1989 to 10 December 1999 . He has been a Senator for La Rioja Province since 10 December 2005 . Born in Anillaco , Menem became a Peronist during a visit to Buenos Aires . He led the party in his home province of La Rioja , and was elected governor in 1973 . He was deposed and detained during the 1976 Argentine coup d'état , and was elected governor again in 1983 . He defeated the Buenos Aires governor Antonio Cafiero in the primary elections for the 1989 presidential elections , which he won . Hyperinflation forced outgoing president Raúl Alfonsín to resign early , shortening the presidential transition . Menem supported the Washington Consensus , and tackled inflation with the Convertibility plan in 1991 . The plan was complemented by a series of privatizations , and was a success . Argentina re-established diplomatic relations with the United Kingdom , suspended since the 1982 Falklands War , and developed special relations with the United States . The country suffered two terrorist attacks . The Peronist victory in the 1993 midterm elections allowed him to force Alfonsín to sign the Pact of Olivos for the 1994 amendment of the Argentine Constitution .
Argentina ( Spanish : [ aɾxenˈtina ] ) , officially the Argentine Republic [ A ] ( Spanish : República Argentina ) , is a country located mostly in the southern half of South America . Sharing the bulk of the Southern Cone with Chile to the west , the country is also bordered by Bolivia and Paraguay to the north , Brazil to the northeast , Uruguay and the South Atlantic Ocean to the east , and the Drake Passage to the south . With a mainland area of 2,780,400 km2 ( 1,073,500 sq mi ) , [ B ] Argentina is the eighth-largest country in the world , the fourth largest in the Americas , the second largest in South America after Brazil , and the largest Spanish-speaking nation . The sovereign state is subdivided into twenty-three provinces ( Spanish : provincias , singular provincia ) and one autonomous city ( ciudad autónoma ) , Buenos Aires , which is the federal capital of the nation ( Spanish : Capital Federal ) as decided by Congress . The provinces and the capital have their own constitutions , but exist under a federal system . Argentina claims sovereignty over part of Antarctica , the Falkland Islands ( Spanish : Islas Malvinas ) , and South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands . The earliest recorded human presence in modern-day Argentina dates back to the Paleolithic period . The Inca Empire expanded to the northwest of the country in Pre-Columbian times . The country has its roots in Spanish colonization of the region during the 16th century . Argentina rose as the successor state of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata , a Spanish overseas viceroyalty founded in 1776 . The declaration and fight for independence ( 1810-1818 ) was followed by an extended civil war that lasted until 1861 , culminating in the country 's reorganization as a federation of provinces with Buenos Aires as its capital city . The country thereafter enjoyed relative peace and stability , with several waves of European immigration , mainly Italians and Spaniards , radically reshaping its cultural and demographic outlook ; 62.5% of the population has full or partial Italian ancestry , and the Argentine culture has significant connections to the Italian culture .
The President of Argentina ( Spanish : Presidente de Argentina ) , officially known as the President of the Argentine Nation ( Spanish : Presidente de la Nación Argentina ) , is both head of state and head of government of Argentina . Under the national Constitution , the President is also the chief executive of the federal government and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces . Through Argentine history , the office of the Head of State has undergone many changes , both in its title as in its features and powers . Current President Alberto Fernández was sworn into office on 10 December 2019 . The Constitution of Argentina , along with several constitutional amendments , establishes the requirements , powers , and responsibilities of the president and term of office and the method of election .
Yoweri Kaguta Museveni ( pronunciation ( help·info ) ; born 15 September 1944 ) is a Ugandan politician who has been President of Uganda since 1986 . Museveni was involved in rebellions that toppled notorious Ugandan leaders Idi Amin ( 1971-79 ) and Milton Obote ( 1980-85 ) before capturing power in the 80s . In the mid- to late 1990s , Museveni was celebrated by the West as part of a new generation of African leaders . During Museveni 's presidency , Uganda has experienced relative peace and significant success in battling HIV/AIDS . At the same time , Uganda remains a country suffering from high levels of corruption , unemployment and poverty . Museveni 's presidency has been marred by involvement in the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and other Great Lakes region conflicts ; the rebellion in Northern Uganda by the Lord 's Resistance Army which caused a humanitarian emergency ; and the suppression of political opposition and constitutional amendments scrapping presidential term limits ( 2005 ) and the presidential age limit ( 2017 ) , thus enabling the extension of his rule .
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda ( Swahili : Jamhuri ya Uganda ; Luganda : Eggwanga Yuganda ) is a landlocked country in East-Central Africa . It is bordered to the east by Kenya , to the north by South Sudan , to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo , to the south-west by Rwanda , and to the south by Tanzania . The southern part of the country includes a substantial portion of Lake Victoria , shared with Kenya and Tanzania . Uganda is in the African Great Lakes region . Uganda also lies within the Nile basin , and has a varied but generally a modified equatorial climate . Uganda takes its name from the Buganda kingdom , which encompasses a large portion of the south of the country , including the capital Kampala . The people of Uganda were hunter-gatherers until 1,700 to 2,300 years ago , when Bantu-speaking populations migrated to the southern parts of the country . Beginning in 1894 , the area was ruled as a protectorate by the UK , who established administrative law across the territory . Uganda gained independence from the UK on 9 October 1962 . The period since then has been marked by violent conflicts , including an 8-year-long far right military dictatorship led by Idi Amin . Additionally , a lengthy civil war against the Lord 's Resistance Army in the Northern Region led by Joseph Kony , has caused hundreds of thousands of casualties . The official languages are English and Swahili , although any other language may be used as a medium of instruction in schools or other educational institutions or for legislative , administrative or judicial purposes as may be prescribed by law .
The President of the Republic of Uganda is the head of state and head of government of Uganda . The president leads the executive branch of the Government of Uganda and is the commander-in-chief of the Uganda People 's Defence Force .
Park Chung-hee ( Korean : 박정희 ; Hanja : 朴正熙 ; 14 November 1917 - 26 October 1979 ) was a South Korean politician and general who served as the President of South Korea from 1963 until his assassination in 1979 , assuming that office after first ruling the country as head of a military dictatorship installed by the May 16 military coup d'état in 1961 . Before his presidency , he was the chairman of the Supreme Council for National Reconstruction from 1961 to 1963 after a career as a military leader in the South Korean army . Park 's coup brought an end to the interim government of the Second Republic and his election and inauguration in 1963 ushered in the Third Republic . Seeking to bring South Korea into the developed world , Park began a series of economic policies that brought rapid economic growth and industrialization to the nation that eventually became known as the Miracle on the Han River . South Korea became one of the fastest growing nations during the 60s and 70s as a result . Although popular during the 60s , by the 1970s , as growth began to slow , Park 's popularity started to wane , resulting in a close victory during the 1971 South Korean presidential election . Following this , in 1972 , Park declared martial law and amended the constitution into a highly authoritarian document called the Yushin Constitution . Formally , the pretense was that the Yushin Constitution was the seventh Constitutional amendment . In actuality , its effect was tantamount to abolition of the former Constitution - effectively creating a new one in an effort to legitimize the new Fourth Republic [ citation needed ] . During this time , political opposition and dissent was constantly repressed and Park had complete control of the media and military . Park survived several previous attempts to kill him , including two operations associated with North Korea [ citation needed ] . Following the student uprising later known as the Bu-Ma Democratic Protests , Park was assassinated on 26 October 1979 by his close friend Kim Jae-gyu , the director of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency , at a safe house in Seoul .
South Korea ( Korean : 한국/韓國 ; RR : Hanguk or literally 남한/南韓 ; RR : Namhan ) , officially the Republic of Korea ( Korean : 대한민국/大韓民國 ; RR : Daehan Minguk ) is a country in East Asia , constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea . The name Korea is derived from Goguryeo , which was one of the great powers in East Asia during its time , ruling most of the Korean Peninsula , Manchuria , parts of the Russian Far East and Inner Mongolia under Gwanggaeto the Great . Its capital , Seoul , is a major global city and half of South Korea 's over 51 million people live in the Seoul Capital Area , the fourth largest metropolitan economy in the world . The Korean Peninsula was inhabited as early as the Lower Paleolithic period . Its first kingdom was noted in Chinese records in the early 7th century BC . Following the unification of the Three Kingdoms of Korea into Silla and Balhae in the late 7th century , Korea was ruled by the Goryeo dynasty ( 918-1392 ) and the Joseon dynasty ( 1392-1897 ) . The succeeding Korean Empire was annexed into the Empire of Japan in 1910 . After World War II , Korea was divided into Soviet and U.S.-administered zones , with the latter becoming the Republic of Korea in August 1948 . In 1950 , a North Korean invasion began the Korean War and after its end in 1953 , the country 's economy began to soar , recording the fastest rise in average GDP per capita in the world between 1980 and 1990 . Authoritarian rule ended in 1987 and the country is now the most advanced democracy with the highest level of press freedom in Asia . South Korea is a member of the OECD 's Development Assistance Committee , the G20 and the Paris Club . South Korea is a highly developed country and the world 's 12th-largest economy by nominal GDP .
The President of the Republic of Korea ( Korean : 대한민국 대통령 ; Hanja : 大韓民國 大統領 ; RR : Daehan Minguk Daetongnyeong ; informally referred to as POTROK or POSK ) is the chief executive of South Korea as the head of state and head of government , as well as the commander-in-chief of the South Korean Armed Forces . The Constitution and the amended Presidential Election Act of 1987 provide for election of the president by direct , secret ballot , ending sixteen years of indirect presidential elections under the preceding two governments . The president is directly elected to a five-year term , with no possibility of re-election . If a presidential vacancy should occur , a successor must be elected within sixty days , during which time presidential duties are to be performed by the prime minister or other senior cabinet members in the order of priority as determined by law . While in office , the chief executive lives in Cheong Wa Dae ( the Blue House ) , and is exempt from criminal liability ( except for insurrection or treason ) . Moon Jae-in , former human rights lawyer and chief of staff to then-President Roh Moo-hyun , assumed post of President of South Korea on 10 May 2017 immediately upon being elected with a plurality of 41.1% , in contrast to 24.0% and 21.4% won by his major opponents , conservative Hong Joon-pyo and centrist Ahn Cheol-soo , respectively .
Paul Edward Patton ( born May 26 , 1937 ) is an American politician who served as the 59th governor of Kentucky from 1995 to 2003 . Because of a 1992 amendment to the Kentucky Constitution , he was the first governor eligible to succeed himself in office since James Garrard in 1800 . Since 2013 , he has been the chancellor of the University of Pikeville in Pikeville , Kentucky after serving as its president from 2010 to 2013 . He also served as chairman of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education from 2009 to 2011 . After graduating from the University of Kentucky in 1959 , Patton became wealthy operating coal mines for 20 years . He sold most of his coal interests in the late 1970s and entered politics , serving briefly in the cabinet of Governor John Y . Brown Jr. and chairing the state Democratic Party . In 1981 , he was elected judge/executive of Pike County . He made an unsuccessful bid for lieutenant governor in 1987 , but was elected in 1991 , serving concurrently as lieutenant governor and secretary of economic development under Governor Brereton Jones . Four years later , Patton was elected Governor over Republican Larry Forgy . The major achievement of his first term was overhauling higher education , including making the state 's community colleges and technical schools independent of the University of Kentucky and organizing them into the Kentucky Community and Technical College System . Shortly after Patton turned back a weak challenge to his re-election in 1999 , two Democratic state senators defected to the Republican Party , giving Republicans a majority in that legislative house for the first time ever .
Kentucky ( UK : /kɛnˈtʌki/ ken-TUK-ee , US : /kən-/ ( listen ) kən- ) , officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky , is a state located in the Southern United States . Although styled as the State of Kentucky in the law creating it , ( because in Kentucky 's first constitution , the term state was used ) , Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth ( the others being Virginia , Pennsylvania , and Massachusetts ) . Originally a part of Virginia , in 1792 Kentucky split from it and became the 15th state to join the Union . Kentucky is the 37th most extensive and the 26th most populous of the 50 United States . Kentucky is known as the Bluegrass State , a nickname based on the bluegrass , a species of grass found in many of its pastures . One of the major regions in Kentucky is the Bluegrass Region in central Kentucky , which houses its two largest cities , Louisville and Lexington . It is a land with diverse environments and abundant resources , including the world 's longest cave system , Mammoth Cave National Park , one of the greatest lengths of navigable waterways and streams in the contiguous United States , and the two largest man-made lakes east of the Mississippi River . Kentucky is also known for horse racing , bourbon , moonshine , coal , My Old Kentucky Home historic state park , automobile manufacturing , tobacco , bluegrass music , college basketball , Kentucky Fried Chicken , and the Kentucky colonel .
The Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky is the head of Kentucky 's executive branch of government . 57 men and one woman have served as Governor of Kentucky . The governor 's term is four years in length ; since 1992 , incumbents have been able to seek re-election once before becoming ineligible for four years . Throughout the state 's history , four men have served two non-consecutive terms as governor , and two others have served two consecutive terms . Kentucky is one of only five U.S. states that hold gubernatorial elections in odd-numbered years . The current governor is Andy Beshear , who was first elected in 2019 . The governor 's powers are enumerated in the state constitution . There have been four constitutions of Kentucky - adopted in 1792 , 1799 , 1850 , and 1891 , respectively - and each has enlarged the governor 's authority . Among the powers appropriated to the governor in the constitution are the ability to grant pardons , veto legislation , and call the legislature into session . The governor serves as commander-in-chief of the state 's military forces and is empowered to enforce all laws of the state . The officeholder is given broad statutory authority to make appointments to the various cabinets and departments of the executive branch , limited somewhat by the adoption of a merit system for state employees in 1960 . Because Kentucky 's governor controls so many appointments to commissions , the office has been historically considered one of the most powerful state executive positions in the United States .
Juan Domingo Perón ( UK : /pɛˈrɒn/ , US : /pɛˈroʊn , pəˈ- , peɪˈ-/ , Spanish : [ ˈxwan doˈmiŋɡo peˈɾon ] ; 8 October 1895 - 1 July 1974 ) was an Argentine Army general and politician . After serving in several government positions , including Minister of Labor and Vice President , he was elected President of Argentina three times , serving from June 1946 to September 1955 , when he was overthrown in a coup d'état , and then from October 1973 until his death in July 1974 . During his first presidential term ( 1946-52 ) , Perón was supported by his second wife , Eva Duarte ( Evita ) : they were immensely popular among the Argentine working class . Eva died in 1952 , and Perón was elected to a second term , serving from 1952 until 1955 . During the following period of two military dictatorships , interrupted by two civilian governments , the Peronist party was outlawed and Perón was exiled . When the left-wing Peronist Héctor José Cámpora was elected President in 1973 , Perón returned to Argentina and was soon after elected President for a third time . His third wife , María Estela Martínez , known as Isabel Perón , was elected as Vice President on his ticket and succeeded him as President upon his death in 1974 . Although they are still controversial figures , Juan and Eva Perón are nonetheless considered icons by the Peronists . The Peróns ' followers praised their efforts to eliminate poverty and to dignify labour , while their detractors considered them demagogues and dictators . The Peróns gave their name to the political movement known as Peronism , which in present-day Argentina is represented mainly by the Justicialist Party . Peronism is a political phenomenon that draws support from both the political left and political right . Peronism is not considered a traditional party , but a political movement , because of the wide variety of people who call themselves Peronists , and there is great controversy surrounding his personality .
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin ( /ˈpuːtɪn/ ; Russian : Владимир Владимирович Путин , romanized : Vladimir Vladimirovič Putin , Russian pronunciation : [ vɫɐˈdʲimʲɪr vɫɐˈdʲimʲɪrəvʲɪtɕ ˈputʲɪn ] ; born 7 October 1952 ) is a Russian politician who has served as the president of Russia since 2012 , previously holding the position from 2000 until 2008 . [ a ] He was also the Prime Minister of Russia from 1999 to 2000 and again from 2008 to 2012 . Putin was born in Leningrad and studied law at Leningrad State University , graduating in 1975 . Putin worked as a KGB foreign intelligence officer for 16 years , rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel , before resigning in 1991 to begin a political career in Saint Petersburg . He later moved to Moscow in 1996 to join the administration of President Boris Yeltsin , serving first as Director of the Federal Security Service ( FSB ) , the KGB 's successor agency , before being appointed as prime minister in August 1999 . After the resignation of Yeltsin , Putin was elected to succeed him . During his first tenure as president , the Russian economy grew for eight straight years , with GDP measured by purchasing power increasing by 72% . The growth was a result of the 2000s commodities boom , recovery from the post-Communist depression and financial crises , and prudent economic and fiscal policies . After serving as prime minister under Dmitry Medvedev , Putin announced he would seek a third term as president , and won the March 2012 election with 64% of the vote . Falling oil prices coupled with international sanctions imposed at the beginning of 2014 after Russia 's annexation of Crimea and military intervention in Eastern Ukraine led to GDP shrinking by 3.7% in 2015 , though the Russian economy rebounded in 2016 with 0.3% GDP growth and the recession officially ended . Putin gained 76% of the March 2018 election and was re-elected for a six-year term that will end in 2024 . Under Putin 's leadership , Russia has experienced democratic backsliding .
Russia ( Russian : Росси́я , tr . Rossiya , IPA : [ rɐˈsʲijə ] ) , or the Russian Federation , [ e ] is a European country located in Eastern Europe with a vast expanse of territory that stretches across Northern Asia . At 17,125,200 square kilometres ( 6,612,100 sq mi ) , it is by far the largest country in the world by area , covering more than one-eighth of the Earth 's inhabited land area , spanning eleven time zones , and bordering 16 sovereign nations . The territory of Russia extends from the Baltic Sea in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east , and from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Black Sea and the Caucasus in the south . With 146.7 million inhabitants living in the country 's 85 federal subjects as of 2020 , Russia is the most populous nation in Europe and the ninth-most populous nation in the world . Russia 's capital and largest city is Moscow ; other major urban areas include Saint Petersburg , Novosibirsk , Yekaterinburg , Nizhny Novgorod , Kazan and Chelyabinsk . The East Slavs emerged as a recognizable group in Europe between the 3rd and 8th centuries AD . Founded and ruled by a Varangian warrior elite and their descendants , the medieval state of Rus arose in the 9th century . In 988 it adopted Orthodox Christianity from the Byzantine Empire , beginning the synthesis of Byzantine and Slavic cultures that defined Russian culture for the next millennium . Rus ultimately disintegrated into a number of smaller states , until it was finally reunified by the Grand Duchy of Moscow in the 15th century . By the 18th century , the nation had greatly expanded through conquest , annexation , and exploration to become the Russian Empire , which was the third largest empire in history , stretching from Poland on the west to Alaska on the east . Following the Russian Revolution , the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic ( Russian SFSR ) became the largest and leading constituent of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics ( USSR/Soviet Union ) , the world 's first constitutionally socialist state .
The president of Russia , officially the president of the Russian Federation ( Russian : Президе́нт Росси́йской Федера́ции , tr . Prezident Rossiyskoy Federatsii ) , is the head of state and de jure head of government of the Russian Federation , as well as the commander-in-chief of the Russian Armed Forces . He holds the highest office in Russia . In 1991 , the office was briefly known as the president of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic ( Russian : Президе́нт Росси́йской Сове́тской Федерати́вной Социалисти́ческой Респу́блики ) until 25 December 1991 . According to the 1978 Russian Constitution , the president of Russia was head of the executive branch and headed the Council of Ministers of Russia . According to the current 1993 Constitution of Russia , the president of Russia is not a part of the Government of Russia , which exercises executive power . In all cases where the president of the Russian Federation is unable to fulfill his duties , they shall be temporarily delegated to the prime minister of Russia , who becomes acting president of Russia . The chairman of the Federation Council is the third important position after the president and the prime minister . In the case of incapacity of both the president and prime minister , the chairman of the upper house of parliament becomes acting head of state . The power includes execution of federal law , alongside the responsibility of appointing federal ministers , diplomatic , regulatory and judicial officers , and concluding treaties with foreign powers with the advice and consent of the State Duma and the Federation Council . The president is further empowered to grant federal pardons and reprieves , and to convene and adjourn the Federal Assembly under extraordinary circumstances . The president also directs the foreign and domestic policy of the Russian Federation .
Emomali Rahmon ( Tajik : Эмомалӣ Раҳмон , romanized : Emomalî Rahmon/Emomalī Rahmon ; born 5 October 1952 ) is a Tajikistani politician who has served as President of Tajikistan ( or its equivalent post ) since 1994 . His rule is commonly regarded as a dictatorship .
Tajikistan ( /tɑːˈdʒiːkɪstɑːn/ ( listen ) , /tə- , tæ-/ ; Tajik : Тоҷикистон [ tɔdʒikisˈtɔn ] ) , officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( Tajik : Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон , Jumhurii Tojikiston ) is a mountainous , landlocked country in Central Asia with an area of 143,100 km2 ( 55,300 sq mi ) and an estimated population of 9,275,828 people . It is bordered by Afghanistan to the south , Uzbekistan to the west , Kyrgyzstan to the north , and China to the east . The traditional homelands of the Tajik people include present-day Tajikistan as well as parts of Afghanistan and Uzbekistan . The territory that now constitutes Tajikistan was previously home to several ancient cultures , including the city of Sarazm of the Neolithic and the Bronze Age , and was later home to kingdoms ruled by people of different faiths and cultures , including the Oxus civilisation , Andronovo culture , Buddhism , Nestorian Christianity , Zoroastrianism , Manichaeism and Islam . The area has been ruled by numerous empires and dynasties , including the Achaemenid Empire , Sasanian Empire , Hephthalite Empire , Samanid Empire , Mongol Empire , Timurid dynasty , the Khanate of Bukhara , the Russian Empire , and subsequently the Soviet Union . Within the Soviet Union , the country 's modern borders were drawn when it was part of Uzbekistan as an autonomous republic before becoming a full-fledged Soviet republic in 1929 . On 9 September 1991 , Tajikistan became an independent sovereign nation when the Soviet Union disintegrated . 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 . Like all other Central Asian neighbouring states , the country , led by President Emomali Rahmon since 1994 , has been criticised by a number of non-governmental organizations for authoritarian leadership , lack of religious freedom , corruption and widespread violations of human rights . Tajikistan is a presidential republic consisting of four provinces . Most of Tajikistan 's population belongs to the Tajik ethnic group , who speak Tajik ( a dialect of Persian ) .
The president of Tajikistan is the head of state and the highest position within the Government of Tajikistan . The position of President was created in November 1990 while Tajikistan was still a Soviet Republic . The president of Tajikistan lives in the capital , Dushanbe .
Syngman Rhee ( Korean : 이승만 , pronounced [ i.sɯŋ.man ] [ note 1 ] ; 26 March 1875 - 19 July 1965 ) was a South Korean politician who served as the first president of South Korea from 1948 to 1960 . Rhee was the first and the last president of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea from 1919 to 1925 and 1947 to 1948 , and was elected President of South Korea in the 1948 presidential election . Rhee oversaw the transfer of power from the United States Army Military Government in Korea to the Government of South Korea and the establishment of the First Republic of Korea . Rhee adopted a strongly anti-communist and pro-American stance , and led South Korea through the Korean War from 1950 to 1953 . He obtained a Bachelor of Arts from George Washington University in 1907 , and a Master of Arts from Harvard University in 1908 . In 1910 , he obtained a Ph.D. from Princeton University .
Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif ( Urdu : میاں محمد نواز شریف , born 25 December 1949 ) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who served as the prime minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms . Sharif is the longest-serving prime minister of Pakistan having served a total of more than 9 years . Born into the upper-middle class Sharif family in Lahore , Sharif is the son of Muhammad Sharif , the founder of Ittefaq and Sharif Group . He is the elder brother of Shehbaz Sharif , who also served as the chief minister of Punjab . According to the Election Commission of Pakistan , Sharif is the one of the wealthiest men in Pakistan , with an estimated net worth of at least 1.6 billion Pakistani rupees . Most of Sharif 's wealth originates from his businesses in steel construction . Before entering politics in the 1970s , Sharif studied business at Government College and law at the University of Punjab . In 1981 , Sharif was appointed by President Zia as the minister of finance for the province of Punjab . Backed by a loose coalition of conservatives , Sharif was elected as the Chief Minister of Punjab in 1985 and re-elected after the end of martial law in 1988 . In 1990 , Sharif led the conservative Islamic Democratic Alliance and became the 12th prime minister of Pakistan . After being ousted in 1993 , when president Ghulam Ishaq Khan dissolved the National Assembly , Sharif served as the leader of the opposition to the government of Benazir Bhutto from 1993 to 1996 . He returned to premiership after the Pakistan Muslim League ( N ) ( PML-N ) was elected in 1997 , and served until his removal in 1999 by military takeover .
Pakistan , [ b ] officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan , [ c ] is a country in South Asia . It is the world 's sixth-most populous country with a population exceeding 207.8 million . In area , it is the 33rd-largest country , spanning 881,913 square kilometres ( 340,509 square miles ) . Pakistan has a 1,046-kilometre ( 650-mile ) coastline along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by India to the east , Afghanistan to the west , Iran to the southwest , and China in the northeast . It is separated narrowly from Tajikistan by Afghanistan 's Wakhan Corridor in the northwest , and also shares a maritime border with Oman . The territory that now constitutes Pakistan was the site of several ancient cultures and intertwined with the history of the broader Indian subcontinent . The ancient history involves the Neolithic site of Mehrgarh and the Bronze Age Indus Valley Civilisation , and was later home to kingdoms ruled by people of different faiths and cultures , including Hindus , Indo-Greeks , Muslims , Turco-Mongols , Afghans and Sikhs . The area has been ruled by numerous empires and dynasties , including the Persian Achaemenid Empire , Alexander III of Macedon , the Seleucid Empire , the Indian Maurya Empire , the Gupta Empire , the Arab Umayyad Caliphate , the Delhi Sultanate , the Mongol Empire , the Mughal Empire , the Afghan Durrani Empire , the Sikh Empire ( partially ) and , most recently , the British Indian Empire . Pakistan is the only country to have been created in the name of Islam . It is an ethnically and linguistically diverse country , with similarly diverse geography and wildlife . Initially a dominion , Pakistan adopted a constitution in 1956 , becoming an Islamic republic . An ethnic civil war and Indian military intervention in 1971 resulted in the secession of East Pakistan as the new country of Bangladesh .
The Prime Minister of Pakistan ( Urdu : وزِیرِ اعظم پاکِستان‬ - Wazīr-ē-Āzam , Urdu pronunciation : [ ʋəˈziːr-ˌeː ˈɑː.zəm ] ; lit . Grand Vizier ) is the head of government of Pakistan and designated as the chief executive of the Republic . The Prime Minister leads the executive branch of the government , oversees economic growth , leads the National Assembly , heads the Council of Common Interests as well as the Cabinet , and is vested with the command authority over the nuclear arsenals . This position places its holder in leadership of the nation and in control over all matters of internal and foreign policy . The Prime Minister is elected by the members of the National Assembly and therefore is usually the leader of the majority party in the parliament . The Constitution of Pakistan vests the executive powers in the Prime Minister , who is responsible for appointing the Cabinet as well as running the executive branch , taking and authorising executive decisions , appointments and recommendations that require executive confirmation of the Prime Minister . Constitutionally , the Prime Minister serves as the chief adviser to President of Pakistan on critical matters and plays an influential role in appointment in each branch of the military leadership as well as ensuring the control of the military through chairman joint chiefs . Powers of the Prime Minister have significantly grown with a delicate system of the check and balance by each branch . The position was absent during years of 1960-73 , 1977-85 and 1999-2002 due to imposed martial law . In each of these periods , the military junta led by the President had the powers of the Prime Minister . Imran Khan has held the office of Prime Minister since 18 August 2018 , following the outcome of nationwide general elections held on 25 July 2018 .
Álvaro Uribe Vélez ( born 4 July 1952 ) is a Colombian politician who served as the 31st President of Colombia from 7 August 2002 to 7 August 2010 . Uribe studied law . Álvaro Uribe focused his political career and became a member of the Colombian Liberal Party . In 1993 he attended Harvard University , receiving a Certificate of Special Studies in Administration and Management at Harvard Extension School and Certificate in Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at Harvard Law School . Between 1998 and 1999 , he studied at St Antony 's College , Oxford , England , on a Chevening-Simón Bolívar scholarship and was appointed Senior Associate Member at St Antony 's College . Uribe started his political career in his home department of Antioquia . He has held office in the Empresas Públicas de Medellín and in the Ministry of Labor and was the director of the Special Administrative Unit of Civil Aeronautics ( 1980-1982 ) . He was named Mayor of Medellín in October 1982 by Belisario Betancur . However , he was discharged of his function in February 1983 , five months after his appointment , by Président Betancur for his alleged collaboration with drug traffickers . He was Senator between 1986 and 1994 and finally Governor of Antioquia between 1995 and 1997 before he was elected President of Colombia in 2002 . Following his 2002 election , Uribe led successful campaigns against leftist guerilla groups the FARC and the ELN , as well as leading a successful effort in the demobilizing of the rightwing paramilitary group known as the AUC , all of which are part the Colombian Armed Conflict . On 13 January 2009 the United States awarded President Uribe the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his role in fighting along the US lead War on Terror in the Colombian Armed Conflict .
Colombia ( /kəˈlʌmbiə/ ( listen ) kə-LUM-bee-ə , /-ˈlɒm-/ -⁠LOM- ; Spanish : [ koˈlombja ] ( listen ) ) , officially the Republic of Colombia ( Spanish : República de Colombia ( help·info ) ) , [ Note 1 ] is a country largely situated in the north of South America , with land and territories in North America . Colombia is bounded on the north by the Caribbean Sea , the northwest by Panama , the south by both Ecuador and Peru , the east by Venezuela , the southeast by Brazil , and the west by the Pacific . It comprises thirty-two departments , with the capital in Bogotá . Colombia is ethnically and linguistically diverse , with its rich cultural heritage reflecting influences by various Amerindian civilizations , European settlement , forced African labor , and immigration from Europe and the greater Middle East . Urban centres are concentrated in the Andean highlands and the Caribbean coast . Colombia has been inhabited by various American Indian peoples since at least 12,000 BCE , including the Muisca , Quimbaya , and the Tairona . Spaniards arrived in 1499 and by the mid-16th century annexed part of the region , establishing the New Kingdom of Granada , with Santafé de Bogotá as its capital . Independence from Spain was achieved in 1819 , but by 1830 the Gran Colombia Federation was dissolved , with what is now Colombia and Panama emerging as the Republic of New Granada . The new sovereign state experimented with federalism as the Granadine Confederation ( 1858 ) , and then the United States of Colombia ( 1863 ) , before the Republic of Colombia was finally declared in 1886 . Panama seceded in 1903 , leading to Colombia 's present borders . Beginning in the 1960s , the country suffered from an asymmetric low-intensity armed conflict and political violence , both of which escalated in the 1990s . Since 2005 , there has been significant improvement in security , stability , and rule of law .
Xi Jinping ( /ʃiː dʒɪnˈpɪŋ/ ; Chinese : 习近平 ; Mandarin pronunciation : [ ɕǐ tɕîn.pʰǐŋ ] ; born 15 June 1953 ) is a Chinese politician serving as the general secretary of the Communist Party of China ( CPC ) , president of the People 's Republic of China ( PRC ) , and chairman of the Central Military Commission ( CMC ) . Xi has been the paramount leader , the highest-ranking official in China , since 2012 and he officially received the title of leadership core from the CPC in 2016 . The son of Chinese Communist veteran Xi Zhongxun , he was exiled to rural Yanchuan County as a teenager following his father 's purge during the Cultural Revolution , and lived in a cave in the village of Liangjiahe , where he worked as the party secretary . After studying at the Tsinghua University as a Worker-Peasant-Soldier student , Xi rose through the ranks politically in China 's coastal provinces . Xi was governor of Fujian from 1999 to 2002 . He was also governor , then party secretary of neighbouring Zhejiang from 2002 to 2007 . Following the dismissal of the party secretary of Shanghai Chen Liangyu , Xi was transferred to replace him for a brief period in 2007 . He joined the Politburo Standing Committee and central secretariat in October 2007 , spending the next five years as Chinese paramount leader Hu Jintao 's presumed successor . Xi was vice president from 2008 to 2013 and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission from 2010 to 2012 . Xi is the first general secretary born after the establishment of the People 's Republic of China . Since assuming power , Xi has introduced far-ranging measures to enforce party discipline and to impose internal unity . His anti-corruption campaign has led to the downfall of prominent incumbent and retired Communist Party officials , including members of the Politburo Standing Committee .
China ( Chinese : 中国 ; pinyin : Zhōngguó ) , officially the People 's Republic of China ( PRC ) , is a country in East Asia and is the world 's most populous country , with a population of around 1.428 billion in 2017 . Covering approximately 9,600,000 square kilometers ( 3,700,000 sq mi ) , it is the third largest country by area . [ j ] Governed by the Communist Party of China , the state exercises jurisdiction over 22 provinces , [ k ] five autonomous regions , four direct-controlled municipalities ( Beijing , Tianjin , Shanghai , and Chongqing ) , and the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau . China emerged as one of the world 's first civilizations , in the fertile basin of the Yellow River in the North China Plain . For millennia , China 's political system was based on hereditary monarchies , or dynasties , beginning with the semi-mythical Xia dynasty in 21st century BCE . Since then , China has expanded , fractured , and re-unified numerous times . In the 3rd century BCE , the Qin reunited core China and established the first Chinese empire . The succeeding Han dynasty , which ruled from 206 BCE until 220 CE , saw some of the most advanced technology at that time , including papermaking and the compass , along with agricultural and medical improvements . The invention of gunpowder and movable type in the Tang dynasty ( 618-907 ) and Northern Song ( 960-1127 ) completed the Four Great Inventions . Tang culture spread widely in Asia , as the new Silk Route brought traders to as far as Mesopotamia and the Horn of Africa . Dynastic rule ended in 1912 with the Xinhai Revolution , when the Republic of China ( ROC ) replaced the Qing dynasty . China , as a whole , was ravaged by feudal warlordism and Japan during World War II .
The Communist Party of China ( CPC ) [ note 2 ] is the founding and ruling political party of the People 's Republic of China ( PRC ) . The CPC is the sole governing party within mainland China , permitting only eight other , subordinated parties to co-exist , those making up the United Front . It was founded in 1921 , chiefly by Chen Duxiu and Li Dazhao . The party grew quickly , and by 1949 it had driven the Kuomintang ( KMT ) 's nationalist government from mainland China after the Chinese Civil War , leading to the establishment of the People 's Republic of China . It also controls the world 's largest armed forces , the People 's Liberation Army . The CPC is officially organised on the basis of democratic centralism , a principle conceived by Russian Marxist theoretician Vladimir Lenin which entails democratic and open discussion on policy on the condition of unity in upholding the agreed upon policies . The highest body of the CPC is the National Congress , convened every fifth year . When the National Congress is not in session , the Central Committee is the highest body , but since the body meets normally only once a year most duties and responsibilities are vested in the Politburo and its Standing Committee . The party 's leader recently holds the offices of General Secretary ( responsible for civilian party duties ) , Chairman of the Central Military Commission ( CMC ) ( responsible for military affairs ) and State President ( a largely ceremonial position ) . Through these posts , the party leader is the country 's paramount leader . The current paramount leader is General Secretary Xi Jinping , elected at the 18th National Congress held in October 2012 . The CPC is committed to communism and continues to participate in the International Meeting of Communist and Workers ' Parties each year .
The president of the People 's Republic of China is the head of state of the People 's Republic of China . Under the country 's constitution , the presidency is a largely ceremonial office with limited power . However , since 1993 , as a matter of convention , the presidency has been held simultaneously by the general secretary of the Communist Party of China , the top leader in the one party system . The presidency is officially regarded as an institution of the state rather than an administrative post ; theoretically , the president serves at the pleasure of the National People 's Congress , the legislature , and is not legally vested to take executive action on its own prerogative . [ note 1 ] The current president is Xi Jinping , who took office in March 2013 . Since 1993 , apart from brief periods of transition , the top leader of China simultaneously serves as the president , the leader of the party ( as General Secretary ) , and the commander-in-chief of the military ( as the chairman of the Central Military Commission ) . This individual then carries out different duties under separate titles . For example , the leader meets foreign dignitaries and receives ambassadors in his capacity as President , issues military directives as Chairman of the Central Military Commission , and upholds party rule as the general secretary of the Communist Party of China . The presidency was first established in the Constitution of the People 's Republic of China in 1954 and successively held by Mao Zedong and Liu Shaoqi . Liu fell into political disgrace during the Cultural Revolution , after which the presidency became vacant . The presidency was abolished under the Constitution of 1975 , then reinstated in the Constitution of 1982 , but with reduced powers . The official English-language translation of the title was Chairman ; after 1982 , this translation was changed to President , although the Chinese title remains unchanged .
Yuan Shikai ( Chinese : 袁世凱 ; pinyin : Yuán Shìkǎi ; 16 September 1859 - 6 June 1916 ) was a Chinese military and government official who rose to power during the late Qing dynasty . He tried to save the dynasty with a number of modernization projects including bureaucratic , fiscal , judicial , educational , and other reforms , despite playing a key part in the failure of the Hundred Days ' Reform . He established the first modern army and a more efficient provincial government in North China in the last years of the Qing dynasty before the abdication of the Xuantong Emperor , the last monarch of the Qing dynasty , in 1912 . Through negotiation , he became the first official president of the Republic of China in 1912 . This army and bureaucratic control were the foundation of his monarchic rule as the first formal President of the Republic of China . He was frustrated in a short-lived attempt to restore hereditary monarchy in China , with himself as the Hongxian Emperor ( Chinese : 洪憲皇帝 ) .
The Beiyang government ( Chinese : 北洋政府 ; pinyin : Běiyáng Zhèngfǔ ; Wade-Giles : Pei-yang Chêng-fu ) , also sometimes spelled Peiyang Government or the First Republic of China , refers to the government of the Republic of China which sat in its capital Peking between 1912 and 1928 . It was internationally recognized as the legitimate Chinese government . The name derives from the Beiyang Army , which dominated its politics with the rise of Yuan Shikai , who was a general of the Qing dynasty . After his death , the army split into various factions competing for power , in a period called the Warlord Era . Although the government and the state were nominally under civilian control under a constitution , the Beiyang generals were effectively in charge of it . Nevertheless , the government enjoyed legitimacy abroad along with diplomatic recognition , had access to tax and customs revenue , and could apply for foreign financial loans . Its legitimacy was seriously challenged in 1917 , by Sun Yat-sen 's Guangzhou-based Kuomintang ( KMT ) government movement . His successor Chiang Kai-shek defeated the Beiyang warlords during the Northern Expedition between 1926 and 1928 , and overthrew the factions and the government , effectively unifying the country in 1928 . The Kuomintang proceeded to install its nationalist government in Nanking ; China 's political order became a one-party state , and subsequently received international recognition as the legitimate government of China .