World Leaders, Spouses and Capitals 1st Dec 2024
See too UN Pop.2024 2019 NthSth Wealth Countries Cities Adam
Countries ▲▼ | Leader and their Current Age |
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Germany The West
| Olaf Scholz Chancellor (since December 2021) 66
(wife Britta Ernst 63) succeeding Angela Merkel 70 Capital City: Berlin. Founding Year: 1237 Berlin, capital of Prussia, lay east of the River Elbe bordering the early Germanic tribes of the Franks (and Saxons) to the west. Berlin's name thus had its roots in the language of its Slavic inhabitants, probably Berl - Swamp, though with the Ber- at the beginning sounding like the German word Bär - Bear, a bear appears in the coat of arms of the city. Click here for the history of Germany.
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France
| Emmanuel Macron President 46 (wife Brigitte Macron 71) Click here for history since 1789 Capital City: Paris. Founding Year: Circa 250BC |
Italy
| Giorgia Meloni PM (since October 2022) 47 (partner Andrea Giambruno separated) Click here for some notes on Sicily and Naples in the south-west. Traditionally close to the west (Spain). Click here for Venice in the north-east. Traditionally close to the east (Austria). Click here for Florence, Tuscany in the north-west, homeplace of the Medici Family, the Renaissance and the modern Italian language. Traditionally close to Rome and the Royal House of Savoy who aided by France, engineered Italy's reunification 1848-1870 from Piedmont-Sardinia, with its initial capital at Turin in the alps. Became a republic in 1946. Capital City: Rome. Founding Year: Circa 753BC
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UK
| Keir Starmer PM (since July 2024) 62 (wife Victoria Starmer) succeeding Rishi Sunak (Oct 2022), Liz Truss (Sep - Oct 2022), Boris Johnson Click here for some of England's history Capital City: London. Year: Circa 47AD |
Canada
| Justin Trudeau PM 52 (wife, sep., Sophie Trudeau 49) Click here for some of Canada's history Founding Province: Quebec. Year: 1608 Capital City: Ottawa. Founding Year: 1855 with the renaming of Bytown. |
USA
| Joe Biden President 82 (wife Jill Jacobs 73) Donald Trump President-elect 20 Jan 2025 78 (wife Melania Trump 54) Click here for some of US's history Major City: New York. Founding Year: 1624 as New Amsterdam. Renamed New York in 1664 Capital City: Washington D.C.. Founding Year: 1790 from two pre-existing settlements founded in 1749 and 1751. |
Tonga
| Tupou VI King 65 (wife Nanasipau'u 70)
The Kingdom of Tonga was a Click here for more on Tonga's history Capital City: Nuku'alofa, formalized 1875 |
Other Pacific Islands | Tahiti part of French Polynesia since 1842
Samoa ruled by Germany 1900-1914, New Zealand 1914-1962, a republic since 1962 Fiji was a Vanuatu was known as New Hebrides an Anglo-French condominium 1906-1970, a republic since 1970 New Caledonia a French territory since 1853 Solomon Islands a British protectorate 1886-1978, an independent constitutional monarchy since 1978 |
NZ
| Christopher Luxon PM (since November 2023) 54 (wife Amanda Luxon) Click here for some of New Zealand's history within the Commonwealth Major City: Auckland. Founding Year: Circa 1350 Capital City: Wellington. Founding Year: Circa 1280 |
PNG
| James Marape PM (since May 2019) 53 (wife Rachael Marape) pronounced Muh-rah-pay Click here for Papua New Guinea Timeline Capital City: Port Moresby. A trading village renamed in 1873. Became a British Protectorate in 1888 following German colonisation in the north. |
Australia |
Anthony Albanese PM 61 (partner Jodie Haydon) succeeding Scott Morrison (PM 2018 - 2022) 56 NSW Qld Vic Premiers Christopher Minns NSW 45 (since elections March 2023) David Crisafulli Qld 45 (since 28 Oct 2024) Jacinta Allan Vic 51 (replacing Daniel Andrews on 27 Sept 2023) Some Famous Aussie Politicians Josh Frydenberg previous treasurer (2018-2022) 49 Alexander Downer 73 Some Famous Aussie Writers Frances Whiting (around) 60 Click here for some editorials written by Greg in The Australian (2007-2024) Bernard Salt 67 Famous Footballer Click here for New South Wales Timeline Major City: Sydney. Founding Year: 1788 Capital City: Canberra. Parliament House Opened: 1927 |
Israel Middle East
| Benjamin Netanyahu PM (Election 1 Nov 2022, declared 29 Dec 2022) 75 (wife Sara 66)
Click here for the latest news on Israel Capital City: Jerusalem. Called Salem circa 2000BC (afterwards named Jebus). Renamed as City of David circa 968BC. |
Gaza Strip | Mohammed Sinwar 49 brother of Yahya executed 16 Oct, following Ismail Haniyeh executed 31 July.
Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement was founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood. It has been the de facto governing authority of Gaza Strip since its takeover in 2007. Major City: Gaza City. Founding Year: Circa 2000BC |
West Bank (Palestine)
| Mahmoud Abbas President 89 (wife Amina Abbas)
Click here for his predecessor Yasser Arafat and the founding of the PLO Capital City (de facto): Ramallah. Founding Year: Circa 1000AD Crusader era |
Turkey Turkiye
| Recep Erdogan President 70 (wife Emine Erdogan 69)
Click here for a report in 2017 on Recep Erdogan in the Australian. Major City: Istanbul. Founding Year: Circa 660BC as Byzantium. Made Eastern Capital City in 324AD by Roman Emperor Constantine with the name Constantinople. Name changed to Istanbul in 1923. Capital City: Ankara. Founding Year: Circa 2000BC. Made Capital City in 1923. |
Egypt
| Abdel Fattah el-Sisi President 70 (wife Entissar Amer 67)
Capital City: Cairo. Founding Year: 969 AD as al-Qahirah ("Cairo") in Arabic Egypt was known to the Arabs as Misr, and to the Jews as Mizraim, Noah's grandson via Ham who settled there after the flood. It was named Aegyptos by the Greeks, with its northern capital, 20kms south of Cairo, known as Memphis. The Greeks built Alexandria in 331 BC to be their capital, 200 kms to the north on the Mediterranean Sea. With its conquest by Rome in 30 BC followed by the rise of Christianity in 313 AD, many pagan temples were defaced and destroyed. With the Muslim conquest in 640 AD, the few remaining structures were dismantled so that the stone might be reused in the neighbouring villages, and later in Cairo. |
Lebanon
|
Michel Aoun pronounced Mee-shell Ow-an President 89 (term ended Oct 2022)
Najib Mikati PM (since 10 September 2021) 69 Click here for PLO-inflicted civil war 1975-1990 with Michel Aoun as Brigadier-General. Was granted asylum in France after Syria occupied Lebanon in 1990. Returned in 2005 after suicide truck bomb assassination in Beirut of PM Rafic Hariri and Syria's subsequent withdrawal. In France, founded the Free Patriotic Movement, since 2007 broadcasting into Lebanon in French Arabic and Armenian. Led by son-in-law Gebran Bassil since 2015. Capital City: Beirut founding Year: ca 2000BC an early Canaanite/Phoenician name meaning "Wells". |
Syria
| Bashar al-Assad President 59 (wife Asma al-Assad 49) Click here for rulers of Syria since 1920 Capital City: Damascus. Founding Year: Circa 1400BC. |
Jordan
| Abdullah II King 62 (wife Queen Rania 54)
Following the Ottoman defeat in World War 1, it was agreed in 1921 that Abdullah bin Hussein would administer the territory known as Transjordan under the auspices of the British Mandate for Palestine. It achieved full independence as a kingdom in 1946, with its name shortened to Jordan in 1949. Capital City: Amman. Founding Year: Circa 2000BC. Capital city for the Ammonite tribe. |
Saudi Arabia
| Salman King 88 (wife Fahda bint Falah Al Hithlain) Mohammad bin Salman Crown Prince (since 21 June 2017) 39 (wife Princess Sara bint Mashour Al Saud) Click here for Saudi royal family background Capital City: Riyadh pronounced Ree-yadd. Founding Year: 1744.
With regard to the failed state of Yemen directly to the south click here for recent Saudi-Houthi peace talks in Sanaa in April 2023, Yemen’s war erupted in 2014 when the Iran-supported Houthi rebels, a tribal militia from the country’s north, stormed the capital Sanaa and captured it. Saudi Arabia viewed the rebels presence on its southern border and Iran’s support for the movement as a dangerous expansion of Tehran’s regional footprint and formed an international, US-supported coalition to fight it. Subsequently the Saudis imposed an air land and sea blockade on Houthi areas around Sanaa, worsening the famine and cholera epidemic. Until 2022, there were three Presidents
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Iraq
| Mohammed Shia al-Sudani PM (since 27 Oct 2022) 54 Following elections in Oct 2021, formation of a new government stalled for 12 months. The party who won the most votes, supporters of militant nationalist cleric History of Iraq Capital City: Baghdad. Founding Year: 762AD as a Persian village just north of ancient Babylon. Baghdad reached its peak around 775AD as perhaps the Baghdad was sacked by the Mongols in 1258, and never reclaimed its grandeur. After World War 1, Faisal bin Hussein became King of Iraq under the British Mandate. Iraq became an independent kingdom in 1932, then a republic in 1958. Baghdad's population grew from 145,000 in 1900 to 7 million today. |
Iran
|
Ali Khamenei Supreme Leader (Ayatollah) 85 (wife Mansoureh Khojaste Khamenei)
Masoud Pezeshkian President since July 2024 70 (widowed in 1993) Aga Khan IV Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini born in Geneva Switzerland. 87 Click here for recent news on Iran Capital City: Tehran. Founding Year: 1554 when a bazaar and a square town wall with four gates were built. Previously it was an unwalled region with just 1,000 residents. Circa 1778, a citadel (today's Golestan Palace) was built by Click here for Iran's earlier capitals back to Susa (or Shushan) at the time of Daniel, Cyrus the Great and Esther. |
Russia East
| Vladimir Putin President 72 (currently single) Capital City: Moscow. Founding Year: 1147 A brief history of Russia Emperor Peter the Great (1672-1725) moved the capital from Moscow to Saint Petersburg in 1712, a seaport and also a base for Peter's navy, protected by the fortress of Kronstadt. In the east, Russia settled the far eastern Kamchatka peninsula and reached "Russian America" in 1732, later selling it (as Alaska) to the USA in 1867. In 1858 the Chinese were pressured into signing the In the west, Russia's treaty with the Turks in 1829 brought about the autonomy of Serbia in 1830, the autonomy of Greece in 1832, though her advance into Romania was delayed (until 1940) by the Crimean War 1854. Following the Russian revolution in 1917 then the peace treaty with Germany in March 1918, Finland declared its independence after 150 years of Russian rule. For extra protection Russia moved her capital inland back to Moscow. Under Lenin (and Trotsky), from 1922 Russia formed the USSR Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Following Lenin's death and under Stalin's iron rule, Trotsky was forced to flee to Turkey in 1929, then ultimately Mexico where he was assassinated in 1940. Mikhail Gorbachev was the last President of the USSR with the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) forming in its place in December 1991. The nine full member states are Russia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikstan and Uzbekistan. A tenth state, Turkmenistan, is an "associate state", and Afghanistan and Mongolia are "observer states". Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, following a meeting with France. |
Ukraine
| Volodymyr Zelensky President (since 20 May 2019) 46 (wife Olena Zelenska 46) A brief history of Ukraine (literally border country) |
Pakistan
| Shehbaz Sharif PM (since 4 Mar 2024) 73 (wife Tehmina Durrani 71)
Pakistan (Muslim), which in 1947 included East Pakistan (modern Bangladesh), became independent from India (Hindu) on Click here for rulers of Pakistan since 1973 Major City: Karachi. Founding Year: 1729 Capital City: Islamabad. Founding Year: 1960 |
India
| Narendra Modi PM 74 (currently estranged from wife) India and China, 2 most populated countries in the world Click here for India's eight most widely spoken languages and scripts. Click here for India's history after Noah's flood. The Dominion of India came into being in the (British) Commonwealth of Nations between 15 August 1947 and 26 January 1950, following which it became the modern Republic of India with the adoption of its new constitution. Capital City: New Delhi. Continuous settlement since about 6th century BC. Founding Year as a walled city, now known as Old Delhi: 1648. From 1857 the British capital was in Calcutta. The Foundation Stone for New Delhi was laid in 1911 by King George V, and the new capital was inaugurated in 1931. Dalai Lama 89 (a monk since childhood) |
Bangladesh
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Sheikh Hasina PM 77 (resigned 5th August 2024, fleeing to Delhi)
Muhammed Yunus 84 appointed as interim chief adviser. Capital City: Dakha. Founding Year: 1608 A brief history of Bangladesh War broke out in March 1971. Hasina's father was arrested and taken to Pakistan. Bangladesh formed a provisional government, with her absent father named as President in April, and Calcutta in India as capital-in-exile. |
Myanmar (Burma)
| Min Aung Hlaing State Leader, age 68 (wife Kyu Kyu Hla) Military coup d'état 1st February 2021 Win Myint President since 2018, age 73 (wife Cho Cho) Aung San Suu Kyi Owwn Saan Soo Chee Click here for some further notes on Burma Major City: Yangon (also known as Rangoon). Founding Year: Circa 1028. In 2006, the military government relocated the administrative functions to the purpose-built city of Naypyidaw. |
Thailand
| Paetongtarn Shinawatra PM (since Aug 2024) 37 (spouse Pitaka Suksawat)
Maha Vajiralongkorn (Rama X) King (since 2016) age 72 (current wife Suthida). The king lives controversially mostly in self-imposed exile, reigning from an alpine resort in Bavaria, south Germany. Click here for some further notes on Thailand Capital City: Bangkok. Founding Year: 1782 |
China
| Xi Jinping President 71
(wife Peng Liyuan 62) China and India 2 most populated countries in the world Click here for the history of paper money in China Click here for a history of China's dynasties, censuses Capital City: Beijing in 1949. Founding Year: 1045BC |
Korea North
| Kim Jong-Un Supreme Leader age 41 according to South Korea, 40 according to US records (wife Ri Sol-ju) In 1910 Japan annexed the whole country. Following Japan's defeat and with Soviet troops advancing, the country was divided at the 38th parallel by US troops on 10 August 1945. When Soviet troops entered Pyongyang on 25 August 1945, it became a temporary capital for the provisional government, then the de facto capital after 1948. With Korea's division, between 400,000 to 4 million refugees fled south 1945-1950. In May 1946 the Soviet-US joint commission who were overseeing Korea's reunification made it illegal to cross the 38th Parallel without a permit. Following the failure of the commission, first South then North Korea appointed their own leaders in 1948. In 1950 North Korea invaded South Korea with the aid of Stalin. They captured Seoul in late June 1950 but were forced out by the Click here for some recent news of North Korea Capital City: Pyongyang. Founding Year (according to Korean mythology): 1122BC |
Korea South
|
Yoon Suk-yeol President (since 10 May 2022) 63 (wife Kim Keon-hee 52)
succeeding Moon Jae-In (President 2017 - 2022) 69 Click here for the US forces currently stationed in South Korea approximately 23,500 Capital City: Seoul in 1945 resumed its traditional role. Founding Year: 18BC |
Japan
| Shigeru Ishiba PM (from 1 October 2024) 67 (wife Yoshiko Ishiba)
Naruhito Emperor (since 1 May 2019) 64 (wife Empress Masako 60) Click here for the US forces currently stationed in Japan approximately 50,000 Capital City: Tokyo. First fortified (from a small fishing village): Circa 1200 |
Philippines
| Bongbong Marcos President (since 30 June 2022) 67 (wife Liza Araneta Marcos 65)
succeeding Rodrigo Duterte 77 Click here for the US Spanish War of 1898. Granted independence 1946 Capital City: Manila. First Fortified (for trading): Circa 1200 |
Vietnam
| To Lam 67 (wife Ngô Phương Ly) Became general secretary when Nguyen Phu Trong (Wen Phoo Trong) 80 died Jul 2024 Click here for the Officeholders from the establishing of the Indochina Communist Party in 1930. After the French left in 1955, South Vietnam had two Catholic military presidents, and strong US support from 1964-1975
Australia's military commitment to South Vietnam April 1965 to January 1973. Major City: Ho Chi Minh City also known as Saigon. Founding Year as a Temple site: Circa 400AD. First settled about 1000AD. Capital City: Hanoi. Founding Year: 1010 |
Cambodia
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Hun Manet PM (since 2023) 47 (wife Pich Chanmony) Succeeded his father Hun Sen who'd had a significant role from April 1975, when the US backed Khmer Republic (1970-1975) fell. Hun Sen had left for Vietnam in June 1977, returned with Vietnam's invasion in December 1978 (under Pol Pot's "Khmer Rouge" regime 1975-1979 all monetary exchange had been abolished). Vietnam set up a new government, and the Cambodian riel was reintroduced. Capital City: Phnom Penh. Founding Year: 1372 |
Malaysia
| Anwar Ibrahim Current PM (since 24 November 2022) 77 (wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail 71) Mahathir Mohamad long-term politician 99 (wife Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali 98) A brief history of Malaya (and Singapore) In 1942 the island of Singapore, violently invaded, fell to Japan. After Japan's surrender in 1945, a significant number of British troops were deployed to Malaya and Singapore until 1971, with Australia RAAF support from June 1950 and additional ground forces deployed in October 1955. In 1957 the Federation of Malaya was formed, becoming Malaysia in 1963 when it merged with Singapore, also Sarawak & Sabah in north British Borneo. A violent confrontation with Indonesia ensued over Borneo, easing in 1966 with General Suharto's replacing President Sukarno. Although British troops withdrew in 1971, good relations have been maintained, with a five nation (Au, NZ, UK, Singapore and Malaysia) operational headquarters set up at Butterworth Air Base at Penang. Click here for further notes on the early years of British Singapore and Malaysia, starting with Stanley Raffles in Penang in 1805. Click here for a timeline snapshot (from Wikipedia) of British Malaya and British Borneo. Capital City: Kuala Lumpur. Founding Year: Circa 1857 |
Indonesia
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Prabowo Subianto President 73 (wife sep. Titiek Suharto) Capital City: Jakarta on the island of Java (known to the Dutch as Batavia until Indonesian independence on December 27, 1949). Founding Year: Circa 400AD Nusantara, Kalimantan, is the planned capital on the island of Borneo, opened / inaugurated in August 2024. Click here for a map of Indonesia and recent news in June 2022 A brief history of Indonesia Upon Japan's surrender, Sukarno was declared to be President of the new Republic of Indonesia, ruling from Yogyakarta, 560 kms south-east of Batavia. Four years of intermittent civil war followed, British and Australian troops remaining reluctantly in the East Indies until November 1946 to assist authorities maintaining the peace. Sukarno's capture in December 1948, was followed soon after by a peace agreement in May 1949, then independence in December. There was a murderous assault on the top military brass involving the Indonesian army at the close of September 1965
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where six top anti-communist military leaders were kidnapped and executed by army troops said to be "protecting the president" and forestalling a planned government coup. The men executed included the commander of the army, the second deputy-commander, two brigadier-generals, and two other senior men. However the troops failed to kill the Minister of Defense, who escaped, and hid, and with a broken ankle immediately appointed General Suharto as new Army Commander. Read further details here Following the Asia economic crisis in 1997 when the rupiah dropped from 2,600 to 17,000 to the US dollar, Suharto resigned and was replaced by his Vice-President Habibie. In 2004 SBY (Yudhoyono) was elected President, followed by Joko Widodo in 2014, and Prabowo Subianto (President-elect) in Feb 2024. |
Click here for the three "Charlies" Carl Linnaeus 1707-1778, Charles Darwin 1809-1882, and Karl Marx 1818-1883
Click here for D.L.Moody 1837-1899, wife Emma Moody 1842-1903, Ira Sankey 1840-1908
Click here for J.R.R. Tolkien 1892-1973
Click here for C.S. Lewis 1898-1963 and Joy Davidman 1915-1960
Click here for Derek Prince 1915-2003
Click here for Merlin Carothers 1924-2013
Click here for Henry Kissinger 1923-2023
Click here for Jordan Peterson 1962-
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